


Conversations in the Dark

by Thistlesandherbs



Category: Original Work, Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander (TV), Outlander (TV) RPF, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: A hint of Olivia Pope in the guise of Melissa (original character) and all the badassery she brings, A lot of canon divergence and a lot of original characters, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Does Jamie have a wee stiletto fetish?, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Long long fic - you'll need caffeine or whisky, Love Story, Original Character(s), Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:47:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 64
Words: 465,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25346449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thistlesandherbs/pseuds/Thistlesandherbs
Summary: Heartthrob actor, Jamie Fraser, is at a crossroads in his life. The demands of his career are playing havoc with his personal life. He wants out of the Hollywood lifestyle, and is drawn to the mountains of the Seattle area, which are very reminiscent of his home in Scotland. When he’s presented with a unique opportunity in the wine industry, he is convinced that Seattle must become his primary home.In the process of purchasing property to build a home, he meets potential neighbor, Claire Beauchamp, a widowed university lecturer, who captivates and intrigues him and makes him re-evaluate some important life decisions.Both face career decisions that are heavily impacted by treacherous external influences. Will their relationship survive the many obstacles they must overcome?
Relationships: Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser
Comments: 5160
Kudos: 1520





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

“You’ve got to be bloody kidding me!” She heard the helicopter before she saw it.

_How dare you interrupt my peaceful evening!_

She fixed her eyes in the direction of the sound as she waited for it to appear. It rose slowly above the peak of the mountains, rotors spinning in a blur. It was a 6-seater, not a news or traffic chopper as she had expected. She guessed it must be a private tour of the Central Cascades. Tourists to Washington state loved to explore the mountain ranges and inactive volcanoes from the air. She set her laptop aside, and picked up her glass of chilled sauvignon blanc.

From the comfort of her outdoor living area, Claire had a phenomenal view of the magnificent peaks and troughs of the Central Cascades in a 270º sweep. Acre upon acre of unspoiled open wooded land lay between her and her view of the mountains and she had always hoped it would remain that way permanently. However, the greater Seattle area, and particularly the area known as ‘the Eastside’, had exploded in recent years, and developers were buying up land at a frenzied rate. New neighborhoods were springing up all the time and Claire just hoped she could enjoy her private, peaceful oasis - her Eastside home - for as long as possible. She knew it was inevitable that some of the land around her would eventually be bought up and developed into a small neighborhood with single family homes, roads, a park or two, and lots of noisy families. Before Henry’s illness, they had even spoken about buying up a decent chunk of the land to retain their privacy and uninterrupted views. But as his cancer progressed, their lives were focused on far more important things than open land and trees. And now, two years after her husband’s death, Claire still hadn’t given much thought to the land and whether she should seriously consider snapping it up.

Sighing, Claire took a sip of wine and waited for the helicopter to start bearing west towards the peaks of the Cascades. She swept her gaze across the mountains, and tried to imagine what the helicopter passengers were seeing. It was mid-June and most of the snow caps had melted, but she could still see snow clinging to the very tops of some of the peaks. The tourists were in for a treat, no doubt about that. She watched the helicopter, mentally urging it to start heading west towards the central peaks, but instead, it started to bear down, lower and lower, making sweeping passes over the land adjoining her property. It hovered over a certain area, then moved on, and then swept back around to hover over a different area. All the while, it moved closer and closer to her terrace. When it was quite close, it swept back and forth a few times, and Claire had the distinct feeling that the occupants could see her clearly. She could make out some human forms in the cabin, and they were peering out of the windows on all sides of the chopper.

_Wait, are you seriously waving at me? You come and invade my evening by flying way too close to my home, and now you’re waving at me!_

She squinted into the cabin of the chopper. Hard to tell, but she thought she counted 4 people, including the pilot. She could tell that the frantically waving man had a shock of white hair, and wondered what on earth he was up to. She wasn't sure whether to wave back or flip him off, but before she could decide, her phone buzzed next to her. It was a text from Milo Lukic - a dear friend.

Milo and his wife, Suki, were Henry’s college friends, and after Claire moved to Seattle seven years ago as Henry’s bride, they had become her closest friends too. They had been there for her throughout Henry’s illness. They were in the room with her when he took his last breath. They held her when she sobbed her pain and howled her grief and yelled her anger at the unfairness of losing her husband. At the unfairness of her twins losing their beloved step-dad. At the unfairness of the world losing a business genius and philanthropist. A widow at 32.

Milo and Suki had loved and supported her in those raw, dark days. Wiping her tears and snotty nose. Sustaining her and helping her through the funeral arrangements and Henry’s celebration of life. Standing by her side as she received an endless stream of visitors and flowers and meals. Even a couple of news crews from local TV channels. Henry’s position as Professor Emeritus at Fulton Business School and appointment to the boards of several large companies had afforded him a fairly high profile in business circles, and there was a surge of interest in the life and death of one of Seattle’s business personalities and his young widow. Two of the boards immediately dispatched their media relations teams to help Claire deal with the press. And after the turmoil and frenzy of those first few weeks had abated, after the meals and flowers had dwindled, and the visitors stopped coming, Milo and Suki were still there. Still bringing meals for her and the twins, still holding Claire’s hand as she dealt with yet another surge of grief. Still ferrying the twins to and from school and events and activities, and dealing with the lawn service, and club memberships, and insurance and minor roof repairs after a windstorm. Still standing with Claire as slowly, slowly, she started to pick up the pieces and began her return to motherhood and work and life.

**I see you!**

She quickly texted him back:

 **** ******_Milo! Is that you - I can see your hair from here!_ **

**How are you doing, my beautiful English rose?**

 **** ******_Doing well, thank you! Just getting some grading done. Student case studies and project reports_ **

**Hah! Look at you, Professor Beauchamp**

**********_Nope - still Dr. Beauchamp. Still Associate Professor. But interviewing and negotiating hard - there's a professorship in the works. We need to grab dinner so I can tell you all about it. Are you and Suki hardcore quarantining, or you up for dinner? Also, WTH are you doing flying over my house!_ **

**Looking at the land for a potential client. Top secret. I’ll call you from my car in about an hour or so. I need to chat with you about something**

**_Later_ **

As happy as she was to hear from Milo, her heart dropped a little too. If he was looking at the land, then chances were quite high that there was a development in the offing. Milo and Suki were among Seattle’s top five realtors. She wondered how many houses would be built there. Construction would be hard to tolerate - a minimum of two years of noise, dust, and activity.

With another deep sigh, she picked up her glass and her laptop, and headed indoors. Time to throw together a quick salad and FaceTime the twins.

\------------

Milo’s call came just as she was wrapping up her FaceTime session with the twins.

“Hey sweetheart, how are things?”

“All good, Milo! How are you and Suki doing?”

“We are fine. Quarantining dutifully like everyone else. We’re doing the distancing thing, but we have a fairly good idea who we can and can’t associate with. We’re so ready for this to be over! We’re heading to our place in Arizona in a couple of weeks for a change of scenery. You and the girls are more than welcome to join us. How are they doing?”

“Aww, you’re so thoughtful, Milo! I might take you up on that later in the summer. Right now, I am super busy with project reviews and managing a summer cohort, and I’m in the middle of discussions about a potential professorship. Oh - and the girls are with their dad in Boston.”

“Oh? Since when? You must be missing them like crazy!”

“Oh, I am! Three weeks since they left! I know last time you and I spoke, they were just completing their online schooling and semester finals. Frank wanted them to fly out earlier this summer and spend more time with him and his family. They'll be there for a couple more weeks, and then home for the rest of the summer.”

“Wow! I bet they’re missing you big-time, but probably enjoying the time with their half siblings. Please send them my love next time you talk to them.”

“Will do. Milo, please tell me Seattle’s top realtor has not found a buyer for the property next to mine.”

“Hah! I think I heard you swearing at me from the helicopter - in your poshest accent!” Milo chuckled, imagining Claire’s annoyance at the disruption of her peaceful evening. "Well ….” he continued, “it’s good news and bad news. Bad news first - yes, we have a potential buyer looking at it fairly seriously. I know, I know - you were hoping that the land would always be there, undeveloped. The guy’s from the U.K. and he's only seen it on Google Earth and drone footage, but he knows the area from previous visits. He’ll be out next week to look at it in person. In fact, Suki and I were planning on asking you if you’d be willing to meet him briefly - observing social distancing rules, of course. A quick meeting to talk to him about the area, pros and cons of living there, schools, shopping, property values, walking trails - you know all the usual questions potential buyers have. It’s always helpful to have a friendly neighbor to talk to.”

“Of course!“ Claire responded, trying not to sound hesitant or disappointed.

Sure, she would love for the land to remain unspoiled forever, but she knew that was not realistic. Besides, Milo and Suki were practically family - she would do anything for them. “What’s the good news?”

“He’s not a developer. He wants to buy all 26 acres. He’s a private man with a very public profile, and wants something secluded and spacious. He’ll build something beautiful and classy, and will likely keep horses. He’s already said that he’ll stable the horses as far away from your house as his land will allow. No smelly horse poop to deal with,” he chuckled.

“Hmmm. Well, if I have to give up my privacy, I’m really glad it will be to a single family. I’m really relieved about that, to be honest. How old are the kids?"

“Actually,” Milo said, “there are no kids. He’s not married. We found him a 6-week rental on Lake Washington last October-November, and he was on his own for most of that time. His sister and her family came to visit for a couple of weeks. So no kids of his own for the moment but likely some family visits from time to time.”

“Why was he renting on Lake Washington?” asked Claire, puzzled.

“He loves the Seattle area and has been planning to buy property here for a while. He wanted to spend time in the area to see what grabbed him and where he might want to settle. While he was staying at the Lake, Suki and I took him to all the usual affluent neighborhoods to view properties - but he really wanted something on the Eastside. He is nuts about mountains, so he really can’t do better than Washington. And since he wants to be in the Greater Seattle Area, I feel like your neighborhood is a really good fit. We drove him out there in November and he says it reminds him of his home town in Scotland.”

“So he’s from Scotland? What does he do?” asked Claire, a little more interested. Scotland was high on her list of places to revisit. She had spent a few years there as a teenager and young adult, and really wanted to go back and explore some more.

“Well, that’s where this gets tricky,” Milo replied. “This is one of those top secret deals where Suki and I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement because he’s a celebrity. We can tell you a little, but we’d rather do it face-to face. What are you up to tomorrow?”

“Hah!” chuckled Claire. “Don’t judge me, but I’m taking advantage of the loosened restrictions and have planned a full morning of self-care and pampering. Mani-pedi, facial, massage, and hair. I’ll be done by 1:00’ish.”

“Yeah! Good for you, Claire! No judgment here. You totally deserve it. In fact, I’m going to encourage Suki to do something like that soon. She deserves it too after putting up with me at home for weeks on end! Why don’t you come grab a light lunch with Suki at home when you’re done with pampering tomorrow? I have to drive to Bellingham for the day, but Suki has all the info about our client and the transaction, and I know she’s dying to see you.”

“That sounds divine! Please let her know I’ll bring dessert. It’ll be somewhere between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. Can’t wait to catch up with her.”

As Claire curled up on the sofa and set her phone down next to her, she couldn’t help feeling intrigued by the private, nameless celebrity who might become her neighbor.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic, and it has become a much bigger project than I ever anticipated. Thank you so much for reading it. 
> 
> It is a very, very long, Modern AU, very canon-divergent fic, so before you commit, here are some things you should know:
> 
> \- Jamie and Claire are the main characters, of course, and I selected a handful of my favorite OL characters for roles in my fic. The plot is filled with completely unrelated characters too. I weave in some moments from Sam and Cait - a few quotes from their interviews or tweets creep in here and there.  
> \- My Jamie and Claire are modern-day, contemporary characters. **There is much less Gaelic in this fic than you would read in a period/canon fic.** It just made more sense to me that Jamie would speak in a more era-appropriate way. Jamie's Scottish accent fades as he spends more time away from Scotland.  
> \- My fic has its roots in Outlander - some lines, quotes, and scenes used to drive moments in my story are obviously not my own, but from the series (books or TV). All credit to the great DG! I mess with the quotes a bit too - Claire might say a line that Jamie made famous. Or the other way around.  
> \- It’s set in current times - pandemic and all. A little challenging to write around that, but while it kicks off the situation that brings J and C together, it is not the main focus of this fic.  
> \- **This is primarily a love story - the sex is secondary.**  
>  \- It is a sloooooooow, slow burn. No major heat until chapter 20/21/22. I wanted to develop major characters first, and I do that slowly. A few warm-up moments in earlier chapters. But when the heat comes, it is definitely hot, and very NSFW.  
> \- It's a very long fic! At some point I'll go back and edit and cut it down, but I need to bring it to a conclusion. If you are not a fan of the slow burn, or long descriptions, or tons of detail, this is probably not the fic for you  
> \- I’ve taken some creative liberties with quarantine restrictions, but these are in no way a reflection of my own approach or attitudes about staying safe and keeping others safe in the pandemic.  
> \- The first comment after each chapter is always a mini commentary from me with a hint of what's to come next. Click on 'Comments' at the bottom of each chapter.  
> \- I created a tumblr blog where I post more about some of the chapters - mood boards, pictures, songs - whatever I think might enhance reader experience. Don't miss some of the gorgeous GIFs made by talented bloggers - they capture the mood of the chapters so well!
> 
> [My tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thistlesandherbs)
> 
> Once the story wraps up, I will add periodic epilogues in the form of ficlets. Please subscribe to me at the top of the page if you would like notifications of when these fics are posted.
> 
> **  
> **Thank you so much for reading!**  
> **


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Maybe scheduling lunch after hours and hours of pampering was not the best idea. Claire felt positively drowsy as she drove parallel to Lake Washington en route to Suki and Milo’s stunning lakefront home. The sight of the large expanse of gently undulating water only added to her somnolence. She felt completely relaxed and warm, and the after-effects of her facials and a deep back and scalp massage made her want to lie flat on her back and give in to the sun’s warm, soothing rays. Parking her SUV on the driveway, Claire grabbed the paper bag filled with a half-dozen mini bundt cakes and two bottles of wine. 

“Claire!” Suki squealed as she threw open the front door and wrapped her friend in a strong embrace. She clasped Claire's face in her soft hands and deposited a huge noisy kiss on each of her cheeks. “Our English rose! I have missed you so much! You look beautiful. Turn around, let me see your hair!”

“Oh Lord,” groaned Claire. “I just had a facial and don’t have a stitch of make-up on. You are so sweet, Suki, but I must look bloody awful!” She obliged Suki and did a 360, allowing her to admire her freshly cut hair and balayage color treatment. 

“Oh, I love it,” she breathed, gently running her hands through Claire’s soft curls. “The color is beautiful.” 

It certainly enriched the rich espresso hues of Claire's hair with tantalizing hints of auburn and bronze. Her stylist, Armando, had also transformed her tight curls into loose ‘beachy waves’, and the overall effect was stunning. Claire knew that the twins were going to love it. She couldn't wait to show them on FaceTime later. 

“Thank you, Suki,” she smiled, “the girls convinced me to do the balayage at Christmas, and I really loved how natural it looked while still enhancing some lowlights and highlights in my own color. But look at _you_ , Ms. Glam! You look ah- _mazing_!” She admired Suki’s sleek bob, her black hair lightly veined with a few streaks of grey. The overall effect made her willowy friend look even more elegant, distinguished, and chic. 

“Oh stop!” Suki protested, giggling and ushering Claire into the kitchen! “A few weeks into quarantine, I realized I was fighting a losing battle with my hair color, so I decided to go natural. I’m 53 this year, and figured I’d dye my hair until I was at least 65. I felt like letting the grey grow out would age me too much, but honestly, I think I really like the grey streaks. Milo loves it too - or so he says. Mind you, he’s been completely grey-white for years now, so I don’t think he even notices my grey,“ she laughed. 

“Well, you look absolutely wonderful,” gushed Claire, as she placed the dessert and wine bottles on the counter.

”Did you run into any protests or unrest on your way here?” Suki busied herself uncorking a bottle of wine and arranging the mini bundts on a platter. 

Wave after wave of protests and demonstrations had been sweeping the country since May, as activists and communities from all sides made their voices heard on the issue of racism and police brutality. Amid rumors of disbanding police forces in some big cities around the nation, Seattle had just seen the establishment of a police-free neighborhood, the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or CHAZ. There were still tensions between the authorities and the protesters, and it felt like all of Seattle was in wait-and-see mode. 

“No. Most of my drive was on the interstate.” Claire and Suki enjoyed talking and debating about politics, social, and community issues, and she knew that part of their lunch conversation would veer towards the state of the country.

They plated up a deliciously simple meal of baked salmon, asparagus and salad, grabbed their wine, and headed down to the lakefront. Suki’s outdoor living area was cleverly designed for maximizing privacy and optimizing the lake view. Her favorite part was the small, slightly sunken patio next to the boat dock. It was here that she and Milo often took their meals, and it was here that she and Claire settled into their comfortable dining chairs. Over a leisurely lunch, the women talked politics and protests, and caught up on each other’s family news. They laughed at each other’s pandemic frustrations, and reflected seriously on the loss of life and general devastation that the dreaded virus had left in its wake. 

Claire was excited to share her news about the professorship she was chasing at UDub’s Fulton Business School. Suki clapped enthusiastically, and reached over to hug her. Her eyes were watery, and Claire knew that she was thinking about Henry and how proud he would have been of her success in academia. 

For her part, Suki was just starting to plan her daughter’s wedding, slated to take place next summer. She updated Claire on all the fine details of the plans. It was a location wedding in Hawaii, and would no doubt be an unforgettable occasion. 

“Thank heavens they didn’t set the date for this summer!” exclaimed Claire. "What a mess it's been with so many event cancellations.”

“Tell me about it!” Suki rolled her eyes. “Wedding planning is stressful enough without a global pandemic getting in the way. Milo tells me the girls are in Boston?”

“Yes,” sighed Claire, “Frank wanted them to spend the earlier part of the summer with him and the family. We FaceTime every night, sometimes twice a day. I miss them terribly. They turn 16 next Wednesday. I’m trying not to think of the fact that I won’t be with them on such a big milestone birthday.” Claire swallowed hard and blinked furiously. Suki reached over and gently squeezed Claire’s hand.

“I’m so sorry, Claire. I know it will be a tough day for you. You should come over. We’ll go out on the boat and enjoy the lake for a bit.” 

Claire smiled a sad little smile. “Thank you, Sook. Melissa is visiting from Atlanta next week. We’re going to spend Wednesday in Woodinville. Now that restrictions have been eased and we can enjoy patio outings at restaurants, I figured it would be good for the soul to enjoy a day out - even if we’re wearing masks all day. I’ve booked a patio table at Columbia, and space in a tasting room at La Ville. Figured I can pick up my club wines while I’m out there too.”

“That sounds wonderful! Please remember to say hi to Melissa for me.”

“I will. Now - what can you tell me about the man from Scotland who wants to take away my peace and quiet forever?” 

“Ah! Yes, our lovely Scot!” sighed Suki, and broke into a wide smile. “Milo told you about the NDA, so you know I have to tread carefully, right? We’re working mostly with his business manager, who’s also his uncle - Dougal MacKenzie. Celebrity clients always have an entourage! MacKenzie is a nice enough man, but a little intense and uptight. He’s very protective of his nephew. Wanted a watertight NDA. He’s the go-to guy in the negotiations when our client is busy, and he was in the helicopter with Milo yesterday.”

Suki paused to take a bite of her salmon, chewing thoughtfully, and pondering what she could and couldn’t tell Claire. “The nephew is in the entertainment industry.” She paused again and took a small sip of wine. “Oh screw it! I’m sure I can tell you this much at least ... he’s an actor.”

She let that sink in for a few seconds, then took a deep breath. “He’s very well-known and has a huge fan base of ardent female fans. You can imagine the lifestyle, right? He is chased whenever he’s in public - it’s a never-ending saga of autographs, selfies, social media drama - women throwing themselves at him left, right, and center! His past girlfriends have received threats and all. It’s ridiculous and very intense, and he seems to want to get back to a life with some sort of normalcy. Milo and I spent quite a bit of time with him last year when he was just starting to look at Seattle properties. We arranged a six week rental just a little way down from here, so we went boating with him a few times, and we had him over for dinner. He opened up a little. Shared with us that he wants to buy a business here. Milo put him in touch with a friend in the wine business and they’re in advanced talks about that too. That’s why he wants to make Seattle his base in the United States. Currently he splits his time between Scotland and the US. His advisors are trying to convince him to settle in L.A., because that’s what makes the most sense for his movie career. But he is adamant that he wants to get out of the entertainment business within the next 5 years. He’s in his mid-30’s - right around your age, Claire - so you can understand his need to settle down a little and create some stability and balance for himself. For an unmarried, childless man, he’s very family oriented, and finds the obsessive female fan thing a bit much now. Weird, huh? Because what man wouldn't want beautiful women offering themselves to him on a platter? I get the sense that he is just over it. His sister and her family visited while he was in the rental, and he was in his element with his niece and nephews. It was quite cute to see. I don’t know what to make of it all, but he seems to be a decent man. I hope he gets it all figured out in his head.”

“Hmmm,” Claire mused as she processed all the information Suki had given her. “Milo said he’s coming to view the property next week, and that he wanted to stop by for a quick chat with me. How can I help? What would you like me to do?” 

“Just be your friendly, welcoming self,” Suki smiled, warmth and sincerity in her voice and soft, expressive face. “Buyers love to know that they will be living near good people. Nobody wants the neighbor from hell. Answer whatever questions he might have honestly. I don’t think we would expect any more from you than that. And neither would our client.” 

Claire bit on her lower lip - a clear sign that she was nervous, stressed, or deep in thought. It seemed a little daunting to her, if she was completely honest. She knew that the property was a high-value, very desirable piece of prime land. Developers had been after it for years, but it had been in the hands of one of Seattle’s wealthiest and most well-known families for decades. The land had passed through three generations already, and the latest owners were reluctant to sell. Trust fund babies all of them, and they certainly didn’t need the money. For Milo and Suki to have negotiated it this far was really quite impressive. Claire did not want to mess things up for them. They were enormously successful realtors, and this deal was not about the financial reward. As they nudged closer and closer towards retirement, a big deal like this would really crown their careers. It was undoubtedly the thrill of the chase and the challenge that pushed Milo and Suki on this one.

Claire desperately wanted to do right by them, even if it meant helping to sell the tranquil oasis that felt like an extension of her home and her soul. 

“OK,” sighed Claire softly, somewhat comforted by Suki’s encouraging words. "When and what time?” 

“Monday. Milo is picking him up at the airport at 3:30 p.m. He’s flying in from Glasgow, so by the time he clears customs and all, they should be at your house by 5’ish. Milo thinks they’ll spend maybe an hour with you, and then he’s dropping the client off at his hotel downtown after that. Seems he’s going to be wrapped up in all sorts of meetings for a couple of weeks, and he wants to get the property deal over and done with right off the bat.”

“Sounds good,” Claire responded. She was already thinking about what to prepare for her meeting with the mystery man. She wanted to make him feel welcome, but didn’t want to go overboard and give him the impression that Milo and Suki were overly eager. “I’ll have some wine and light appetizers ready, just in case.”

“Oh that would be wonderful, Claire. Maybe some time on your terraces with those spectacular views will give him the push he needs to make a decision either way.”

Claire felt a teeny surge of anxiety again - a lot was riding on that brief visit. Suki sensed that and reached for Claire’s hand to pat it reassuringly. 

“He’s a lovely, lovely man, Claire - you need to know that. I know it sounds all cloak and dagger because of the NDA. But really, he’s just a man who is trying to make some important life choices and decisions. Don’t be intimidated.”

Claire allowed herself a sneaky little smile. “So you can’t give me even a little hint about who he is? What if I throw out some names, can you tell me yes or no? Or can I guess one of the movies he’s been in?"

“Claire, you are so naughty,” teased Suki, but her eyes told Claire she was enjoying this bit of mischief that had crept into their serious conversation. “I will have to be very careful about the NDA, but let’s hear your guesses.”

“Gerard Butler?”

“Oh God, no! Can you imagine?” Suki rolled her eyes.

“Okay, that’s a relief. I can’t imagine him as a neighbor - I feel like it would be non-stop parties and a stream of sexy young starlets.”

“Remember - our client’s looking to settle down somewhat. Not a big party guy at all,” Suki reminded her gently. "Butler's a little older than our client too."

“Okay, Ewan McGregor?”

“Nope.”

“Liam Neeson? Oh wait - he’s Irish. And in his sixties, not mid-thirties as you mentioned. I’ve always harbored a little crush on him, you know? Why am I always drawn to men who are a fair bit older than me?” Claire pondered wistfully. 

“Oh hon,” sighed Suki. Claire knew she was thinking about Henry again. “No dear, it’s definitely not Liam Neeson.”

“Okay. Ummmm.” Deep in thought, Claire tried to remember all the recent shows and movies she had seen with Scottish actors. She gasped suddenly. “Oh! Oh! Who’s the guy from The Bodyguard? He’s pretty hot.” Claire frowned as she tried to remember. “Richard Madden! Oh my God, Sook, please tell me it’s Richard Madden!” She clutched at her heart and pretended to fall back in a swoon.

Suki laughed heartily at Claire’s over-the-top antics and shook her head. “You are so silly, hon! Okay, I’ll give you one more little clue -”

They were interrupted by Suki’s cell phone ringing. “It’s Milo! Let me put him on speakerphone.”

“How are my favorite ladies?” Milo asked. He sounded tired but was clearly happy to be heading home after a long day of grueling negotiations up north. 

Claire leaned over Suki’s phone and said, “Milo, I’ve had the most wonderful afternoon. Your wife has spoiled me and made me laugh.”

“Glad to hear it,” Milo said chuckling, “I take it she briefed you about Monday?”

“Yes, I sure did, honey. Claire’s all briefed and ready to roll.”

“Okay. Thank you, Claire. We appreciate it so much.”

“Well, to be honest,” Claire had mischief in her eyes and voice, “your wife is keeping me on the edge of my seat wondering about the identity of this apparently amazing man. She won’t give me any clues either.” 

“Well, you know we’d love to answer all your questions, but I think they will all be answered in the next week or so.“ Milo sounded upbeat and convincing, and Claire took comfort in knowing that he and Suki would always put her and her daughters above all else. There was no way they would unload a dodgy neighbor on them. Not after all she’d been through.

For the second time in two days she wondered why she was getting that curious feeling about the private, nameless mystery man. It wasn’t unease or discomfort. In fact, it wasn’t a negative feeling at all. More like a flutter of anticipation somewhere between her chest and her belly. 

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

* * *

Claire changed three times before finalizing what she would wear for the meeting with Milo and his client. She had spent much of Saturday getting the guest room ready for Melissa’s visit. Melissa had been part of her Masters degree cohort at NYU, and they had remained firm friends over the years, meeting each other at least once a year. They always met at a destination city - New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago - exploring each city’s delights and attractions while catching up with each other. Melissa had taken her background in PR and Communications and built a hugely successful crisis management firm. If a CEO was caught having an affair - Melissa would step in with her team and ‘mitigate’ as she called it. If a senator was caught in some kind of campaign scandal, Melissa and her team to the rescue! She enjoyed her reputation as a skilled and very expensive fixer and her success at ‘mitigating’ was unparalleled. Claire knew that was code for calling in favors, bribing, nudging, finding skeletons - maybe the odd bit of mild intimidation too. Whatever strategies Melissa and her team used, they worked, and Melissa had saved many well-known business, professional, and political asses over the years.

Early on Sunday morning, Melissa called to cancel her trip to Seattle. One of her team had been exposed to a friend who had tested positive for Covid, and her entire Atlanta office was required to self-quarantine for fourteen days. It was a huge disappointment, but Melissa promised to reschedule for sometime in July - as long as everyone was clear and healthy. Claire spent the rest of the day grading case studies. 

Now she wished she had taken some time to at least think about what to wear for the meeting with the mystery Scot.  _Who, sadly, is not Richard Madden._

Milo had texted forty minutes earlier to let her know that they were just leaving the airport. That meant they would be on her driveway any minute. She had already rejected two summer dresses as too “lunch-with-friends”. This was just a casual meeting with afternoon drinks. She finally pulled on her skinny white jeans and a loose-fitting butter yellow top in a silky crepe. The narrow shoulder straps gave way to a soft draped neckline that flattered her breasts without drawing too much attention to them. The soft, flowy fabric gathered in a knot right on the waistline of her jeans, enhancing her waist and showing off her rear end and long legs. Claire was justifiably proud of her figure. She worked out several times a week, and paid particular attention to her butt, which had always been the envy of her friends - and frenemies. She wasn’t a vain woman, but her years of part-time modelling as a student had given her an appreciation of her natural beauty, and she knew exactly how to make the most of her best features. Taking in her reflection in the bathroom mirror with a critical eye, she looked and felt summery and fresh. _Thank God I had all the stuff done on Friday._

Her hair was freshly washed and she had tamed her curls so that they fell in soft waves below her shoulders. The pale yellow top accentuated her unusual amber-colored eyes, which were further enhanced by soft make-up. Nothing too over-the-top for this meeting - she didn't want to look like she had spent hours fretting over her appearance.  


Grabbing tan Michael Kors flats from her closet, she ran down the stairs just as her phone app pinged to announce that someone had turned into her driveway. For the umpteenth time that day, she thanked the weather gods for a sunny, cloudless day. Perfect weather to enjoy sun-downers on her patio, and to really showcase the magnificent mountain views. Sliding her feet into her sandals, she headed to the front door, pulled it open and took a few steps forward, waiting at the top of her front stairs.  


Her heart was beating faster than expected. Just who was this mystery ‘lovely, lovely man’? Suki’s description, not hers. Milo drove his dark blue BMW past the garages, around her circular driveway and came to a stop near the front steps. She could see a figure in the passenger seat, but with the tinted side windows and the sun’s glare off the windshield, she couldn’t make out any features. Milo’s door was closest to Claire, and he had his head turned toward his client. They were clearly having a humorous discussion, as Milo threw his head back and laughed heartily.  


_What is so damned funny? Just get out of the bloody car already! I’m dying to know who’s in there._

The driver and passenger doors finally opened, and Milo unfolded himself from the depths of his seat and stepped towards Claire with his arms outstretched. Claire gave a little squeal of delight and ran down the wide, shallow staircase right into Milo’s huge, enveloping hug. Even though they had spoken over the past few days, it had been a while since they had seen each other, and Claire basked in the comfort and warmth of Milo’s embrace. He rubbed her back gently and swayed with her a little, then placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head before saying softly, “It is _so_ good to see you at last! I’ve missed you.” 

He freed Claire from his grasp, and then took her hand as he walked a few steps towards the front of his car, where his client had been waiting and watching their warm, lengthy embrace. Claire finally had an unrestricted look at the mystery Scot.  


She may have temporarily stopped breathing at that point.   


“Claire, I’m delighted to introduce you to Jamie Fraser. Jamie, this is my dear friend, Claire Beauchamp.”


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Jamie’s arm moved slightly, as he started to reach forward to shake her hand. Claire started to reciprocate, but they both stopped awkwardly half-way, suddenly remembering social distancing etiquette. They burst out laughing at the same time, and dropped their hands.

“Jamie, it’s such a pleasure to meet you,“ she smiled, with a calm outer confidence that she definitely didn't feel inside. “Don’t you just love the awkwardness of quarantine introductions?”

“Yes! It’s starting to get really old, really fast, isn’t it?” he replied in a soft Scottish brogue, his r’s rolling softly off his tongue. “It’s good to meet ye too, Claire. Thank you for opening yer home to me and allowing me to get an inside look into this neighborhood.”

She had seen his smile in hundreds of magazines, movies, interviews, social media posts. But none of that prepared her for being on the receiving end of the real deal. Dazzling blue eyes sparkled and shone in the bright sunlight. His smile was warm and genuine and left her with a warm, fluttery feeling in her belly. Like butterflies.

She pulled herself together long enough to blurt out, “Not at all! It’s a pleasure, really. A complete pleasure. Oh, I just said that, didn’t I?”

_Oh my God!_ What was wrong with her? She was having a hard time articulating her thoughts and forming coherent sentences, and she was sure both men were looking at her like she had lost her mind. 

_Get a grip! You are a grown-ass woman with teenage daughters. You are also a widow and well past the point of appealing to this ridiculously handsome man in front of you. Plus - you are an associate professor at a respectable university and you’re about to snag a full professorship. Now stop being starstruck and act your damn age!_

“You have a beautiful home, Claire! I canna believe these views,” Jamie said in wonder, as his eyes took in everything from the large house in front of him to the mountains and woods all around them. His gaze returned to Claire and their eyes locked for a moment longer than was entirely comfortable. 

A tiny flutter in her belly snapped her out of the moment, and she regained her composure. “Thank you! Let’s head inside, and I’ll show you around a little.” She led the way up the front steps, across the porch and into the large, cool foyer. The late afternoon sun streamed through the massive windows all around them, and she was pleased she’d turned up the air-con earlier. It had ended up being an 80º plus day, and the cool interior of the house was a welcome relief from the heat of the driveway. Jamie stood in her foyer and took in all the huge windows. They revealed incredible mountain views, and Claire remembered Milo telling her that it was these very mountains that had drawn Jamie to this part of Seattle in the first place. He turned a little, and took in the beautiful marble floors, the sweeping curved staircase on the left, and the soaring ceilings. The entryway reinforced the home’s sense of elegance and grandeur. Much like the owner herself, Jamie mused, with her gracious manners and English accent.

The house was truly magnificent, and she and Henry had taken enormous pleasure in planning and designing every tiny detail with the architects and builders. Milo and Suki had brokered the deal, of course, and she and Henry were eternally grateful to them for finding them their own private sanctuary.

“This is very grand, Claire. Beautiful! I canna get over the views from this room!” His voice was soft, almost reverent, as he turned to look out over the mountains again.

“The views from outside are even better!” Claire smiled. She always delighted in receiving compliments on the stunning home she had created with Henry.

The foyer led into a large open formal living room, and Claire led the way through the sun-drenched space. She threw open the French doors to the outdoor living area. 

If the interior of the house was gorgeous, then the terraced outdoor area was truly spectacular. To make the most of the views, she and Henry had created several outdoor seating areas over three terraced levels, all furnished with comfortable, durable all-weather furniture. 

The trio stepped out onto the upper terrace, which was dominated by a large covered outdoor patio, open on three sides, but with a solid roof, so that they could enjoy being outdoors even on Seattle’s greyest, most drizzly days. The covered area featured a dining area, and two plush sofas arranged around a fireplace. A large flat screen TV hung on the wall. The space was also equipped with an outdoor kitchenette. Small wonder the twins and their friends always opted to hang out in this part of the house. It was made for entertaining people of all ages. Lush lawn and colorful flower gardens filled the remainder of the upper terrace, and at its edge, wide stone steps led to the middle terrace just below.

This terrace featured an open seating area with three large sofas clustered around a fire table, and a huge cantilevered umbrella stood, unopened for now, but ready to provide protection from the sun. On the far side of the manicured terrace was a hot tub that evidently afforded its occupants a relaxing experience with wonderful views. It was nestled in lush ferns and shrubbery and was stippled in sunlight from a canopy of tall trees growing around it. Stone features and surrounds made it meld right into the background.

“Well, now!“ Jamie‘s eyebrow lifted a smidge as he surveyed the hot tub in its beautiful setting. He moved towards it for a closer look and turned to Claire. “May I sit here for a sec?”

She nodded, and he eased himself down onto the stone surround, looking out over the mountains.

“This is something else! Do you use it much or is it one of those things that you get so used to, that it starts to lose its appeal?” He looked directly at Claire, awaiting her response with interest.

“Actually, I’m in here almost nightly in the summer, unless we’re in the middle of a stormy downpour, which happens every now and again in Seattle, although the summers are generally hot, cloudless, and sunny. I actually use the hot tub during much of the rest of the year too, as long as it’s not drizzly or really cold. My ‘sanity hour’, I like to call it. Do you see the rocks with built-in speakers? I blast my music through those and soak my day away. Nothing beats it.” She gave him a bright smile, anxious to come across as friendly and neighborly.

“Mm-hmm.” Jamie smiled slightly and held her gaze a fraction longer than she expected, causing that weird _thing_ between her chest and belly to flutter again.

_What the heck is going on - you’re way too old to have butterflies in your tummy over a man. Especially an unattainable, ridiculously hot movie star. Dear God, Claire! Stop fangirling all over him._

She nipped her lower lip and forced herself to focus. Jamie still held her gaze, so she smiled slightly and gestured for the men to follow her. “Let me show you the pool.”

The men followed as she led them down another set of stone steps, and past a low hedge. There, on an expansive stretch of lawn - the third and lowest terrace of her outdoor living area - she showed off the large pool and a sport court with basketball hoop and volleyball net in the far corner. The pool sparkled and glittered in the late afternoon sun. With a few hours of sunshine still to go before sunset, and the heat of the day as yet unabated, the pool beckoned invitingly.

Jamie nodded towards the pool, “May I feel the water temp?”

“Of course!” Claire was struck by his politeness and manners. He appeared genuinely respectful of her and her home, and the fact that he _asked_ to sit at the hot-tub and _asked_ to feel the pool water was quite endearing. Suddenly annoyed with herself for even thinking those condescending thoughts, she admonished herself that just because he was a celebrity didn’t necessarily mean that he was an ill-mannered lout. She watched as he strode over to the pool. She hadn't been able to get a really good look at him until now. Quite simply, she didn't want to get caught staring. But as he walked away from her towards the pool, she took in as much as she could from her vantage point. He was tall and well-built; a statuesque 6’3” or 6’4”, by her estimation, and it was clear that he worked out. A lot. His shoulders were wide, and she could tell that under his cream-colored long-sleeved Henley shirt, his back muscles were toned and taut. His jeans fit snugly around his butt - a part of his anatomy that she was well acquainted with. From afar - at least - and on a big screen. She smiled a small wry smile as she realized that millions of moviegoers were acquainted with that perfect ass. But to see Jamie’s jean-clad rear-end in real life was a special kind of thrill.

He stopped at the edge of the pool, turned to look at Claire, and promptly busted her staring at his ass. He gave her a quick eyebrow raise, and the tiniest crooked smile, which widened as he saw the pink flush move up her neck until it hit her cheeks. She turned to look at Milo, hoping he hadn't noticed that awkward and embarrassing moment. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself in front of his VIP client. But Milo was engrossed in his phone, rapidly tapping out texts.

Jamie finally saved her dignity by bending down and plunging his hand into the icy pool water. He drew in a little gasp and looked back at her with a grimace. “That is a wee bit cold!”

“Yes,“ Claire grinned back, “I haven't turned on the water heater yet. If the weather stays this nice, I’ll probably do that in the next few days.”

“How warm do ye keep it?” asked Jamie. “I think jumping into a bracing cold pool like this on a hot day must be quite pleasantly invigorating.”

Claire walked towards him. ”Around 80º to 82º, generally. I have two teenage daughters - twins - and they like it slightly on the cooler side - especially after playing on the court for an hour or two.”

“Lucky lasses,” Jamie looked at her with an inscrutable expression. Was it pity? She knew Milo would have told him a little about her before arriving at the house. He likely knew she was a widow raising two daughters whose father was across the country. She bristled at the notion that she was pitiful, but put her game face on and smiled a tight little smile.

“Truly, Claire. What a wonderful home to grow up in! Surrounded by all this nature, beautiful amenities, and a loving Mam.” 

Her smile deepened and she softened a little. “Let me show you the view from the edge of my property - it overlooks the land you’re considering buying, but there are plenty of trees protecting your privacy. The mountain views from there are gorgeous. In fact, it’s my favorite view spot.”

They walked side by side away from the pool. Milo glanced up from his phone, but continued texting, secure in the knowledge that their initial awkwardness had passed, and Claire’s warmth and personality would inevitably shine as she answered Jamie’s questions and extolled all the virtues of this beautiful neighborhood. As they reached the sport court, Jamie stopped to ask Claire a few questions about court options, sizes, surfaces, and maintenance. Clearly, it was something he was mentally filing way for deeper thought and discussion when he was ready to start planning a home of his own. Claire answered most of his questions as thoughtfully and thoroughly as she could, even offering to get her court maintenance guy on the phone for the questions she couldn't answer.

“Oh, no need, Claire, thank you. It’ll be a while before I need to build one, ye ken.” He sounded almost wistful, and she was reminded of Suki’s impression that Jamie wanted to move away from his movie star lifestyle and find a little more balance in his life.

Together, they moved towards the edge of the property, where Claire had promised to show him her favorite view spot. The lawn gave way to more rugged terrain, and a narrow stone path made navigating it somewhat easier.

“We’ll have to go single file here,” she said, “this path’s a little narrow.”

“After you,” Jamie gestured politely. Claire was almost certain he did that weird thing again - held her gaze a little longer than necessary.

Mentally shrugging off that notion, she led the way through a profusion of lush green ferns, purple hydrangeas, crimson rhododendrons and blackberry bushes heavy with unripened berries. The path soon opened onto a rugged stone patio. Four all-weather Adirondack chairs were arranged around a fire-pit. Without turning around to look at Jamie, Claire did a grand sweep with both arms, encompassing the mountains and acres of spectacularly tall firs ahead of them.

“How’s that for a view!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, aye! The best view yet, fer sure!” She turned to look at him and found him a few steps behind her, looking somewhat flustered and a little flushed, hurrying to meet her at the edge of the stone patio. A fleeting frown crossed her face.

_Did he deliberately hang back to get a look at my ass as I led him along the path?_

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that had happened to her, and most certainly wouldn't be the last. She couldn't get all uppity about it either. Hadn’t he just busted her while she was ogling his ass too?

“Uh … _this_ is the view I mentioned earlier.”

He stood next to her, his arm almost touching her shoulder. From the edge of her patio, she pointed out that the land beyond was all part of the neighboring property - the parcel of land that Jamie was considering. It sloped away into a deep basin, and was covered in magnificent conifers, spruces and several varieties of firs - some as tall as 80 or 90 feet. They were splendid and impressive and Jamie stared in open-mouthed wonder.

“Wow,” he breathed, “this is truly spectacular. I can see why this is your favorite view.” They stood side by side in silence for a few minutes, just breathing in the scenery in front of them. Claire sneaked a look at Jamie as he studied the landscape carefully. Since her previous inspection of him had been rudely interrupted when she was caught admiring his rear, she took the opportunity to continue her scrutiny. She heartily approved of what she saw. His deep russet hair was slightly longer than the neat shorter cut he had sported in his latest movie and his trademark curls were just starting to form at the back of his neck. He had very chiselled features - his cheekbones, nose, jaw, and chin all in perfect alignment, setting off his brilliant blue eyes and creating a face so movie-star perfect, that Claire had to suppress a deep sigh.

_What would he think if he knew you had pretty much obsessed over him during his 4-season run as lead actor in_ _'Clan Hearts'?_

Mortified at the thought of being busted for _that_ , Claire turned her gaze to the scenery in front of them.

“So, ye built up here and installed a retaining wall to create the stone patio, right?” asked Jamie.

“Yes,” she confirmed, and explained that the edge of the stone patio and the retaining wall that ran for about seventy feet on either side of it made up one of the boundary lines of her property.

“So all of this would be my property then?” He waved his hand beyond the patio and retaining wall, encompassing the valley, the trees and the large expanse to the right. “I’ve yet to walk this with the land surveyor, so I havena had a chance to see all the stakes and markers that indicate my property.”

“Yes. All of this is yours.” Her inner butterfly fluttered a little again. ‘My property’, he had said. She felt inexplicably happy about him already calling it his property. Having known him for only a half hour or so, Claire instinctively knew that she could do a lot worse than have him for a neighbor. 

She spent the next fifteen minutes telling him what she knew about the Cascades and the Olympic mountains. She mentioned the amazing hikes, walking trails, and bike trails. He asked some questions. She answered to the best of her ability and he listened intently to all of her answers.

“I canna tell you how much I appreciate yer willingness to answer so many questions. It is truly, truly beautiful out here. Ye seem really settled. Where in England did ye grow up?”

“In Oxfordshire, mostly. I was raised by my Uncle Lamb after my parents died in a car accident when I was six. Lamb - it’s short for Lambert - was an archaeologist and researcher, and when I wasn't in boarding school, I traveled with him to Namibia, Egypt, Greece, Guatemala, and Peru. It was exciting, interesting, and sometimes quite crazy. But I absolutely loved it. When I was 15, Lamb was offered a position at Edinburgh University. He was filling in for a professor who had taken a one-year sabbatical, and after that they offered him a permanent post as a lecturer. He decided to accept it for a few years so that he could provide me with more stability as I started to approach decision time about my tertiary education. I studied at Edinburgh University for a time.”

“No kidding!” He seemed genuinely delighted by that bit of unexpected information. “So you were a Sassenach in my homeland for a while there?“ His teasing grin made her feel warm inside.

“Yes,” Claire countered, dryly. “I’ve been called that a few times.” She smiled at him and for a moment neither spoke. They looked at each other for a few more seconds, suspended in an easy silence.

“Um … are you ready to head back to the house for a drink and nibble? I have some light appetizers.”

“Aye, I’m always ready for a nibble,” he said softly with his little crooked smile.

_Damn you, that smile will be the death of me!_

They headed back in single file through the stone path, Jamie a few steps behind Claire, who was still trying to process that nibble comment.

_Are you merely a little peckish, or was that a teeny little flirt?_

As they emerged from the shrubbery onto the manicured lawn of the lower terrace, they saw that Milo was on a cell phone call. He held the phone away from his face, and called out, “I’ll join you in a moment.”

“Okay, we’re going up for a drink,” Claire called back.

“And a wee nibble,” Jamie said softly, just behind her. 

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

* * *

“Would you prefer to sit out in the open or under cover?” Claire asked. 

“If it’s not too much trouble, I would love to sit out here - the middle terrace. I can help ye with the umbrella, of course. It’s just such a perfect day, and I would like to take advantage of it and enjoy all the views from here.”

“No trouble at all. What can I get you to drink? I have beer, wine, whisky, tequila ...”

“If ye have a chilled lager, I would make short work of it.” He grinned. His killer smile reminded her yet again of how surreal this felt. Jamie Fraser. In person. In her home. And she was about to pour him a beer.

“Can I help you carry the drinks out?”

“Don’t worry Jamie, I’ve got this. Claire, I'll help you with the drinks.” Milo was striding across the lawn towards them. Having completed his call, he was ready to rejoin the conversation. However, the quick pointed look he gave Claire alerted her that something was going on. “Take a few minutes to catch up on your texts, or just enjoy the peace and quiet out here. We'll bring out the drinks in a few.” 

“What’s up?” asked Claire as soon as they were in the kitchen, concern clouding her features. She knew Milo well enough to know that something was amiss.

Milo took a deep breath, puffed up his cheeks, and slowly released a sigh. “I’ve been on the phone with Anton.”

“Your brother?”

“Yep.” He looked at her, and she could tell he was worried. Anton Lukic was the Attorney General for Washington State, so this had to be somewhat serious. 

“What is it Milo, you’re freaking me out a little.”

“Sorry, hon. It’s serious, but not critical yet. And again - sorry to spring another secretive thing on you - this is even more top secret. For now.” She nodded. “Anton has been in meetings all day. The unrest in Seattle is getting worse. There has been some violence in CHAZ - or CHOP, I think they're calling it now.” 

“Okay - that’s been brewing for a few days though.” Claire knew the situation was unsettled, but she was puzzled about Milo’s demeanor. She pulled out two trays and started to gather glasses, cocktail plates and napkins to carry down to the terrace. Milo, in the meanwhile, grabbed a selection of lagers, opened a bottle of Claire’s favorite sauvignon blanc, and placed them all in a large stainless steel ice bucket. He filled it with cubes from the ice-maker, and looked at Claire.

“This is the top secret part. The authorities are considering a complete lock-down across downtown Seattle. The entire city has been on high alert, and businesses and hotels have been quietly evacuating. Jamie has a two-week reservation at the Seattle Hyatt. Right in the heart of the action.”

“Oh God!” Claire groaned and shot a quick look out at the terrace, where she could make out Jamie’s head and shoulders. From the angle of his head, she knew he was busy on his phone - completely unaware of the drama unfolding in the kitchen - and in Seattle. 

Milo continued, “I didn’t want to freak Jamie out before I had all the info, so I quietly made some calls to Bellevue hotels while you were talking on the patio. They are all full. Presidential suites - everything! I tried some of my rental contacts, but no-one is willing to do anything in the thick of Coronavirus fears and quarantine restrictions. Too much of a liability. I’m desperate enough to start calling the smaller hotels in Redmond and other nearby towns. They’re not exactly the lap of luxury though, and Jamie is used to - well, you know. He’s used to the VIP treatment. I’m also worried about how well some hotels are adhering to sanitizing requirements.”

“Shoot! What do you think the chances are of a lock-down happening soon?”

“I think it’s not  _ if _ anymore, it’s  _ when _ . And I think it will happen tonight or tomorrow morning. You know the Governor - he’s likely to err on the side of caution. I was thinking of offering up our guest room to Jamie. Suki won’t mind, but we’re heading to Arizona next week, and I don’t want to just leave Jamie to fend for himself.”

Claire bit on her lower lip and nodded somberly. “It’s not what any of us wanted to deal with. Let’s get all of this out to the terrace, Milo. I don’t want to leave our guest out there hanging.” She opened the warming oven and pulled out a bacon and asparagus quiche. Reaching for the charcuterie platter that she had prepared a little earlier, she added it to the tray and took a quick last look around the kitchen to ensure that she hadn’t forgotten anything. She glanced up at Milo, concern written all over her face. “This is a tough one. I can’t imagine being stranded in a strange city. Please let me know if you find out anything more.” Milo nodded and followed her outside with the drinks tray. 

They enjoyed their drinks and appetizers while Milo and Jamie talked about property values in the area, and year-on-year appreciation. The numbers were definitely appealing. Property on the Eastside had appreciated markedly over the past few years, and there was no denying what a solid investment it was. Milo pointed to the increase in value of Claire’s property, further highlighting what an attractive proposition a decent parcel of land would be. Jamie seemed quite convinced, but asked astute and probing questions about zoning, property taxes, easements and building codes. Milo and Claire answered all of his questions - apparently to his satisfaction.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the land from the air,” he enthused. “Helicopter’s scheduled for Thursday morning, right?” 

Milo nodded in affirmation. “Yes, I’ll pick you up here at 10:30.”

“I’ll wave at you from the chopper if ye're home, Claire,” Jamie said cheekily and did a little eyebrow raise.

That eyebrow got her every time! Ignoring the butterfly, she smiled back.

“Don’t go encouraging the pilot to do any wild tricks now. You know I like my peace and quiet out here." 

Jamie turned to Milo. “The whole team will be here on Thursday, and I feel like the helicopter ride is just a formality - although I’m keen to see it from the air too. Will ye please send me the paperwork for an initial offer? We can chat tomorrow about the details. I really love this area. The views, the greenery, the sense of peace out here. Even the neighbors are … okay’ish,” he turned to wink at Claire, but failed dismally and both eyes scrunched into a quick blink. 

“ _ Okay’ish! _ I beg your pardon,” Claire feigned indignation, but dissolved into laughter along with Jamie and Milo.

The conversation turned to the pandemic and the challenges of conducting business during quarantine. Jamie was on his second beer, and he and Milo had depleted most of Claire’s appetizers.

Jamie turned to her. “Claire, thank you for yer hospitality. Truly, I canna thank you enough for all yer troubles today.” 

It sounded like he was getting ready to wrap up the meeting, and Claire hoped that she had done enough to secure Milo and Suki their deal. She was about to respond when everything changed.

Her phone and Milo’s buzzed at the same time. Then Milo’s buzzed again twice in quick succession. Claire’s phone buzzed for the second time in mere seconds. She and Milo exchanged a quick look, and Jamie looked up from his silent phone, puzzled. 

“Is this one of those Amber alerts?” Jamie asked. “I remember being on set in L.A. when an Amber alert came in, and the crew’s cell phones started going nuts!”

Milo and Claire reached for their phones at the same time, not wanting to answer Jamie just yet. 

“Shit!” Milo pressed his lips together. “King 5 News alert - you too, Claire?” She nodded, grim-faced. Milo sighed heavily. “Downtown Seattle has just gone into a lock-down, Jamie. You know that CHAZ situation I mentioned to you en route from the airport? Well, it has been growing increasingly unsettled, and the authorities have decided to prevent all non-essential movement in and out of Seattle.”

“No way! Well that’s going to put a spanner in the works for me for sure. I’ll not be able to access my hotel, correct?” His brow furrowed, concern etched all over his face. “I have several meetings planned over the next two weeks. It’ll be a beast to change them all. And I’ll have to find a new hotel.”

“Jamie, I was tipped off earlier this evening that this might happen sometime this week, so I took the liberty of making some calls while you and Claire were on the stone patio. Just a little back-up plan. I called all the big hotels in Bellevue - that’s somewhere between here and Seattle. It’s an affluent area with high-end hotels.”

“I’m a little familiar with Bellevue from my previous visits here,” Jamie inserted. “A lot of big hotels there, as I recall?” 

“I made several calls there - all Bellevue hotels are booked solid. Even the luxury suites. I called a number of my highly-placed contacts hoping they might wield some influence. The problem is that they’re already dealing with restricted occupancy thanks to quarantine restrictions mandated by the state. And now, with the surge of people from Seattle hotels due to the unrest over the past week, and especially today, Bellevue hotels are all at max capacity. Your uncle Dougal always stays at the Hyatt in Bellevue. Do you know when his reservation starts?”

“Aye, and he’ll be here for Thursday’s meeting. I’ll text Dougal and see what he has to say. He’s in L.A., so there’s no time difference.” 

For the next few minutes, all three of them tapped away on their phones. Claire tapped Milo’s name on her message app. She needed to conduct a clandestine text exchange with him.

**If the uncle thing doesn’t work out, Jamie can stay here. I have 2 guest rooms, and the bigger one is ready, fresh linens and all. My friend from Atlanta cancelled her trip at the last minute so I am completely guest-ready.**

Milo looked up at her startled, then started tapping.

**** **** **_No Claire. You can’t be expected to take this on. 2 weeks is a long time to have a guest._ **

**I feel terrible for Jamie. You’re going to be in AZ with Suki. At least here I can help with some meals - not all of them, don’t worry 😝 My house cleaner comes weekly, she would be happy to get extra pay to help with his laundry or whatever**

**** **** **_I’m not sure I’m really comfortable with you having a relative stranger in your home_ **

They looked up at each other over their phones, and Claire shook her head slightly and continued tapping. 

**You’re kidding, right? He’s so well-known, there’s no way he would do anything weird and risk his reputation. He knows I’m a widow and a mom, he’s been a perfect gentleman all day. I don’t foresee any problems.**

__ **_Oh Claire. You're a gem. Let me see what Suki thinks. She might nix this before it gets started. You sure you’re comfortable with him being here?_ **

**Absolutely. He’s been really respectful of my home and me from what I’ve seen. No concerns at all.**

**_Checking with Suki._ **

Claire glanced over at Jamie, who was tapping away with a worried frown, and the occasional small shake of his head. He looked up at her, and shook his head again. “Dougal flies in early on Thursday - his reservation starts that morning. He’s checking with Murtagh, but I’m pretty certain they all fly in on Thursday morning.”

“Uh, Jamie,” Milo began, shooting Claire a look and giving her the slightest nod. “I was texting with Suki, and we thought we’d offer up our place, but we’re going to be heading to our home in Arizona.” He looked at Claire, and she stepped in. 

“Jamie is welcome to stay here.” She directed this at Milo, and then turned to Jamie. “You are more than welcome to stay here. I have two guest rooms. My daughters are away right now, so it would be quiet enough for you to get some work done. I’m in the middle of reviewing case studies and project notes for my summer cohort at the university, so I’m in and out, and would not be in your way.”

She stopped momentarily when Jamie held his hand up, and she sensed he was getting ready to reject her offer. She ignored his hand and continued: ”I’d far prefer that you stay here, than find a random hotel that may or may not be maintaining the required amount of cleaning and sanitizing required by the state.”

_ OMG, did I just go all mom on him? _

Jamie released a sigh, stood up, and walked to the edge of the terrace. He looked out over the trees for a long moment, and then turned around to face Milo and Claire, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“I can’t put you out like that Claire. Ye’ve been nothing but kind this evening, but I feel it would be an enormous imposition.”

“I insist,” she countered. "I'm not about to send a fellow Brit and possible new neighbor to figure this out in the middle of a pandemic, not to mention the unrest."

"Thank you, but I can't impose on ye like that, Claire. There must be another solution."

"I can't think of one, to be honest. It's an emergency situation, and we're at the mercy of the authorities." She bit her bottom lip for a second, then continued, “If it’s bothering you that much, I have a business proposition for you. Come and sit back down.” She smiled enigmatically. 

With a raise of his eyebrow, he reclaimed his spot on the sofa and looked at her expectantly. Milo, too, was all ears, a questioning look in his eyes.

“I mentioned earlier that I had lived and studied in Edinburgh for a few years.” Jamie nodded. “Well, I have wanted to visit the Highlands for the longest time because I never got to go there during my time in Scotland, and it is the number one thing on my bucket list. If you agree to help me plan my itinerary and pick out some great places to stay and visit, we’ll call it even.”

Jamie pursed his lips and looked into his beer glass, apparently seriously considering the idea. He finally looked over at Claire and his face broke into a wide smile, “I’ll go one better, I’ll host you at my family home, Lallybroch. It’s been in our family for a few hundred years, and we've converted part of the estate into a B&B and event venue. My sister lives there with her family, but there are plenty of rooms for guests. It’s my home when I’m in Scotland and need a break from Glasgow. Your girls must come too - we have plenty of room for all of you.”

Her heart squeezed a little when he mentioned her girls. The fact that they immediately came to his mind reinforced Suki’s comment that he was very much a family man. According to Suki, he had cherished his time with his niece and nephews when they visited him at the lake. It appeared that under the celebrity facade, there was a genuine, decent man. She looked over at Milo with what she hoped was an ‘I told you so’ expression. 

“Do we have a deal?” Jamie asked. He held his hand out to her, and she immediately took it in hers - momentarily discarding quarantine etiquette. They shook hands firmly. His hand was big and warm and strong. He held her hand and her gaze for a few long seconds, and then Milo stood up, interrupting the moment. 

“Jamie, I’m sure you are jet-lagged and tired. I’ll help you get your bags out of my car so you can start settling in.”

While the men headed out to the car, Claire hastened to the guest room to give it the once over. It had been cleaned just days earlier, so she knew it was probably good to go. She grabbed a new loofah and a tube of YSL men’s shower gel from her storage closet, and placed them in the en-suite bathroom. There was shampoo and conditioner in the recessed shower shelf, and on the vanity, a basket filled with supplies that a guest might need - everything from nail clippers to disposable razors. If he needed anything specific, she hoped he would feel comfortable enough to ask her. Opening the closet, she took out a white bathrobe and hotel-style slippers and lay them on the king-size bed. The other guest-room had a queen-size bed, and she knew Jamie would appreciate the bigger mattress. This guest room was a spacious corner room, so it had ample windows, and also included a sitting area arranged around a bay window. Two large plush recliners faced the window, which overlooked an endless stretch of trees and mountains in the distance.

She heard the men heading up the stairs towards the guest room, and moved away from the bed to stand near the window, feeling a little awkward. They placed Jamie’s luggage on the floor near the bed as soon as they entered. 

“I’ve given you this room, Jamie, because it has a bigger bed and bigger en-suite, but if you like, I can show you the other guest room, and you can decide.”

“Ye had me at ‘bigger bed’. This is perfect. In fact it’s more than perfect. A big improvement on the Hyatt, fer sure.“

”Flattery will get you my world famous tiramisu for dessert,” Claire smiled. “Seriously though, if you need anything at all. If you’ve forgotten something, need toothpaste, need a book to read - whatever - promise you won’t hesitate to ask.”

"I promise, Claire. This is more than I ever expected."

Milo put an arm around Claire’s shoulders and looked at Jamie. “I’m going to head out now. Check your email later. I’ll send you the initial offer paperwork ASAP. Let me know if you need anything." Shaking Jamie’s hand, he turned to go, and then turned back around to look at him. "Oh, and if I were you, I’d take her up on the tiramisu."

“I’m planning on it,” Jamie chuckled, “thanks again for everything, Milo. See you on Thursday.”

“I’ll walk with you, Milo,” Claire began. "Jamie, please feel free to use the closet and drawers for all your things. No need to live out of a suitcase. If you want to grab a shower or get some rest, just head on down to the kitchen when you’re done. I’ll give you the WiFi password, and show you what you need to know to make your stay as comfortable possible.”

“Sounds fantastic. I’ll jump in the shower. See you downstairs shortly.”

After hugging Milo goodbye and reassuring him once again that she was plenty comfortable with the arrangement, Claire cleaned up all the glasses, bottles, plates and leftovers from the terrace and headed indoors. Her next target was the office. Looking around the room, she figured she needed about 10 minutes to sort it out. It was decorated in the classic style that Henry had preferred. Deep mahogany furniture, leather chairs, and an entire wall of mahogany bookshelves filled with hundreds of books. Everything from business manuals, academic textbooks, leather-bound first editions, classics - even the odd trashy novel. The leather-topped desk was hidden by a haphazard collection of her things. Files, folders, books, laptop - it was a bit of a mess, really. Gathering her things and placing them in a plastic tote, she quickly wiped down all the surfaces with disinfectant and furniture spray. She checked the printer cabinet for paper, and made sure there were some notepads and pencils. After depositing the plastic tote upstairs, she headed back down to the kitchen. 

Dinner was going to have to be relatively simple that night, as she hadn't really planned beyond the quiche and charcuterie platter. She had thrown together a pretty decent home-made pesto the previous day, using basil from her herb garden. There was plenty of penne in the pantry, so it looked like it would be penne pesto tonight. The fridge also yielded all the fixings for a decent salad. She hoped Jamie wouldn't be disappointed, and fervently wished she had thought to make a decent meal for tonight. 

It wasn’t that she had an aversion to cooking or anything. In fact, Claire loved cooking and was quite an accomplished cook. Every couple of weeks, she and the girls binge-watched The Food Network together, each one picking out her favorite recipe, which they would then all try to recreate together. The twins were becoming quite proficient in the kitchen. Ella gravitated towards cooking full meals, and had recently made a delightful French onion soup on her own. Beth was the undisputed baking queen, and her lemon meringue pie had been the perfect accompaniment to Ella’s soup. 

Claire gathered all the ingredients for the pasta dinner and set them on the kitchen island. Perching on one of the stools, she grabbed her iPad, tapped the FaceTime icon and waited. It was a little later than usual today, but she had texted the girls earlier to let them know she would call them as soon as she could.

“Hi babies, how are you?” she squealed as her beloved girls appeared on the screen. She blew them an avalanche of kisses - her usual greeting.

“Hi mom,” they said in unison, huge smiles on their faces.

“What’s going on, Mom,” asked Ella in a near whine, “you’re not usually this late.”

“Ella!” admonished Beth, “Be nice! It’s not even that late. It’s like 7:00 at night in Seattle, and only 10:00 here.”

“I know, I know,“ Claire sounded apologetic. “I’m sorry, it’s been a crazy day. Listen girls, I need to talk to you. Are you in your room? Door closed?”

Their heads swiveled together, as they checked the bedroom door behind them, and both nodded. Beth gave a thumbs up for added confirmation.

“Okay. I’ll get right to it. Uncle Milo has a VIP client who wants to buy the land next door to us - “

“Nooooooooo!”

“Settle down, girls. It’s not as bad as it sounds. This must stay between us only, okay? Uncle Milo brought his client over today to look at the property and chat with me a little about the neighborhood and stuff. He wants to buy up all the land for himself and his family - it’s not going to a builder to create a whole new neighborhood or anything. Anyway, you know the CHAZ issue we spoke about? Well, it escalated quite a bit over the last few days, and the governor has put Seattle on a strict lock-down. Stricter than quarantine, even. No-one can enter or leave downtown until they lift the lock-down.”

“Okaaaaaay?” the girls were clearly wondering when she would get to the point.

“Well, it turns out that the VIP client had booked a hotel in Seattle, and obviously he can’t get there now. So-"

“Oh no, mom! Is he stranded? You should have offered to let him stay at our house. Things are so crazy there right now!” cried Beth.

“No!” gasped Ella, looking at her sister in horror. “He’s a complete stranger - you should know better, Beth!”

Claire sighed. “You both have a good point. We want to do the right thing and be hospitable and kind, but we also have to ensure that we are being safe and careful. So yes, Beth, I offered to let him stay until the CHAZ issue is resolved. Ella, Uncle Milo has known his client for some time, and he and Aunt Suki are in full agreement about him staying here. He is a very nice and decent man.”

“Okay mom,” said Ella grudgingly. “I totally trust Uncle Milo and Aunt Suki. They would never put you in a risky position. Is it going to be totally awkward having to entertain someone you don’t even know?”

“Well, he’s here to conduct a whole lot of business stuff, so I don't need to entertain him. I’m also really busy with student papers right now, so it’s unlikely that I’Il see him much, other than maybe breakfast or dinner on some days.”

“Okay then. But if anything about him freaks you out, you need to let Uncle Milo know.”

Claire's heart tightened a little at that. Her girls were terribly protective of her, and it warmed her heart to know that they were growing up to be sensible, compassionate, intelligent young women.

“Of course, honey, you know I would never place myself at risk. You both mean too much to me. You have to promise me that you won’t say anything about this to anyone for now. The man is a VIP, and he is quite well-known, although you probably wouldn't know who he is.” Claire felt bad deceiving the girls about that, because she knew that they  _ might _ remember Jamie from their mom’s obsession with his show, 'Clan Hearts', and his movie career had raised his profile in recent years. On the other hand, the girls were probably more focused on their favorite YouTube stars and social media influencers than a movie star in his mid 30s.

“Oh, mom!” huffed Ella, “You know we can keep a secret. You always had VIPs visiting and other confidential stuff going on with Henry and his work, and sometimes we weren’t allowed to talk about who had visited us because it could affect a business deal or something.”

“Right. You girls were always fantastic about that. Maybe in a few days I can tell you more, but for now please keep it to yourselves. So what did you get up to today?” Claire was anxious to change the subject in case Jamie appeared in the kitchen at an awkward moment. She listened and hmmm’ed and laughed as they told her about their day, and how they had entertained their half siblings, aged 4 and 6. She had never begrudged the girls their time with Frank and his family. In fact, she loved that they got along so well - if anything happened to her, she had the comfort of knowing that the girls would be loved and taken care of.

Jamie entered the kitchen just as she was wrapping up her call with the girls. His hair was damp from his shower, and he wore black jeans and a black T-shirt. He looked really good in head-to-toe black, and Claire had to remind herself not to stare.

“God, I feel so much better after that shower. Were ye chatting with yer girls?”

“Yes, we have a nightly chat. I miss those little scoundrels so much, and FaceTime and Zoom are basically my new best friends. Umm, Jamie, I need to apologize - I didn't plan a hearty dinner for tonight. Would you be okay with penne and homemade pesto - with a salad? The tiramisu will have to be tonight’s saving grace.”

“Dinna apologize, Claire! That sounds great. I love pesto - especially if it’s homemade. How can I help?”

“Do you cook?” asked Claire, surprised at the enthusiasm in his voice.

“Aye, I love cooking. My sister and I cook together at Lallybroch whenever I can spare the time. Now then, what can I do to help?”

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

* * *

Dinner ended up being much more successful and relaxed than Claire had anticipated. The afternoon heat had dissipated, and they opted to eat al fresco on the patio, just outside the kitchen. It was still light out, and they enjoyed the cooler evening air while chatting over their meal. Jamie had offered to cook the penne, and he had done so to al dente perfection. Claire toasted some pine nuts to sprinkle over the pasta, and the simple salad was the perfect accompaniment.

“This is really good, Claire. I don’t think I could have managed a huge meal after the quiche and appetizers earlier, so this is truly perfect.”

“Glad you like it. The basil is from the herb garden around the corner there,“ she nodded her head towards the far end of the upper terrace. "My girls planted a lot of herbs this past spring - quarantine boredom, I guess - and now I get to enjoy the benefits."

"And your girls are away for a while, you said earlier?”

“Yes, they‘re with their Dad in Boston.”

“How did he end up in Boston and you here?” He was looking at her earnestly.

“Oh Lord - it’s a long story.”

“I have all night,” he smiled. 

God - the way he said that! 

_ Damned fluttering. Be still, butterflies!  _

“Okay, I’ll try to give you the Cliffs Notes. I met Frank when I was a student in Edinburgh. I was 17, and wanted to study English and History. Frank was ‘Dr. Randall’ back then - he’s a professor now. He was 30 at the time, and one of the history department’s rising stars. I was a TA for one of his colleagues. They shared a large office, so we were always running into each other while I was doing TA duties for the other Prof. Well, one thing led to another and we fell in love or something approximating it. Of course now in hindsight, I know that he took complete advantage of me. He would never get away with it nowadays.”

She paused and took a sip of wine. Jamie nodded encouragingly. “Uncle Lamb was not happy with the whole thing from the start. A few months into our relationship, Frank was offered a post at Harvard. He wanted me to go with him. Lamb put up all sorts of arguments and objections, but I had just turned eighteen, and he finally agreed that it was time for me to spread my wings and make some of my own decisions.”

Suddenly embarrassed that she might be boring him, she said with finality, “So we moved, and I lived there for a few years until I ended up in Seattle with Henry.”

Jamie smiled his little half smile. “Now, now, Sassenach, it seems ye’ve left out big chunks of the story. The twins? How you ended up here? Please continue. I’m intrigued.” 

“Okay - let me top up your wine. Frank helped me arrange a transfer to Northeastern University so that I could continue my studies. I worked part-time as a model to help pay for my tuition. Lamb also helped me by freeing up some of the small inheritance from my parents. We had only been in Boston for two months when I discovered that I was pregnant. Frank was not happy. In fact he was pretty pissed off.”

A slight frown flickered across Jamie’s brow.

Claire continued. “He slowly came around though, and promised we’d get married after the baby’s arrival. I should have seen it coming. He …uh … he started to spend more and more time at work. Late nights eventually turned into nights away. There was a distance between us that hadn’t been there before, but I was so wrapped up in the excitement of having a baby and my pregnancy had been easy up until that point. As luck would have it, my neighbor was a wonderful Italian woman, Giovanna. We still call her Nonna - Italian for ‘Grandma’. She was my rock throughout my years in Boston and helped me when things with Frank started to unravel. When I was just over three months pregnant, I went in for an ultrasound. I was on my own, because Frank called to tell me that something had come up at the last minute and he was unable to make it. It was during this appointment that I found out I was carrying twins. I was soooo excited to go and tell Frank and show him the ultrasound printout. I raced over to his office at Harvard after the appointment, planning on sliding the printout under his office door if he was busy. But I heard noises behind the closed door and I opened it quietly in case he was on the phone."

A quick sip of wine.

"He wasn’t.” She hesitated.

Another tiny sip of wine.

“He was behind his desk with a student on his lap. They were … uh … making out, I guess you could call it. She seemed to have lost her shirt and bra in the process.”

Jamie’s face was expressionless, but she noticed the muscles in his jaw moving.

“Christ, Claire. I canna imagine how hard that must have been. And you - so excited to share …” his voice trailed off as she blinked away the tears that threatened. He leaned across and took her hand gently in his.

They sat like that for a long moment. Neither of them speaking or moving. Her hand in his. Strong and warm and comforting. It felt so right at that moment. 

Eventually, Claire cleared her throat quietly. “I believe it’s time for dessert. You up for that?”

“Claire,“ he said quietly, ”if this is hard to talk about, I completely understand.”

“No, I’m okay. It was so long ago,” she smiled a wistful little smile. “Before I finish this long saga of mine, let’s do a quick walk through the house, so that I can show you where everything is. If you’re going to be here for a couple of weeks, I’d like you to be familiar with everything. We can grab our tiramisu after that.” 

After clearing up and loading the dishwasher together, Claire led Jamie through the kitchen and into the hallway.

“I think we’ll start here. This is the office. I just cleared it of all my stuff, and it’s exclusively yours while you're here. There are charger cables for a MacBook and Apple products there, and the printer is in the corner cabinet. There’s plenty of paper in there if you need to print out paperwork or documents. Writing materials and notepads are in the desk drawers. Please feel free to use anything you need.”

“Claire,” Jamie started to protest, “I don’t expect you to rearrange yer life because I’m here. Ye don’t have to give up yer study.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Jamie. This study has a good solid door, so you can close it and conduct your calls and business in private. I moved my stuff upstairs to the girls’ study - it’s in an open area between their bedrooms, so it really wouldn't be suitable for you. It’s great for me because being in their space will be a sweet reminder of them. Honestly, this is the best solution.”

“Claire,” he ran his hands through his hair, “the last thing I want is to put you out even more.”

“Hush now. The only reason I’m doing it is to ensure you give me the best Highlands tour imaginable.” She smiled her cheekiest smile, and he reciprocated with his little crooked one. 

_ Jesus, that smile is undoing me bit by bit.  _

“Oh, ye’d better believe it. I will create the Sassenach tour of a lifetime.”

She giggled her distinctive little giggle, “I can’t wait! Okay, let’s continue our walk-through.” 

She led him through the hallway, and around various corners, pointing out things that he might find useful. They stepped into the media room. A sloped floor and two rows of movie theater seats - eight in total - ensured that everyone had a perfect view of the massive screen at the front of the room. Along the rear wall was a built-in bar, cabinets and an old-fashioned popcorn machine. 

“Feel free to help yourself to anything from the bar. The under-counter fridges are stocked with beer, wine, and bottled water. All glass bottles though, we’re trying hard to minimize our use of plastic. I’ll grab a bottle for your room.” She took out a bottle of San Pellegrino, Nonna’s favorite brand, and the one Claire still bought years later.

“Do you have a sweet tooth? Because if you do, you need to remember where I stash all the snacks.” She pulled open two of the cabinet doors to reveal baskets filled with all manner of candy, chocolates, chips, and caramel corn. If you see anything you fancy, feel free to help yourself any time.”

“Mm-hmm,” he mumbled, the deep timber of his voice going straight to her butterfly zone. Jamie looked at her and she willed him not to give her ‘the smile’, because that on top of his ‘mm-hmm’ would be too much. But he did. The right corner of his mouth slowly lifted into his crooked smile, and his eyes crinkled a little. ”Thank you Claire, I would verra much like to help myself to some of yer snacks.”

_ Jesus H! He is so not flirting with you, Claire! Stop reading things into his words. _

But the butterflies continued to flutter.

Claire continued to show him through the rest of the lower level. She pointed out the formal dining room, bathroom, and mud-room. In the kitchen, she showed him the pantry and invited him to help himself to anything in there or in the main kitchen fridge.

She led the way upstairs, Jamie close behind her. “This is the laundry. There’s a laundry hamper in your closet too, so feel free to throw your clothes in there, or just toss them in the hampers here. I can wash them when I do a load. Alternatively, my house cleaner comes every Wednesday and I was thinking of asking her to stay a little longer and help with your laundry, if you’re more comfortable with that.”

“Aye, Claire. I’m happy to pay her whatever she wants and more. I’ll not have ye put yerself out so much, and then wash my undercrackers on top of it.” He looked mildly embarrassed, and Claire smiled reassuringly. 

“I completely understand - I’d feel the same way.” The laundry was adjacent to Jamie’s room, and she handed him the bottled water she had taken from the media room fridge. “Do you want to place this on your nightstand?” She deliberately didn't ask to enter his room, wanting him to know that she valued his boundaries. It was important to her that he felt he would enjoy the same level of privacy that he would had he been in his hotel room.

Jamie rejoined her and they continued their tour. Next up was the girls’ section and the study area between their bedrooms. 

“See? I have a great workspace up here too. I’ll be perfectly comfortable and productive here. And to be honest, if I’m going to be working at home at all, I’ll likely be outdoors, now that summer has finally made its appearance.“ 

When they reached her bedroom door, Claire hesitated a little before showing him. Was it weird to take Jamie in there? Would it seem over-familiar? Jamie made the decision for her. 

“And this door’s yer bedroom, I take it? Looks like ye might have a similar view to the one from the foyer.” 

“Yes, it’s practically the same view.“

She pushed open the double doors to reveal an expansive room that took up almost a third of the upper level. The king-size bed dominated the room, its soft cream summer-weight quilt and multitude of pillows in varying shades of cream, blue and grey lending it a feeling of serenity and elegance. A grey tufted bench filled the area at the foot of the bed. The alcove seating area was furnished with a large grey tufted sofa, accented with smaller throw pillows in blues and creams. Over time, Claire had added decorative touches like wall art, accent pieces, and beautiful rugs.

She led him to the bathroom. Jamie had politely hummed and nodded his approval and reactions throughout the tour, but her bathroom drew a soft gasp. A large free-standing tub sat at the far end of the room, in a slightly raised area surrounded by full-length windows that revealed breathtaking mountain views. The tub and its faucets and fixtures were positioned so that nothing impeded the view from the tub. Baths were always a treat for Claire, and although she rarely indulged, when she did, she made an occasion of it, scenting the water with bath salts and bubbles, and pampering herself with luxurious gels and lotions. 

“That’s one-way glass around the bathtub, in case you were wondering,” she said lightly. 

“I was indeed wondering, Sassenach, since this room overlooks my property,“ he replied, and she knew, without even looking at him, that he was smiling that crooked little smile. She couldn’t resist turning to look at him, and yes, as expected, the smile was there in full force, accompanied by the raised eyebrow. 

Claire blushed hotly, and quickly moved towards the walk-in closet, where Jamie made some more of his approving noises at the large well-organized space. They headed downstairs, and Claire could finally breathe a sigh of relief that the awkwardness of that moment had passed.

“Almost done, Jamie. Just one more thing to show you.” They walked back towards the kitchen, which opened onto a large family room. 

The family room was Claire’s favorite room during the colder months. Its beamed ceilings and huge stone fireplace lent it the air of a Colorado cabin, and Claire liked nothing more than to curl up on one the oversized sofas with her girls and a good book. Custom fitted shelves and wall-to-wall wood paneling surrounded the fireplace. 

“I love this room, it reminds me of the family room at Lallybroch - similar fireplace.” 

“Wait - it’s not the one I wanted to show you, you’re going to like this even more.” Claire smiled a cheeky smile as she pressed firmly on the panel to the left of the fireplace. It appeared to be part of the fitted shelves, but it swung open heavily and they stepped through to a large room that featured a pool table as its centerpiece. There were some arcade games along the back wall - including an old-fashioned pinball machine and a Foosball table. In the far left corner, opposite the secret panel, was a full, well-stocked bar complete with bar stools and a weathered wood countertop. Two burgundy leather Chesterfield sofas created a comfortable conversation area, and to the right of the room, an expanse of French doors and windows opened onto the upper terrace. This part of the room also housed a treadmill, step machine, yoga mats, free weights and a home-gym system.

“Oh my God. This has to be every man’s dream man-cave,” Jamie said in open-mouthed astonishment. 

“I wanted to show it to you and let you know that you can use the equipment any time. I noticed that you … uh … seem to work out …” her voice trailed off as she realized how that must sound.

“Mm-hmm,” said Jamie, eyes fixed on her, waiting for her to continue. 

_ You’re enjoying my awkwardness, damn you!  _

“Well, I meant that if you feel the need to work out, I have limited equipment, but feel free to use whatever you want.”

“I wouldn't describe this as limited, Sassenach. You have pretty much everything I would need right here.”

“The gym section looks like a bit of an after-thought in here - and actually, it was. After the situation -” she stopped suddenly, her face reddened slightly, and she quickly swallowed and continued. “Well, Henry, my late husband, was kind enough to give up part of his man-cave so that I could work out from the comfort of home.”

Jamie narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at her for a moment. He hadn’t missed the fact that she was about to say something but quickly changed her mind. He wondered what that was - clearly it brought discomfort - or maybe sadness. 

“Thank you, Claire,” he said, hoping to dispel the awkwardness of that moment for her. “I’ll definitely take you up on that. Working out and maintaining my fitness is important to me. I dare say to you too?” 

_ Yes, Dr. Beauchamp, I have noticed your toned body. And your arse. Oh, that arse! It’s giving me some frisky thoughts about you.  _

“I do mostly yoga and the step machine, but yes, I try to maintain my fitness and health as much as possible. And now, ironically enough, I’d like to suggest that we grab our tiramisu. I know that jet-lag must be catching up with you.”

It was well past 10:00 p.m. by the time Claire plated up generous helpings of dessert. They sat side by side at the kitchen island, and Jamie groaned deeply when he took his first bite. He looked at her with wide, smiling eyes, silently expressing his hearty approval.

“This is better than the best tiramisu I’ve had in Italy!”

“It’s Nonna’s secret recipe,” Claire revealed, as she enjoyed hers too. “I’m the only one she ever shared the recipe with, or so she says. She was widowed quite young, although not as young as me, and has no children. Nonna shared a lot of her secret recipes with me. I miss her a lot. She really is a grandma to my girls. We fly her out to visit us at least once a year, but this year has been hard with travel restrictions.”

“Thank you, Nonna,” Jamie said, dramatically. “If I ever meet her, I will bow down to the Goddess of Italian desserts.”

“Oscar-worthy right there,” Claire eyed him through a raised eyebrow of her own, and he chuckled at the silliness of the moment. 

“Jamie, it's so late! You need to get your sleep or you'll be jet-lagged and exhausted. Let's continue our chat tomorrow. We can also go over what's ahead this week. I certainly don’t want to be all up in your plans, but you mentioned you had some meetings set up, and I want to know how I can help. I’m heading to campus at some point tomorrow to work on papers. Maybe we can chat a little before I go - whenever you get up - I’m not on a strict timeline at all. Only fixed thing I have is a lunch appointment.”

“That’s a braw idea, Claire. Again, I am so grateful for yer help and hospitality.” He reached for her hand and raised it to his mouth. Without taking his eyes off hers, he kissed the back of her hand softly, and gently released it again. 

Her butterflies didn't flutter this time. They positively attacked her! 

_ Jesus! When was the last time a gentleman kissed the back of my hand? Holy crap. I’m a mess. Stop the madness, Claire! He’s an award-winning actor! And a player. Stop reading things into his words and actions.  _

“I’ll help ye lock up, Claire, and then we can turn in for the night.”

Twenty minutes later, Claire was standing under a hot shower. Just yards away in one of her bedrooms, and probably already asleep, was Jamie freaking Fraser. A man who had been the subject of her fantasies for a good number of years - along with millions of other women who devoured each episode of 'Clan Hearts'. Jamie’s portrayal of Hamish McLean, a Highlander whose wife was captured by the English, had riveted audiences globally, and his fierce love for her had women around the world falling in love with the notion of the hopelessly romantic Scottish warrior. The graphic and intense love scenes were scintillating and very risqué - adding to Jamie’s appeal as an international heartthrob and sex symbol.

Of course all of this spawned an ardent fan base that encompassed the spectrum from the mildly infatuated to the dangerously obsessed. Claire remembered interviews during which Jamie had addressed disturbing stalking behavior and even threats against women he was dating. He had lamented the fact that maintaining any kind of relationship was difficult and stressful. He seemed to go from event to event, always with a new stunning starlet or model on his arm. None of these ever seemed to become long-term girlfriends, and that in itself spawned more rumor and speculation. As interest in Hamish McLean dwindled after the show ended, Jamie had gone on to bigger and better things - starring roles in big Hollywood movies. The frenzied attention of the 'Clan Hearts' fans also abated somewhat, no doubt a huge relief to him. He still had a large global fan base, but it had established itself as an audience that recognized his outstanding acting talents in several critically-acclaimed roles, while also appreciating his appeal as a sex symbol. Claire was squarely among the fans who had progressed to a more mature appreciation of the man as an actor. 

_ I do enjoy your movies and appreciate your talent, but it sure doesn’t hurt that you are so dang hot. How on earth have you ended up as my house guest? _

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

* * *

Claire woke up just after 5:00 a.m. Pulling on her black yoga pants and a soft pink tee, she padded downstairs to the kitchen. She had slept soundly, but woke up early, and lay in bed for about ten minutes, still in disbelief that she had Jamie Fraser in her home. Wondering what he might want for breakfast, she made a mental note to point out all the breakfast options in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. Claire had always been an attentive host, and her concern for her current guest had more to do with the fact that she wanted everyone to feel relaxed and welcome in her home, than the fact that he was a well-known celebrity. Pulling a few ingredients from the pantry, she tapped the Pinterest app on her iPad and pulled up the recipe for lemon and poppy seed scones. It took her about 10 minutes to prepare the dough, and while they baked for the requisite 20 minutes, she brewed herself a mug of coffee, and headed outside to the covered patio, iPad in hand.

The sun was about to rise over the mountains and she loved to see the vivid pinks and oranges in the early morning sky. This morning was somewhat cloudy, however, so she curled up on one of the sofas in the covered patio and opened Safari. She entered ‘Jamie Fraser’ in the search box, and started to click on random articles and links that grabbed her attention. It was the usual profusion of interviews, movie promos and twitter posts. She tapped 'Images', and a grid of pictures appeared before her. Jamie shirtless and buff. Jamie modeling for high-end men's clothing lines. Jamie promoting fitness clubs and gear. Jamie holding glasses of whisky. Jamie with sunglasses and a baseball cap. But most of all, Jamie with an endless array of beautiful women. On the red carpet; on the beach; on yachts; on a coffee run to Starbucks. Jamie with blondes. Jamie with brunettes. Jamie with redheads. Jamie in the midst of a deep soulful kiss. Jamie with his arms around a beautiful blonde in Paris. Jamie holding hands with a sultry brunette in New York. Jamie looking annoyed at the paparazzo taking his picture. The timer went off, startling her and forcing her to close the iPad and head indoors to retrieve the scones. The kitchen smelled delightful and citrusy and fruity. As she waited for the scones to cool, she made a quick list of things she needed to share with Jamie - the WiFi password, the code for the garage and front door, her cell-phone number, and WhatsApp details. She poured the glaze over the scones, set out some plates and mugs for breakfast, and headed upstairs to get ready for the day.

She stepped into the shower, where she always did her best thinking, and thought about the images she had seen on her iPad. They were a sobering reminder that while Jamie may have made a few flirty comments to her over the course of the previous night, he had unfettered access to the world’s most beautiful and glamorous women. 

_Calm the heck down, Claire! He is so far out of your league. Yesterday was all about him turning on the charm and using his acting skills. It’s time to focus on the important stuff. Review those papers and get that professorship._

Her self-motivating talk in the shower inspired her to go all-business in attitude and appearance. She had a lunch appointment - socially distanced on the large patio of her office building - with some faculty members. She wanted to make a good impression on them as she vied with a lecturer from the Wharton Business School in Pennsylvania for the professorship in her department. Additionally, she needed to show Jamie that as attractive as he was, she could be immune to his charms and she was certainly not going to go all googly-eyed over him.

Pulling on black, slim-fitting ankle length pants, she looked through the hangers for a top that was flattering, yet business-like. Slipping on a draped, sleeveless blouse in soft white silk, she checked her overall appearance in the mirror and was satisfied that she looked professional, without being too severe. Black, block-heeled Cole Haan sandals completed the look. Her hair was in disarray, of course. Having washed out yesterday’s beachy waves, she now had a mass of unruly damp curls. Brushing vigorously, she gathered her hair into a bun - not entirely messy, but not overly staid either. She applied her usual work make-up - keeping it as natural as possible. Soft mocha shadow on her lids, brown eyeliner to accentuate her eye shape, and black mascara to coat her long lashes. A lick of tawny blush and matte lipstick, and her professional look was almost complete. Her final touches were small silver stud earrings and a spritz of Michael Kors perfume. Stopping by the girls’ study area, she placed her laptop and papers in her laptop bag and headed downstairs. Jamie was already sitting at the kitchen island, phone in hand.

He turned as he heard her heels click lightly on the wood flooring in the kitchen. 

“Good morning!” he said brightly with a huge smile. He stood up as she walked into the kitchen. 

“Good morning to you too.” Her smile and upbeat mood matched his. 

_Ah! A morning person, thank God! This whole hosting thing would be a bloody pain in the ass if you were a morning grump. Also, did you seriously just stand up when I walked into the room? My butterflies are back and you’re not making my attempts at maintaining a polite, professional distance from you very easy._

His hair was still damp from his shower, and he had dressed in blue jeans and a blue toned plaid shirt. He was barefoot, and Claire chalked that up as a small victory. Clearly, he was feeling comfortable enough to not bother about wearing shoes in the house. It always made her feel good when house-guests felt right at home with her.

“Are you a morning person, Claire?” he asked. “Because I am irritatingly cheerful in the morning.” 

“Oh, I’m definitely a morning person,” she said, “and grumpy morning people annoy me. Did you sleep okay?”

“Oh God yes! The bed is really comfortable, and it’s so quiet out here! No endless sirens and city noises to get used to. When I stay in a big city, it takes me a few nights to get used to all the noise.” His smile was warm and sincere. “Have you been baking this morning? It smells heavenly in here.” 

“I made some lemon and poppy seed scones,” she replied, pulling them out of the warming oven. She arranged them carefully on a large plate, and placed them next to the breakfast plates and mugs. 

“Let me show you how to work the coffee maker. It does regular, lattes, and cappuccinos.” Quickly and efficiently, she made herself a latte, demonstrating all the steps so that Jamie could learn from her. “Your turn.”

Jamie set about making his latte, following all the steps perfectly, but not quite getting the hang of frothing the milk for a latte. 

“May I?” Claire asked. Jamie nodded and she continued, “It takes a little practice. Hold the jug and I’ll show you. She closed her hand over his large one as he held the milk jug. “Watch the steam nozzle carefully. You need to work it in and out of the jug slowly and carefully so that it doesn’t blow the milk all over the place.” 

“Mm-hmm,” he murmured, and Claire looked up straight into his eyes. He raised both eyebrows, and the effect on her inner butterflies was instant.

She kept her hand on his and moved the jug up and down in small, slow motions to allow the steam nozzle to froth and bubble the milk - horribly aware that the whole scene could be interpreted as quite suggestive. Something that Jamie clearly enjoyed thinking about too. She sensed, rather than saw his smirk. 

“Watch the jug, Jamie. Use slow, controlled movements for a richer foam. You need to be a little careful because you definitely don’t want a steam burn.” 

“Sorry, Sassenach.” His smile was evident in his voice, but she refused to look up. He refocused his attention on her frothing tutorial, and his finished latte looked just as good as Claire’s.

“Nice work! Please feel free to help yourself any time the need for caffeine grabs you.” 

As they sat down to enjoy their breakfast, Claire was still focused on making a list of essential information for Jamie.

“Mmm!” Jamie groaned, reaching for another scone. “These are so good. Thank you. You look all business today, Sassenach. I like that look on ye, if I can be so bold.” 

“Thanks, I guess,” Claire grinned at the awkward compliment. “Before I go, I wanted to give you a list of things you might need.” She reached for a notepad, and made a list of important information.

“WiFi password, check. Keypad codes for the front door and garage, check - just in case you go out for a run. My full address is here, in case you call a cab or limo or something. We're technically in Snoqualmie, not Seattle. My cell number and my WhatsApp details. Spare face-masks are in a drawer in the powder room. Can you think of any info you might need that I haven‘t included?”

"It looks pretty thorough to me. Thanks for all that. Here, let me add my cell number and WhatsApp details to yer phone." She unlocked her phone and handed it to him, watching as he entered his contact details into iMessage and WhatsApp. He saved them as 'Jamie F', and then sent himself a quick text from both apps on her phone. He looked up at her with a teeny smile, and saved her details as ‘Sassenach’ in both apps.

“There. Now we have each other’s details saved in case there’s a need to call or text.”

“Thanks, Jamie."

_Well, that was pretty slick. Clearly, entering your number into women’s phones is a move you’ve had a lot of practice in_ . 

“Before I head out, please know that you can help yourself to anything from the pantry or fridge. There’s lots of sandwich stuff, ciabatta bread and sliced wheat bread in the bread drawer and frozen meals in the freezer. Nothing is off limits. Make yourself at home, and I hope you have a productive day. I’ll be back some time between 4 and 5 this afternoon. Call or text if you need anything."

“Aye, I will. Just so ye know - I have a dinner meeting scheduled with the local representatives of my PR team tonight. They’ll pick me up around 5 p.m."

"Sounds good. I’ll see you later,” and with a quick smile, she grabbed her phone and laptop bag and headed to the garage.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

By the time Claire pulled into the garage that afternoon, it was 4:40 p.m. and she was drained. Lunch had been decent, but one of the faculty members had asked a series of awkward and uncomfortable questions. She felt like she had answered him well, but wasn’t sure what the rest of the group thought of his line of questioning. It had bothered her all afternoon, and she needed to do some yoga. The deep stretching and quiet meditation would help dissipate some residual stress. 

She entered the house through the mudroom door and headed to the kitchen. It was quiet and there was no sign of Jamie. She sat down at the kitchen desk, and eased her shoes off. Leaving her laptop bag on the desk, she went over to the sink, soaped up her hands and rinsed them off. It was a pandemic-inspired habit now, and she also insisted that the girls do a thorough hand-wash whenever they arrived home from anywhere. Grabbing a paper towel to dry her hands, she glanced out of the corner window and saw Jamie seated on one of the sofas on the middle terrace - where they had sat with Milo the previous day.

H _e_ was staring straight ahead at the trees and mountains on ‘his property’, apparently deep in thought. 

She headed out to say hi, and he immediately stood up to greet her. 

_Oh God, if your smile doesn’t kill me, your impeccable manners will._

“Sassenach!” His smile and genuine enthusiasm at seeing her made her forget some of the stresses of her day. “How was yer day?”

He was wearing slim fitting navy pants with a pale blue chambray shirt and tan shoes. The combination of blues set off his eyes beautifully, and Claire was reminded yet again why he had become such a heartthrob. Next to him, she suddenly felt wilted and very plain. 

“It was a long day,” she admitted, smiling gamely. “Happy to be home, though. How was your day? Did you get a lot done?”

“Oh, aye. I got a lot of my calls and emails squared away. I’ll fill you in on all my upcoming meeting details later, if that’s okay. I think my ride is almost here.”

“Okay - I hope you have a great evening. I need some yoga. You have the front door code, right?"

“Right here in my phone.” He patted his back pocket.

They walked back to the house together, and right on cue, Jamie’s phone buzzed, and he headed off to the front door with a parting smile. 

“Later, Claire. Hope ye can decompress a little.”

After streaming her most strenuous yoga class and working up a drenching sweat, Claire showered and put on a deep blue swimsuit. The yoga had helped her work through some of the kinks in her shoulders, but she knew that being suspended in the warm water of the hot tub would be the best way to unwind. 

First, she needed to FaceTime Ella and Beth. Neither girl could suppress her excitement - they were just hours away from turning 16. It was a bittersweet chat. While Claire shared in their excitement at reaching this milestone, not sharing it with them in person would be painful.

They chatted excitedly about their day. Their half siblings had baked cookies with them - Beth leading the process, of course. Afterwards, Frank had dropped them off at Nonna’s, where they had enjoyed a pre-birthday dinner of to-die-for lasagna and homemade gelato. 

“Mom, she asked us to send you a huge hug,” said Beth, dutifully delivering Nonna’s message.

“Yeah - and don’t worry, we didn't say anything about the VIP man to her, or anyone else. What did you guys do today?” asked Ella. 

“Well, we didn't do anything really, Ella. Remember, he’s just a guest here because of the emergency. It’s not like I have to entertain him and show him all the sights. We can't do that anyway because of quarantine and lock-down. I went in to work today, and he stayed home and did a lot of his work from here. Right now he’s out having dinner with some business associates.”

“Is he being good about quarantine requirements, or does he think it’s not too serious?”

“He’s a little like us, I guess, Beth. We didn’t shake hands - uh, when we first met. And I noticed that he washes his hands quite frequently. So yes, he’s aware and doing all the right things to protect himself and others.”

Wrapping up their chat a few minutes later, Claire reminded them that she would be calling at around 7:00 a.m., Seattle time, for a virtual breakfast party. It had become their special tradition for her to make them crepes for breakfast on their birthday, and they were excited to do it via FaceTime first thing in the morning. 

“I promise to make you crepes again the first morning you’re back in Seattle! Love you both so much!” She blew them an avalanche of goodnight kisses, and tapped out of the app. 

Moments later, her phone buzzed. It was Suki.

“Sook! How are you doing?”

“I’m well, thanks, but the reason I’m calling is to see how _you’re_ doing? Can you talk?”

“Yes - Jamie is out with someone from his PR team.”

“Well first - thank you from the bottom of my heart for opening your home to Jamie. Is everything okay? Awkward? Comfortable?”

“Everything is great, Suki, I promise. I’d let you and Milo know right away if anything felt uncomfortable. He is so much more down to earth than I expected.”

“I hate to say I told you so - “

‘But you did,” Claire smiled, “You said he was a lovely man, and you were right. He is respectful, helpful, humble - not at all what I expected from a movie star.”

“Yes, Milo and I thought that too when he was on the lake last year. Just a regular guy in a ridiculously hyped industry. Well, it all sounds good with you - I’m glad to hear it’s going smoothly. You’ll see Milo on Thursday. Be sure to let him know if anything has come up that you need to talk about.”

"I will Suki, but it’s all good. I appreciate you checking in.”

”Okay, love you hon.”

“You too.”

Armed with an ice-bucket, a bottle of sauvignon blanc, wine opener, a stemless wine glass, and her iPad, Claire made her way to the hot tub clad in her swimsuit and a fluffy white terry bathrobe. Draping the robe on the nearby towel rack, she pulled off the hot-tub cover, and eased herself into the steaming water. Before immersing herself completely, she selected the Spotify app on her iPad. Tonight, she felt like her ‘Unwind’ playlist would do the trick. It was a long list of her favorite relaxing songs, most of them older tracks that brought up memories of her student days and Uncle Lamb's eclectic taste in music.

Tapping Simply Red’s “Holding Back the Years”, she slid into the tub and completely submerged herself from head to toe. Drifting back up from under the water, she lay back, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, allowing herself to float face up. Time seemed suspended as Claire lay there, the warmth of the water and soothing music lulling her deeper and deeper into a state of complete relaxation. She wasn't sure how long she lay like that, but in the far reaches of her consciousness she thought that a song ended rather abruptly, only to be replaced by the gentle strains of Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”. But she was so relaxed, so comfortable, that she didn’t want to waste energy thinking about the skipped song. When she felt a fleeting movement across her face, she thought it might be an insect, or a fallen leaf perhaps. She was still too deeply relaxed to give it much thought. But her consciousness continued to play tricks on her. Was someone calling her name? Her ears were submerged in the water and the music surrounded her. Suddenly, her hand was gently captured in another larger hand. She frowned slightly and slowly opened her eyes. Jamie was gazing down at her from the edge of the hot tub.

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

* * *

Jamie was perched awkwardly on the edge of the hot tub, leaning over to touch her hand. His brow was creased in a look of concern. 

She sat up, blinking water out of her eyes, and tugged a few tendrils of hair from her face.

“Claire, I’m so sorry!” He looked distressed and embarrassed all at once. “I couldna tell whether or not you were asleep. I didn’t want to leave ye here in case ye fell asleep in the water. You seemed so stressed and tired when ye got back from work. And I noticed the bottle of wine in the bucket there, ye ken …"

"… and you thought I polished it off and passed out in the hot tub.” She finished his sentence for him with her characteristic giggle. “I haven't even had my first glass yet.”

Jamie buried his face in his hands, clearly embarrassed and annoyed with himself. “Och, I feel terrible for disrupting your ... sanity hour, ye called it?”

“Please, don’t give it another thought. I appreciate that you were so … uh, concerned. How was your dinner - you’re back earlier than I thought.” She glanced at her iPad - it wasn’t even 7:30 yet.

“Good, actually. We got a lot done. The PR firm sent a couple of youngsters - they have great ideas for social media presence and all. I really dislike all that stuff - maintaining the correct profile and presence. The studios want me to get it right though, so they’re prepared to pay for it to be done well. Which is code for they want it done their way. These two young 'uns were in their early twenties, and really astute and ‘woke’, I think they called themselves.”

“Ah yes, my students love to think of themselves as very woke too. Most of them are, actually. So I take it they want to help you comment on social media about quarantine, protests, social justice, etc.”

"Aye, they’ll help me draft statements. I want it to be my voice, but they will just give everything the once over so that I don’t end up pissing everyone off. That’s happened a bit in the past."

“Hmm. Yes, the joys of social media. It’s a blessing and a bloody curse too. That’s my background, you know? Public Relations and Communications. Knowing how to deal with the media - especially social media - is critical to corporate as well as career success.” She frowned and sighed deeply. “We should chat about your meetings. I am more than okay with you hosting them here, you know? I have lots of outdoor areas, covered and open, so social distancing requirements won’t be an issue.” 

“Aye - we should chat about schedules - when do you want to do that?”

“We can do it right now, if you like. Or later on the patio, if you prefer. My ‘sanity hour’ just started though. You’re welcome to join me in here, or I can just cut it short, and join you on the patio.”

“I would never dream of depriving you of your sanity, Sassenach.” He smiled broadly, releasing several of her butterflies in the process. “I’ll be right back.”

“Bring a wine glass,” she called after him.

Within a few minutes, Jamie was back. He had his terry bathrobe from the guestroom draped over his shoulder, and was wearing a pair of striped blue swim shorts. Tossing his bathrobe next to hers on the rack, he placed the wine glass next to the ice bucket and eased himself into the tub, sitting opposite her. 

_ Sweet baby Jesus! Your body looks just like the pictures I saw on Google this morning - and I thought those were bloody-well Photoshopped! Frigging 8-pack! You truly are a beautiful man. Also, our swimsuits match.  _

There was a moment of slight awkwardness as they both became keenly aware that they were in a body of sensuously warm water, almost naked, and within mere feet of each other. It was a challenge to keep limbs from brushing up against each other, even with only two of them in the 6-seater tub. Jamie submerged himself and sat up again, running his hands over his face and through his hair to wipe off some of the water. 

“Should we get some wine, Sassenach?”

“Yes, of course.” And then she realized that the wine and glasses were right behind her. Too late to do anything about that. She turned to kneel on one of the raised molded seats in the hot tub so she could reach the wine more easily, but she still had to lean way over to reach the ice bucket. Damn! She wished she had worn a more conservative swimsuit. This one wasn’t a thong cut, but it revealed way more butt than she wanted to show right now. The knowledge that her rear looked as good now as it had in her modelling days was small comfort to her. 

“I’d give you a hand there, but ye seem to have it all under control.” She could hear the smirk in his voice.

She did  _ not _ have it under control, and was fumbling horribly with the wine opener. Why hadn’t she opened it in the kitchen before coming down to the tub?

“Uh ... I’m okay. Give me just a sec.”

“Take yer time, Sassenach. I’ll just enjoy the view here.”

The cork finally popped out, and she hoped he hadn't noticed how badly she bungled the whole process. She turned to look at him quickly. His eyes were firmly fixed on her rear end. He didn’t even try to hide it - in fact, he raised his eyebrow and looked her straight in the eye.

He cocked his head to one side. “I’m happy to help if ye need.”

“No. Thanks. I’ve got this.”

She poured two glasses of chilled wine and handed him his glass. Taking a large gulp, she resumed her seat with relief and leaned back so that her head was resting against the tub. 

“So where did the woke kids end up taking you for dinner?”

“The Rainier Club - corporate office in L.A. arranged it, or it would have likely been a pizza joint, if the wokes had any say in it. They served us out on the patio, so it was perfectly in keeping with restrictions. There was hardly anyone there, and all the employees were wearing gloves and masks. I felt like they did a really good job with the distancing and guest safety. Food was good too.”

“Yes, it usually is. I’m a member there, but haven’t been since March.”

“Tell me about your day, Claire. You seemed stressed earlier.”

“Long story. Boring one too.”

“Don’t say that, Claire,” he said gently. "You said it yesterday too - or something similar. Ye’re an intriguing woman, with a very interesting life story - I just wish I could hear it all. But we keep getting interrupted.” He raised both brows in a pointed reference to the fact that Claire seemed to be avoiding telling him her full story. 

“It’s not that I’m particularly secretive or anything - I just don’t want to bore you. You’re surrounded by interesting, beautiful, successful people all the time. To listen to the life story of a boring college lecturer can’t be  _ that _ intriguing.”

“I’m just going to sit here in silence until you tell me.” He took a sip of wine, looking at her expectantly over the rim of his glass. His eyes didn’t move from hers.

He waited.

She took a deep breath. 

“Okay. Where d’you want me to start?”

“Where ye left off last night. We can talk about my meetings later. You … uh … you had just walked in on Frank and his student.” He looked pained that he had to bring up the story at that awful point, but Claire nodded stoically.

“Well, after that, Frank seemed very remorseful. Apologized repeatedly. Swore it would never happen again. I believed him of course, and forgave him. For a few weeks after the office incident, he was home by late afternoon, came with me to a prenatal appointment, and was generally more attentive. But within a month, I noticed that he started to come home later and later again. He was short-tempered, and criticized me for everything. My cooking, my poor housekeeping skills, and by that time my baby bump was starting to show, and he seemed quite … grossed out by it all. He commented on my food intake and wanted me to wear flowy things that hid my belly.” Jamie’s jaw muscles rippled, and his brows drew together briefly.

“Throughout this time, I confided in Nonna. She had a few choice Italian names for Frank. Let me know if you ever need some Italian swear words.” They both smiled. “I honestly would not have made it through without her. By the time I was 5 months along, Frank had only been to one medical appointment, and I realized he would probably not come to any more of them. Nonna started to accompany me to my doctor visits. My doctor noticed that the babies were somewhat underweight. Nonna voiced her concerns to my doctor about the extreme emotional stress I was under. She’s not one to hold her tongue. I was classified as higher risk, and placed in the care of a specialist team. But the stress was too much, and I delivered the babies via C-section at 29 weeks. 38 weeks is generally considered full-term with twins.”

She stopped there, and took a deep, shuddering breath. It had been so long since she had shared this story with anyone. 

“Claire, I …” She held her hand up, and shook her head slightly.

“I just need more wine, I’m okay.” Beyond caring about the cheeky swimsuit at this point, she stood up to grab the wine bottle and topped up both glasses. Replacing the bottle in the ice bucket, she continued, “Frank was at the birth only because it was a C-section. He had already made it clear that there was no way he would watch babies being delivered any other way. My babies were tiny - 3.2 and 2.9 pounds. They had the expected preemie respiratory issues - it was so, so stressful. My medical team was phenomenal, though. They allowed me to stay there with my babies for the entire time. The head of the team was involved in a research study on ‘the relevance of maternal stress on premature births’, and later it became ‘the importance of maternal proximity in NICU babies’ - or so he said. I came to believe afterwards that he realized at the birth what a jackass Frank was, and wanted to keep me in an emotionally safe space, close to my babies. So I became his ‘research study’. There’s a special place in heaven for that man.”

To her surprise, she teared up somewhat, and blinked them away swiftly. Jamie slid over and sat closer to her, taking her free hand in his. His sincerity and concern was exactly what she needed right then, and she knew that despite his flirtatious nature, he didn't have an ulterior motive for wanting to sit closer to her at that moment. This was not Jamie pulling a move on her. This was Jamie being the ‘lovely, lovely man’ Suki had described.

She allowed her hand to relax in his. “So, the medical team set up a private room for me, and I stayed there for the full 6 weeks of the babies’ stay in NICU. Nonna was there almost every day. Bringing me soups, and pastas, and homemade ciabatta.”

“And tiramisu,” Jamie interjected, bringing a little levity into their chat.

“Yes,” she giggled, “and tiramisu. And so much love and support. Mind you, Frank was deeply concerned about the babies and their progress. He spent the first week at the hospital with me, sleeping on the sleeper sofa in my room. When the twins started to gain weight, he started to sleep at home and visited for a couple of hours every night.”

“Hmmm, and you were 18 at the time, aye? Just a child yerself. Frank would have been 30? 31?” She could have sworn that a flash of anger crossed his face. Or maybe it was pity. 

“When we were finally able to take the babies home, Uncle Lamb came over to help for three months, bless him. Between him and Nonna, I made it through those difficult first months, and the girls started to thrive. Over the next few years, I joined some mommy groups, and started to expand my social circle, while ensuring a constant round of baby play-dates, music classes and such. I had to shelve my studies, of course, but by the time the girls were almost four, they were enrolled in preschool, and I had started distance learning again. I was 22 and felt like I had a handle on the mothering thing. Hah!” they smiled at each other.

“Aye, I’ve been around my niece and nephews enough to know what that laugh means.”

“Still, I forged ahead. By this time, things between Frank and me were beyond saving. We weren’t married - or even engaged - so it was not a messy split from a legal standpoint. We were able to come to a decent arrangement for child support and co-parenting. I started to look for a town-home to rent, but Nonna insisted that the girls and I move in with her. It took a while for her to persuade me, but I realized that she needed it just as much as we did. She was quite lonely, and apart from her friends from book club and bridge, she didn't have much of a social life. You know, looking back, it was one of a handful of moments in my life when the stars aligned and things worked out well.” She took another sip of wine, Jamie nodded encouragingly. He was still interested in her story, apparently. 

“We struggled along initially, and then I went back to do some more modeling to earn extra money. It helped a bit with tuition and Nonna’s rent, which was ridiculously low compared with other town-homes I had looked at, but still a hardship for someone without a full-time job and in the midst of her studies.”

“What type of modeling did ye too, Claire?”

“Okay - this is where it gets a little embarrassing.” Both his eyebrows shot up.

“No, no! It’s not what you’re probably thinking. I was too much of a prude to do anything salacious. Since I was too short to do runway modeling, I focused on catalog stuff. No big designer brand campaigns or anything like that.”

“Why would you think that’s embarrassing?”

“Well … I specialized as an underwear model. And swimwear.” She flushed slightly.

“Aye, and I can see why,” the corner of his mouth lifting into his naughtiest smile yet.

She flushed slightly. "Now d’you understand why I was embarrassed.”

“No, Claire. From my perspective, ye’ve nothing to be embarrassed about at all.” He was quite serious. “First - you were providing for yer family. Second, you were using yer God-given … uh … gifts. No different to me using my acting talent and experience to earn a living by making movies.”

“I was a butt double in a movie once, actually. They flew me out to Chicago for three days. We shot for hours and hours, and when the movie finally came out, my ass was on display for maybe five seconds. It was the most uncomfortable experience of my life.” 

“Aye, I ken verra well what ye mean. So how did you end up here in Seattle?”

“By the time I was 25, I had completed my undergraduate studies, and the girls were in elementary school. I really wanted to study further, so I enrolled in the MS in Public Relations and Corporate Communications at NYU. I picked New York because it was close to Boston. Most of the course was distance learning, but I had to travel for cohort studies a few times. I was gone for a week at a time for that, but thankfully, I had a great support system for the girls in Nonna, and of course Frank was just next door. While I was on one of my cohort trips, I met Henry Benson, my late husband. He was 43 - yes, a fair bit older than me - and a guest professor from Seattle, on loan to NYU. I couldn’t believe it when he started to show an interest in me. He wasn’t one of my lecturers, he had just stopped by to observe one of our seminars, and we all met at a bar around the corner for drinks afterwards. We started chatting, drinks turned into dinner, and he started to very carefully and respectfully pursue a relationship with me.”

Even though the conversation had moved from her most deeply painful memories to areas that were lighter and more positive, Jamie did not release her hand. Claire made no move to withdraw it either.

“After three months of dating, he asked to meet the girls, so we went to spend a weekend with him. He had an apartment in New York at the time, and had asked a decorator to come in and transform one of the rooms into a fantasy bedroom for the girls. It was just lovely and colorful, sparkly girl stuff everywhere, and a whole chest of dress-up clothes. He had never been married, and a bout with cancer in his twenties left him unable to have children, so he absolutely doted on my girls. We ended up spending almost every weekend in New York with him. Nonna was thrilled, even though we felt awful about leaving her behind. She came with us to New York to babysit quite a few times, so that Henry and I could have an adult night out.” She smiled wistfully, and Jamie nodded, squeezing her hand lightly. 

“Henry did a months-long ‘movie festival‘ with the girls. He lined up all the kid-friendly movies that were shot in Central Park, and we watched one every weekend. Then we would head to Central Park the next day. We’d rent bikes, or take a pedi-cab tour to try and find the locations from the movie we had just seen. Their favorites were “Elf” and “Stuart Little”. We must have watched them at least 6 times.” She giggled her deep, throaty giggle, and Jamie realized how much he had come to enjoy that sound. 

“How was Frank with all the weekends away?” Jamie asked.

“Honestly, he didn’t mind at all. He seemed relieved mostly - being released from parenting on the weekend allowed him to pursue his own … ummm … interests.”

“When did ye eventually leave Boston? Or New York?”

“About a year into our relationship, Henry asked me to marry him. I said yes. The following weekend, he did the sweetest ‘step-dad proposal’ with the girls. Presented them with ring pops, took them shopping at Saks for beautiful new dresses and shoes. Then off to a salon for mani-pedis, and that night they went for a fancy dinner in a chauffeur-driven limo, all gussied up in their new outfits. Just the three of them, mind you. I was not invited,” she said, feigning indignation. “They had a wonderful time, and I knew he would be the most amazing step-dad.”

She gently withdrew her hand from Jamie’s, took his empty wine glass and placed both glasses on the edge of the tub. “So when I was twenty seven and the girls were almost nine, I became Mrs. Henry Benson, and we moved to Seattle with him. He remained on the faculty at the Fulton Business School as Professor Emeritus, but he scaled back active teaching because he was in demand in the business arena. His field was tech start-ups, and he served as a director on the boards of several large companies. In the meanwhile, I had finished my Masters, and worked as a junior lecturer at Fulton. I received my doctorate three years ago, and have been an associate professor ever since. Currently, I’m in the running for a full professorship at Fulton. It is such a huge deal for me, and I’m a little stressed about it. My lunch today was an attempt to schmooze some of my faculty colleagues as they start the vetting process. It’s between me and a candidate from Wharton Business school in Pennsylvania. One of my colleagues had some unnecessarily awkward questions for me at lunch. So cross your fingers for me please!”

Jamie gave her a huge grin, and held up his hands with all fingers crossed at ridiculous angles. “All ten crossed for good measure, but I have a feeling you have this in the bag. You seem so competent and self-assured.”

“Thank you, Jamie,” she grinned back. “I wish I shared your confidence. The saddest part for me is that if I do get the professorship, Henry …“ she trailed off. “He would have been so proud.”

“Aye,Claire. I’m so sorry, I know it must be painful for ye. What happened?” he asked gently.

“Right around the time that I got my doctorate, we learned that his cancer was back. It had progressed to the point where the doctors knew that conventional treatments would have very little effect. In fact he was placed in the care of a palliative medicine team almost immediately. We were determined to enjoy what little time he had left, and we made it so, so special. For him, for me, for the girls. Of course, Henry spent the first couple of weeks getting all his affairs in order. He wanted me and the girls to be taken care of, and we will never want for anything materially. But his loss has left a big hole in our hearts and in our lives. He passed away two years ago in May. Just eight months after his diagnosis.” She took a deep breath, exhaled, and smiled a pensive smile. “Jamie, I have prattled on and on about myself all night. That’s my whole story right there. You know it’s your turn now, right?”

“Hmmh,” Jamie grunted one of his trademark noises that she hadn't quite learned to decipher yet. 

“How about we head inside, grab some cheese and crackers - I kind of forgot to eat this evening - and head to the stone patio to see the last of the sun’s rays on the mountaintops? We can talk schedules really quickly, and then it’s your turn to share your life story.”

“Right,” said Jamie, “I'll grab the robes.” He took Claire’s robe off the rack and stepped back up onto the wide stone surround of the tub. He held up her robe as Claire emerged from the tub and slipped into its comforting warmth. Taking her gently by the shoulders, he turned her around to face him. He wrapped the robe around her midriff and tied the sash in a firm knot at her waist. Then he wrapped his arms around her and held her for a few seconds. His lips were against her temple. She stood perfectly still, barely breathing. Then she slowly raised her arms and wrapped them around his waist. 

“Thank you, Claire,” he murmured. “I ken that some of that was very hard for you to talk about. I thank ye for trusting me with yer story.”

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

* * *

They stood completely still, wrapped in each other’s arms in the cool evening air. Her ear was pressed against his naked chest, and she could both hear and feel his solid heartbeat. Any other time, she would have had a more carnal response and her butterflies would have been out of control. But she was drained from sharing so much of herself. Being pressed up against Jamie with his strong arms around her brought out an emotional response in her now - a sense of peace and safety and acceptance and warmth. 

“Thank you for listening,” she murmured. 

He tightened his embrace, and moved his lips slightly on her temple as he spoke very, very quietly. She couldn’t understand what he said, but recognized it as Gaelic. 

“I was serious, Jamie. I would love to know your story too. Let’s grab some wine and watch the sun disappear. We have about 30 minutes before it goes down completely.” 

They hurried back to the kitchen, where she arranged some crackers and a small assortment of cheeses on a plate, while Jamie picked up a bottle of Cabernet from the wine rack in the pantry. 

Minutes later they were on the stone patio, still wrapped in their robes, side-by-side in the Adirondack chairs.

The terraces enjoyed a beautiful, unobstructed sunrise view every morning, while the sunset view was well out of range somewhere behind the house. But although their properties didn't get a direct view of the sunset, residents of this neighborhood still enjoyed watching the evening shadows creep up the mountains from the ground up. And every evening, the sun's rays held onto the peaks for as long as they could, before finally surrendering to the night. 

Neither spoke for a while, reluctant to disrupt the sense of absolute peace and tranquility. Eventually, Jamie turned to Claire.

“Did I tell you I signed the initial offer for the property? Milo will submit to the sellers tomorrow.”

Claire gasped softly, “How exciting, Jamie!” She held up her hands with her fingers all crossed together, mimicking Jamie’s earlier gesture. “I’m crossing all ten fingers that it goes well for you too.” 

“Thanks, Sassenach.” He leaned over to the table, and cut a small chunk of brie, placed it on a cracker and handed it carefully to Claire. She smiled her thanks, a teeny bit flustered by the intimacy of his gesture. 

_You need to stop moving your thoughts in this direction. You had such good intentions to remain aloof this morning; and now, hours later, you have hot-tubbed with him, poured your soul out to him, hugged him for a loooooong moment, and now you’re letting him practically feed you by hand. Get. A. Grip._

“Jamie,” she began, quietly, “I want to hear about your childhood - and whatever else you feel comfortable sharing.” 

“Aye, Claire. We’ve both suffered some painful losses, ye ken. It’s been hard for me to open up and talk about some things, but I feel I can trust ye the same way you just trusted me. You are also aware that parts of my life seem to be an open book? Between the tabloids and social media, it seems everyone thinks they know ‘the real Jamie Fraser’. There is a perception that I lead the fabled life of a celebrity. That it’s a glamorous, champagne lifestyle - all tuxedos, limos, and a revolving door of beautiful women. Honestly, Claire, my real life - the life I want for myself - is so far removed from that.”

She nodded reassuringly. “Jamie, I know that in the career you have built, and the lifestyle that often goes with it, there are many challenges and difficulties. It must be very hard to trust anyone, and I imagine there is a constant fear of sharing too much, and then finding your words twisted and misrepresented in the media days later. I want you to know that I will hold whatever you tell me in absolute confidence. It’s entirely up to you to decide what you want to share.” 

He watched her intently as she spoke, and nodded silently. “I grew up in my family home, Lallybroch.” He began slowly. “It’s near Inverness in the Highlands, and has been in my family for a few centuries. I mentioned to you before that my sister lives there. Jenny is married to Ian - one of my best friends when we were growing up. They have four kids, three boys and a girl, aged between four and thirteen. She’s four years older than me, is Jenny - 38 this year. We had an older brother, William, who was seven years older than me. He lost his fight with leukemia when he was fourteen years old. I was gutted. Still am. Willie was my hero.” He paused.

“Jamie,” Claire whispered, her voice filled with emotion. 

He looked out at the mountains before him and said, “I love how the sun’s rays have crept up the mountains over the past twenty minutes or so and are now at the very tippy top of the mountains. This is really a great spot for sundowners.”

“Yes it is,” she said simply, comprehending his need to shift gears and process some of his feelings before continuing. Reaching toward the cheese platter again, he sliced off a chunk of smoked Gouda, placed it on a cracker and handed it to her, waiting until she had taken a bite of it before he picked up where he had left off. 

“My Mam died of breast cancer when I was eleven. It completely broke my father. Broke Jenny and me too. But my Da, oh Claire, my Da was a mess for a long time. They shared a love like nothing I’ve ever seen. Ye ken how so many couples continue to love each other after years together, but that fire and passion - the ‘being in love’ - tends to fade away? The giddy, crazy, romantic love, I mean. The deep love is still there, ye ken?” Jamie glanced at her and she nodded slightly. “Well that never happened with my parents. They were like teens in love all the time. I remember them sneaking kisses and little touches any time they could - like they couldn’t keep their hands off each other - even after years together and three kids! Jenny was always grossed out by their sappiness, but I didn't mind so much. Some nights, my Da would play one of their favorite love songs - anything from Frank Sinatra to Nat King Cole to Barbra Streisand - and sometimes even stuff from the 80s or 90s. If the lyrics aligned with what he was feeling, the song was fair game. ‘Listen to these beautiful words, Ellen,’ he would say to her, ‘Musical poetry’.” Jamie mimicked what must have been his Dad’s stronger Scottish accent with a wistful smile. “And then he would grab my Mam by the hand and slow dance right there in the kitchen or family room or wherever the mood took him. To this day, I’m more drawn by a song’s message and lyrics than the melody or rhythm.”

Somewhere in Claire’s consciousness, she vaguely remembered floating lazily in the hot tub earlier that evening. Had the music changed suddenly, or had she fallen asleep momentarily?

_The first time ever I saw your face, I thought the sun rose in your eyes ..._ A fleeting frown crossed her brow. The Roberta Flack classic wasn’t even in her ‘Unwind’ playlist. She pushed away the thought and focused on Jamie’s words.

“The rest of the family rallied around to help us. My Mam’s brothers, Dougal and Colum, my aunt Jocasta, my godfather, Murtagh. All of them became a permanent fixture in our lives. They're still very involved in our lives and the family business - and Dougal and Murtagh are a part of my business team too. You’ll likely meet them this week or next.” 

Jamie reached for the wine bottle and topped up both wine glasses. He prepared another cracker with a sliver of cheese for Claire and sat back to continue his story.

“My father struggled to pick up the pieces, but he forced himself to give Jenny and me as much routine and normalcy as he could. He never got over it, though. When I was fourteen, he had a stroke. Three days after that, he passed away.” 

Jamie leaned back against the angled Adirondack chair and stared up into the sky. It had darkened a little, and more stars were becoming visible. The mountains were becoming shadowy silhouettes in the distance.

“If it hadn’t been for the extended family surrounding me and Jenny, I reckon we would have been a mess. But they were determined that we would continue our education and make my parents proud. I had done some wee plays and musicals at school as part of drama class, and really loved it, so I asked to be enrolled at the Edinburgh School for Performing Arts. Jenny studied hotel management and culinary arts. She always loved to cook and putter around in the kitchen, but when she started her formal education, she appointed me her sous chef at home. I had to help her whether I wanted to or not. No-one says no to Jenny. Wait until ye meet her, Claire, she’s a force of nature to be sure.”

"Yes, I imagine she’d have to be to keep her younger brother in check." Claire teased and he responded in kind. 

“I canna lie, Sassenach, I was quite a handful. But I cleaned up my act and helped Jenny a lot in the early stages of the B&B - our family business. It’s officially called Lallybroch Farms. We converted some of the barns and built a few new ones. There are currently 63 rooms and suites, and we operate at between 70% and 100% occupancy throughout the year. I say ‘we’, but truly Jenny and Ian do all of it. I’m a silent partner. Murtagh and Dougal are also shareholders, and they help with marketing and events. Lallybroch hosts about 25 weddings a year - and a few other events. It’s a busy place, but the business side of things is set a good distance away from our family home, so we can maintain some privacy and separation from the business, ye ken. It’s our family home, and we want to keep it our special place and haven. Despite all the sadness that it’s seen, there’s a kind of magic about it. That’s where you and the twins will be staying during the Ultimate Sassenach Highlands Tour.”

"The Ultimate Sassenach Highlands Tour, is it?” Claire’s brows shot up, and she giggled heartily. “I can’t wait. Can you give me a preview of some of the highlights?”

"Of course not! It’s exclusive, top secret, and a surprise to boot. But dinna fash. I offer a comprehensive satisfaction guarantee."

"Hmmm. I’ll bear that in mind.”

By now, Claire had eaten her fill of cheese and crackers, considerately and almost absent-mindedly prepared for her by Jamie, and they were nearing the last of the Cabernet. Jamie turned to her, looking more serious than she’d seen him. 

“Claire, if we’re going to talk about syncing schedules and meetings, I’ll need to share some information with ye. It’s about a business transaction that I’ve had to sign an NDA for, to protect myself and my business associates.” 

There was that term again. Non-Disclosure Agreement. It sounded intimidating and menacing, and for the second time in a matter of days, it drove home to her how very public and open the life of a celebrity must be. How tiresome it must be to have to require people in your circle to sign legally binding documents in order to maintain confidentiality on transactions that were regular events in the lives of regular people - like buying a home. Or investing in a business. She couldn't fathom a life like that - it would feel so restrictive and intrusive and limiting, in so many ways. 

“I canna tell you a whole lot yet, and believe me I would love to share my exciting news.” He grinned with an almost childlike enthusiasm and Claire knew that whatever it was, it must be a big deal for him. “But what I can tell ye is that it involves wine, and it should all be signed and sealed in a matter of days. The meeting on Thursday is about this transaction. So, looking at the schedule then - in the morning, I have the helicopter ride - Milo will pick me up here for that. When we get back, the team will be with me and it will include my Uncle Dougal, Murtagh, two of my legal team and three guys representing the other side of the transaction. I expect the meeting to take between 2 to 4 hours, and I’ll pay for whatever refreshments are needed for the day. Maybe you and I can come up with some ideas after we’ve outlined my schedule?”

“Of course. I’m more than happy to help. We’ve hosted many similar business meetings here over the years. I’ll work from home on Thursday so that I can be here if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Claire. You’ve no idea how much it means to have your help and guidance. I am anxious to get this one right. Without sounding overly dramatic, my entire future is wrapped up in this deal.”

_Gee, thanks Jamie - no pressure. But I have to admit I’m curious now. The wine business, huh?_

“On Friday,” he continued, “I have no meetings scheduled, but I will likely be making a lot of calls and sending loads of emails throughout the day.”

“Yes, I imagine it will be a heavy 'paperwork' kind of day for you after Thursday’s meeting." 

“On Monday, it’s all movie business. My core business team will be here - Dougal, Murtagh, and the two lawyers. Plus my agent from Aster Talent Management and two PR people. There will be a few reps from Panther Entertainment and Stargate Productions.” Claire recognized the names as key players in the movie and entertainment industry. “It will be a long day,” he continued with a sigh. “Dougal and I have been at loggerheads about which way I want my movie career to go. He’s siding with my agent and PR people on the whole thing. Monday will be a come-to-Jesus meeting fer sure.”

“What about Murtagh?”

“Ah, Murtagh is a gem, Claire. Ye’ll like him. He wants what’s best for me, for my heart and my soul - not just the fame and the money. He wants me to be happy, but knows the importance of keeping a clear head in the business, so he gives me a lot of really good advice. Murtagh keeps me grounded and he’s not shy to tell me when I’m being a git. He’s been a father figure since my teens.” 

She smiled at the thought of Jamie having someone to keep him from letting the movie business get inside his head too much. 

“I’m looking forward to meeting him and Dougal. What about the rest of next week? Is there anything planned that I can help with? More meetings to host?”

“No meetings planned yet - but sometimes they come up at the last minute. Next Tuesday and Wednesday will likely just be a lot of calls and emails. I might take a hike or two. And if the weather’s good, I might also take advantage of yer pool, if that’s alright.”

“Of course. Please feel free to enjoy all of it,” she waved her hand behind her, indicating the entirety of her home and its amenities. 

“Thank you. Next Thursday and Friday, I’ll be driving east, a little way past Wenatchee. It’s for the business transaction - a continuation of this Thursday’s meeting. The week after that, I’m supposed to be in L.A.”

“Okay - it all sounds really busy for you. Hopefully the meetings and transactions all go smoothly. My schedule is really flexible, and I work equally well from home or campus. If there’s any way I can help, just holler. What about tomorrow? You haven’t mentioned anything about tomorrow yet.”

“I’ve not got any meetings tomorrow, it’s a quieter day for me. I’ll spend some time reading a few documents and contracts for Thursday’s meeting. Probably go for a run too.” 

“Tomorrow is the twins' 16th birthday - I may have already mentioned that. It’s been our tradition for me to make them crepes on their birthday. So first thing tomorrow morning, I'll be doing a virtual crepe birthday breakfast. When the crepes are almost ready, I’ll FaceTime them and wish them a happy birthday, and we’ll do a virtual celebration. It sounds and feels so weird to think about it, but I guess online parties and drive-by birthday parades are the new normal.’ She paused, and swallowed hard. “It’s only the second time I haven't been with them for their birthday. Frank and his wife took them to Disneyland for their 12th.”

“I imagine it will be a tough day for ye.”

“Yes, it will be a little tough. My friend Melissa was due to have visited me this week from Atlanta. But she had to cancel due to Covid exposure. We had planned to go to Woodinville tomorrow to distract me from the fact that I am missing my daughters’ huge milestone birthday. I’m still planning on going. I booked a patio table and a tasting room, and I’ll be damned if I’m giving up the opportunity to enjoy an outing after so many weeks - months, actually - of isolating.”

“Woodinville, huh? That’s a braw little town. Last year, when I spent six weeks here to get a sense of the place, Jenny and Ian visited me with the kids for a couple of weeks. November is a quieter time at Lallybroch Farms, and she needed a vacation. I took her to Woodinville for the day, and she fell in love. It’s got such a unique character and appeal. She loved that it had some big wineries, like Chateau and Columbia, and some wee, quaint tasting rooms too. It was a good day.”

“You know … you’re very welcome to join me, if you get all your calls and things done. My patio reservation is for 12:30.”

He looked at her for a long moment, head cocked to the side. 

_Shit, was that too forward? Does it sound like I’m asking him out? On a date?_

“I would love that, Claire. I’m tired of isolation too. We’ll make it a fun afternoon to keep ye from dwelling too much on the birthday, aye?”

“Sounds great to me. Should we head indoors, Jamie? We seem to have a handle on the schedule now, and we can chat tomorrow about what to do about food and such - for the meetings. I’m also very aware that you are still jet-lagged.”

“Aye. It’s been a long, but lovely evening - getting to share our lives a wee bit.”

He stood up, offered her his hand and gently pulled her to her feet. After sharing almost two bottles of wine, she felt a little tipsy, and was grateful for his steadying hand. After gathering the plates and glasses, they made their way back to the house. 

“I’ll see you in the morning, Jamie. Crepes okay for breakfast?”

“I canna think of a better breakfast, to be honest. I love crepes!” He sounded genuinely excited, and she chuckled at his enthusiasm. 

“Good night, Jamie. I’ll see you whenever you get down here. Go on upstairs, and I’ll lock up down here.”

“Good night Sassenach.” With a last, quick smile, he headed up to his room.

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

* * *

Claire stood under the warm shower for a long time. Her thinking place. She washed away the hot tub chemicals and conditioned her hair for as long as possible before finally rinsing and stepping out of the shower to dry off. As she towel dried her hair vigorously and pulled it up into a ponytail, she thought ruefully about how wild it would look in the morning, but she’d deal with it then. Pulling on her standard sleepwear of silky lounge pants and a soft tee, she swept aside the profusion of grey and blue decorative pillows from her bed, climbed under the duvet, and wriggled into a comfortable sleeping position.

Thoughts from her shower still in her head, she contemplated some of the moments she’d shared with Jamie over the preceding hours, and wondered how on earth they had managed to squeeze so much into one evening. She felt like she had given and learned so much about herself and about him. Both of them had bared their hearts and their souls, connecting over deep losses that had fractured their hearts and left scars. The scars were fading, but not entirely gone. A reminder that the events that caused them would continue to shape them as people. She mulled over some of the things Jamie had said - and the things he hadn’t said. He hadn’t spoken about his more recent years - other than a brief mention about people thinking they knew the ‘real Jamie’ based on his public persona. He hadn’t spoken at all about his romantic relationships. Maybe he assumed she knew about them, because they played out so publicly. In her Google search that morning, she hadn’t seen anything about a recent or new relationship. She knew that didn’t mean anything - in fact, based on what he had said about protecting his family’s privacy, she wondered if perhaps he had a ‘special someone’, and was fiercely protecting the relationship.

Yes, she decided, exhaling long and slow, that’s exactly what it was. He was deftly avoiding talking about a special relationship, wanting to keep it in a safe bubble. She couldn’t begrudge him that. After years of Hollywood relationships in the public eye, he deserved some happiness and privacy away from public scrutiny. His flirty teases and that long hug - they were just the signs of a new and budding friendship. She turned onto her side and closed her eyes.

_ There’s no way he is single. He’s just not ready to open up about his love life - give him time. You’re destined to be good friends and neighbors, nothing else. He’ll marry her, whoever she is, and you’ll all be good friends. You’ll share recipes, and you’ll have cookouts and 4th of July parties, and you’ll keep an eye on each other’s houses when you're traveling. The twins will nanny their kids when they're home from college - Jamie and his wife will like that. It will all be great. Perfect, in fact.  _

Claire drifted off to sleep, and in the far corners of her mind, she thought she heard the soft strains of … she was so, so tired … floating in the hot tub … crepes tomorrow … did she remember to buy blueberries … ' _ The first time, ever I saw your face ...' _

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie turned off the water and leaned back against the shower wall, eyes closed, water dripping off him. He shook his head, wishing he could shake off his thoughts of Claire as easily as he could the water droplets. How was she getting under his skin this quickly - he’d known her for less than two days! Trying to convince himself that the connection he was starting to feel was all about her physical attributes, he stepped out of the shower, and grabbed one of the towels. He pulled on a pair of boxers - a respectful nod to the fact that he was a guest in someone’s home. The last thing he wanted was to be caught naked in some weird middle of the night emergency. He drew the bedcovers down and sprawled in the middle of the bed. Yes, it was definitely down to her looks - and the fact that he was in a self-imposed sex and relationship hiatus for just under six months now. 

To be 100% accurate, it was really Jenny-imposed, but he was a co-operative participant. And the result of almost six months of abstinence had made him think lustful thoughts in the shower. That’s all it was - he was a man, and men were hard-wired to think of sex multiple times a day, right? It was all about her incredible eyes. He wanted to gaze into them and carefully analyze how the various shades of amber and gold and honey merged to create the unique shade that reminded him of a tiger’s eyes, or whisky, or a sunrise. It was all about her mouth. That lower lip of hers and her habit of biting it when she was deep in thought, or sharing the darkest moments of her life with him. He imagined pulling her into a deep, soulful kiss and gently nibbling and sucking that lower lip of hers, and relishing its soft fullness between his lips. And it was all about that arse. That sweet, perfect arse. It was the perfect amount of roundness and fullness. It would fit so perfectly in his hands. He knew that without a doubt. Ignoring his body’s reaction to his suggestive thoughts, he pulled the bed covers over himself, and turned to lie on his side. 

_ Bullshit. It’s not just about her looks, and ye ken it. Why were ye so angry at Frank, that ye had to bite down and control yer words when ye heard how he mistreated her? Why were ye filled with relief when ye learned that her life with Henry was so much better, and that he cherished her as she should be cherished. She’s goddamn beautiful, but that’s not even the half it, ye walloper! Ye're a fucking mess, Fraser! Ye're taken with her warmth, her kindness, her ability to take a difficult situation and make it better. Ye're blown away by her resilience and the way she has bounced back every time life has knocked her down. Ye're impressed with how she’s built a successful life and career for herself. Ye're challenged by her quiet intelligence. And ye're a wee bit envious of her ability to live her best life - despite all the loss and pain. Ye want a part of it, ye want to be in her aura and her space, but she’s at a different point in her life. The life ye lead, the work ye do, and the things that go with it are not for her. Ye shouldna’ try to impose all of that on her. She is someone to be adored and protected by a man who can offer her stability. And safety. Ye'll bring her nothing but trouble and pain. She will be a wonderful friend and neighbor. Ye’ve got to accept it for what it is. Ye’ll get to see her and spend time with her, but it will be on a different level than the one ye’re imagining. Friends and neighbors. _

He inhaled deeply. His breathing slowed into a rhythm that brought him to the verge of sleep and his thoughts jumbled into exhausted, incoherent snippets … wine tasting … her hand in his … crepes for breakfast …  _ “I thought the sun rose in your eyes…” _

  
  



	11. Chapter 11

* * *

She awoke with a tightness in her chest. Like each of the twins’ birthdays before this one, Claire's thoughts went right back to the stress and angst of their birth. It was always a fleeting thought before she focused on celebrating their special day, and today’s heartache was due more to the fact that she wasn’t bursting into their rooms singing ‘Happy Birthday’ at the top of her lungs and having a hug-pile on one of their beds. 

Quickly pulling on blue yoga pants and a white linen shirt, she released her hair from its ponytail and subdued most of her curls, rubbing a tiny amount of Argan oil into her palms and over the curls to help the taming process. During her three-minute toothbrush cycle, she let her thoughts wander to Jamie and last night’s revelation - entirely of her own making - that he was nurturing a private relationship and protecting it by keeping it to himself. She reminded herself that 24 hours ago she had stood in this very room admonishing herself to remain professional and maintain a friendly distance. Today, she would need to redouble her efforts. She was determined to regard everything he did and said as entirely platonic. The two of them were squarely in the ‘friend-zone’, as the girls would say.

And that took her straight back to thoughts of her sweet Ella and Beth. How was their day going in Boston? Had Frank and Kelly made enough of a fuss of them in the morning? Had they showered the girls with love and kisses? Kelly had been fantastic about agreeing to help with Claire’s plans. She had hidden the huge balloon bouquet Claire had ordered and agreed to place it outside their bedroom door. The girls shared a bedroom at Frank and Kelly's, and the balloons would be the first thing they saw when they emerged from their room. Claire had also shipped the girls’ gifts directly to Boston. They would open them during their FaceTime call. 

Moving quietly in her bare feet between the kitchen island, the pantry, and the fridge, she gathered the ingredients and toppings for the crepes as quietly as possible in an effort to avoid waking Jamie. It had been a late night, and he was only just getting over his jet-lag. She mixed up the batter while two skillets warmed up on the range. Brushing the heated skillets with melted butter, she poured the first two crepes, and while they cooked, she started to prepare the toppings. Within the next twenty minutes she had made about half the crepes and all the toppings were lined up: cinnamon sugar, caramel sauce, sliced bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and lemon juice. 

Grabbing her iPad, she propped it up on the ledge behind the range and started the FaceTime call. 

“Eeeeek,” she squealed when her girls appeared on the screen. “Happy birthday, sweethearts”. 

“Thanks, Mom,” they smiled together, sporting sparkly, glittered tiaras - clearly a craft project created by their young half siblings. 

“Oh my, that’s a fun new look. Did Frankie and Lily make those?”

They nodded together, Ella throwing in an exaggerated eye-roll for good measure.

“I miss you guys so much. Wish we could be together, but it’s important to spend birthdays with your Dad and the littles too.”

“We know Mom. But we miss you too,” Beth seemed close to tears.

“Did you get the balloon bouquet?” Claire asked quickly, hoping to stave off tears. 

“Yes, thanks Mom! I totally called it though. I told Beth last night that there was no way we would not be waking up to your balloons first thing in the morning.”

“She did! But it was still awesome. Thanks Mom.”

“Did Kelly give you the gifts from me?”

They both held up small gift bags in the distinctive color and packaging of Tiffany & Co.

“We’re soooo excited, Mom. When can we open them?” Ella could barely contain herself.

“You can open them now if you like.” 

They didn’t need any more prompting. Both girls dived in and retrieved a small box from layers of tissue and the little Tiffany drawstring bag. They opened their boxes at the same time to reveal their gifts. In perfect harmony, their hands flew to their mouths as they stifled cries of excitement. Ella stood up and jumped up and down in a circle, squealing excitedly. Beth buried her face in her hands and sobbed. 

She looked up in full ugly cry and said, “I’m so sorry Mom, I’m sorry I’m crying. I just love it so much!”

Claire had overheard the girls ooh'ing and aah'ing over Tiffany T rings a few weeks back while they were seated at the kitchen island waiting for her to put the finishing touches to their dinner. A Tiffany ad had popped up on their Instagram feed, and they discussed the virtues of the various designs as they swiped through the rings. The only style they agreed on was the T ring. Claire had looked on the Tiffany website later and decided it was perfect for the girls - age-appropriate, not too showy, and quite timeless. It just seemed like the perfect 16th birthday keepsake gift. She immediately ordered the rings - in white gold for Ella and rose gold for Beth.

“Put them on. Show me. Do they fit well?” They immediately flashed their rings at Claire, nodding their confirmation that both rings were a perfect fit.

“Great! I’m so glad you like them. The crepes are almost ready, by the way. Let me show you.” She picked up the iPad and took it over to the island where she had set two breakfast settings and arranged the toppings neatly in a cluster between the plates. She swept the iPad around so that the girls could inspect the breakfast set-up.

“Moooooom! I’m so jealous. Wait! Did you forget the Reddi-Wip?” asked Beth.

“I kind of skipped that, since it’s only you girls who like it. We’re just going with the basics here.”

“Who’s ‘we’?” asked Ella, eyebrows raised in question.

“Are you eating our crepes with the VIP man?” asked Beth. “Oooh, I bet he’ll love them.”

Claire went back to the range and flipped two more crepes, “Yes, of course I’m sharing the crepes with the guest. I can’t eat all of this on my own.”

Right on cue, Claire heard a noise behind her, and turned around to see the secret panel leading from the man-cave to the family room opening.

Jamie was in workout shorts, no shirt, and a small towel thrown over his shoulder - about to emerge from his workout. She widened her eyes at him, silently communicating a warning. He realized immediately that she was on a FaceTime call with her girls, and gave her an apologetic grimace. She held up two fingers and mouthed “two minutes”. He nodded and retreated back into the man-cave quietly and pulled the panel almost shut. She knew that the girls wouldn’t have seen him or her exchange with him from the angle of the iPad, so she continued.

“Okay girls, we’ll have to get breakfast finished here soon. I’m reviewing student papers and my guest has work to do too.”

“Wait, Mom. You were going to tell us more about the VIP Man.” Beth looked at her, waiting for Claire to continue.

“Yeah,” Ella interjected, “since he’s eating my birthday breakfast, can we at least know more? You said he was well-known, and it was all a big secret.”

Oh God, she hoped he couldn't hear clearly from behind the panel. 

“Well, you girls know how important it is to maintain confidentiality and privacy. We already talked about it.”

“Yes, but he’s been there for two days now, and we want to know if you feel okay with it. It’s not, like, weird or anything? He’s not creeping you out or whatever?” 

“No Beth, I feel perfectly safe. Nothing weird at all.”

“Can’t you at least tell us what he does? What’s he well-known for? We’re not going to Tik-Tok or Snap about it or anything!” 

“Is he a big name in business, like Jeff Bezos?” Beth probed.

“No. Girls, we don’t have time to -”

“Is he a singer? Like for older people music?”

“No, Ella,” replied Claire, a little exasperated.

“An actor?” offered Beth.

Claire’s eyes widened slightly - she wasn't going to blatantly lie to them. There was a moment of awkward silence as she grasped for a response.

“Oh my God, he is! He’s an actor!” Ella was way too astute for her own good.

“Oh!” Beth gasped. “Who is it, Mom?”

“She can’t say, Beth. You know that! Give us tiny clues mom.”

“No - I can’t do that, girls. He’ll be down for breakfast in a minute. I have to get going.”

“Okay, we’ll stop talking when he comes in. Is he cute, mom?” Sweet Beth. 

“Uh … yes. He is. He’s cute.”

“Like cute, nice? Or cute, hot?”

“Ella!” Claire blushed visibly.

“Mom, you’re all red! He’s hot, right?” Ella turned to her sister, “Yep, he’s a hot one, Beth. Look how Mom’s gone all blushy and shy.”

“Oh, Mom,” Beth gushed, holding her hands over her heart. “Is he single?”

“Girls! That’s enough. I really need to get on with breakfast.”

“Mom, it’s our birthday, you can’t cut us short on our birthday,” argued Ella. “Is he single or not?”

“Unlikely,” said Claire hoping again that Jamie couldn’t hear this ridiculous conversation, but also aware that girls’ reactions were rather loud and excited. She dropped her voice, “Girls, even if he is single, I’m not int-”

“Stop Mom! Don’t you say that you’re not interested or that he wouldn't be interested. Mom, you are so beautiful. Ashlee’s dad is like,  _ obsessed _ with you. He asked me for your cell number way back because he wanted to 'coordinate a pick-up time' when we were over there. I told him he should email you to ask for it. It was so awkward.”

“Yes, I know, Ella. He emailed me and I gave him my number. For parent-to-parent communication.”

“Mom, you  _ know _ Ashlee’s dad is kinda cute - like in a divorced dad way - but is this actor VIP cuter?”

“Oh my God! Girls! Enough!”

“Mom, seriouslyyyyy! I hope he’s cute, and I hope you start low-key crushing on each other. It would be perfect.” Beth, ever the romantic, had a dreamy far-away look in her eyes.

“Yeah, Mom! Perfect!” Ella immediately launched into Ed Sheeran’s hit ballad.  _ ‘I found a love fo-o-or me, Darling, just dive right in, and follow my lead _ ’. _ ” _

Beth was not about to be outdone.  _ “Well, I found a gi-i-irl, beautiful and sweet…” _

“Girls, I love you both so much, but I’m going to send you off to enjoy your day. We’ll FaceTime again tonight, okay? I want to hear all about your day later. Love you both.” She blew them an avalanche of kisses. The girls blew an avalanche back and waved energetically, and before she could end the call, she heard them sing at the top of their voices. " _ Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song …”  _

She stared at the blank iPad for a few seconds. ‘Mortified’ didn't come close to describing how she felt. She wasn’t sure how much Jamie had heard, but she was sure it was enough to annoy him. He probably thought that she had revealed his identity to two teenagers, and potentially compromised his privacy. Oh God, Milo would be so mad! His property deal with Jamie was so close to completion - she hoped this wouldn't affect it. 

She heard the panel open again. 

Jamie emerged with his T-shirt back on and his face hidden by the towel, which he was using to rub over his face and head. She wondered what his reaction would be. He was usually the perfect gentleman, so she was hoping he wouldn’t yell or get in a huff over it. Maybe he would just politely but firmly ask her to refrain from talking about him to the girls - or anyone else. She would apologize and grovel a little, and all would be good.

_ Either way, can you just get it over with? Your outburst. I’m a big girl, I can cope. _

She stood there waiting for the confrontation. When he finally pulled the towel away, his lips were tightly pressed together, his face was bright red, and getting redder by the second. He was struggling mightily to hold in a laugh. He lost the battle, and let out a snort, and then a hearty laugh started deep in his chest and filled the room. He laughed so hard that he had to lean up against the wall. 

She looked at him in shock. Then a slow smile started to work its way across her face.

“It’s not bloody funny!”

“Ohhh, Sass-” another snort broke free, and he laughed again. He walked towards her with a huge smile and laughing eyes. He composed himself and shook his head slowly. “Oh, aye it is, Sassenach. It's ‘bloody’ hilarious. Oh my God, what I wouldn't give to have seen yer face.”

She was blushing furiously again, but a giggle broke free, and she laughed with him.

“They sound like a couple of braw wee lasses, Claire. Congratulations on their 16th birthday. I know that when ye think about this day 16 years ago, it mustn't be easy, but look at them now. Smart, funny ...”

“Cheeky, sassy, naughty,” Claire supplied.

“And talented wee singers, too!” he teased.

“Oh, God,” she groaned. 

“Ye ken I’m going to milk this for a long time, right?”

“I imagine you will, you bloody Scot.” She glared at him in mock anger. 

He chuckled again. “I’m going to dive in the shower, and I’ll be down shortly for breakfast. Those crepes look fantastic.” 

He backed away from her, eyes fixed on hers, and started humming “Perfect” in a low hum. Successfully dodging the scrunched dish towel that she flung at him, he continued backing his way out of the kitchen, then turned and hummed all the way up the stairs. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Over breakfast, they discussed catering for the meetings. They had become so engrossed in each other’s stories over the past two evenings, that planning had fallen by the wayside, and Jamie’s meetings were looming.

“Both meetings are pretty casual, and no one is expecting a fancy served meal. Let’s order in from a restaurant.” Jamie suggested. “Do you have any nearby favorites?”

“I’ve done a Mediterranean bar a few times, and it always goes over well. You’ll no doubt want to hold the meeting in the covered patio, right?”

Jamie nodded.

Claire continued, “We could set the food bar up on the covered patio. Things like pita bread, Greek salad, hummus, baba ganoush, lamb and chicken, fallafel. What do you think?”

“That sounds like a braw idea. If only so I have an excuse to enjoy the baba ganoush. Did ye know that it means ‘pampered daddy’?”

Claire chuckled, “I did not know that.”

“Truly though, I think it sounds great, Claire. Can we stop at a grocery store on the way home from the wineries and stock up on drinks?” She nodded her agreement.

“Now, for Monday - the big meeting with the studio, and where hopefully, you and Dougal will control yourselves. That’s a whole lot more people - sounded like maybe 15? What I’ve done for larger groups in the past is a street taco bar. I have a favorite barman at the Rainier Club who moonlights at private parties. Julio’s done several parties for me. His wife, Alma, runs a catering company, and I know she’s hurting for business during quarantine. She does an excellent street taco bar. I mean, who doesn't like street tacos? They always work for me as “package deal” - Julio handles the drinks - he’ll serve, clear away, make cocktails - whatever you want. He also helps Alma set up and serve. It’s pretty slick, and no-one will have to lift a finger.”

“That sounds fantastic! Let’s do that. Will they be available on such short notice?”

“I’ll call him right away. It’ll take me 10, maybe 20 minutes to set this all up. Feel free to grab a latte and more crepes. Any known food sensitivities in these groups?”

“One vegetarian, as I recall, otherwise nothing that I can think of.”

She stepped out to the patio to plan the catering and provide all the information the restaurant and caterer would need. By the time she re-entered the kitchen 25 minutes later, she had confirmed catering details for both meetings.

“All done. We are good to go for tomorrow and Monday.”

In her absence, Jamie had cleaned up, loaded the dishwasher, placed leftovers in containers in the fridge and made them each a latte. 

“Thank you, Claire, I am truly indebted.”

“Thank you for the latte. You’ve certainly mastered the foaming,” she eyed her well-frothed mug. “We have a few hours to kill before the wineries, and I need to review some papers. Still have about 11 of them to go. I’m going to work out on the patio - let me know if you need anything. We should leave here at around noon for our patio reservation.”

“No problem, I’ll be ready.”

“I also wanted to remind you that the house cleaner will be here while we’re out. She’s agreed to do your laundry, so don’t forget to toss it in the hamper.” 

“Ah, that’s fantastic, Sassenach! Is it okay to leave her a wee tip with a note of thanks in my room?”

“Of course - that’s really thoughtful Jamie. Her name is Liv.”

“Great - I’ll square away the rest of the expenses for her services with ye later, aye?”

“No worries. Okay - I’m off to the patio to work,” she smiled. “See you back here at noon.”

  
  



	12. Chapter 12

* * *

A little before 11:00 a.m., Claire gathered her laptop and papers and headed indoors to get ready for the winery trip. As she walked towards the stairs, she could hear Jamie still on a call in the study. It had been an early, busy morning with the twins’ birthday breakfast and the hasty planning for Jamie’s meetings. Since she hadn’t had time to shower first thing after waking up, she took a quick shower as soon as she got upstairs, and then set about managing her hair and getting it dry enough to style with a curling wand. Giving her hair a few minutes to cool down after blasting it with a dryer, she pulled a few dresses from her closet to review her options. It was warm and sunny - perfect weather for a summery dress. She decided on a cream and blue floral dress with fluttery cap sleeves and a scooped neckline. Setting it aside, she returned to the bathroom to curl her hair into softer waves like Armando had taught her. She had become quite proficient at softer beachy waves during isolation. Applying her makeup in natural shades of mocha and cocoa, she added earrings and a spritz of Marc Jacobs Daisy and then slipped on her dress. It was bias cut and hugged her body, gently flaring to a few inches above her knees, the soft skirt teasing flirtatiously around her legs when she moved. She paired it with a pair of block-heeled Botkier sandals in cobalt, and pulled the look together with a soft tan Michael Kors purse. 

Jamie was in the kitchen leaning against the island, checking his texts. Looking up as she walked in, he pushed off the counter and stood straight up, taking her in from head to toe. He let out a low whistle that roused her butterflies from their slumber. 

She smiled, “You don’t look so bad yourself … uh, in fact, we look a little coordinated here.” 

He was wearing light tan chinos with a lapis blue shirt that matched the blues in her floral print, and soft beige Derby shoes. His stubble was starting to turn to scruff and he looked breathtakingly sexy. She hoped he kept his scruff a little longer, although she knew that he looked just as handsome clean-shaven. Right now, he looked like the movie star he was, and Claire wished her butterflies would settle down. He grabbed a baseball cap and sunglasses off the counter, and she recognized them for what they were - the standard disguise of celebrities trying to avoid recognition. Her heart squeezed a little in empathy. How vexing to always have to prepare for the possibility of being spotted and attracting unwanted attention. Spontaneity must be a precious and rare commodity in the life of a movie star.

“Do you want me to keep those in my purse?” she asked, and he gratefully passed the cap to her. 

“Thank you, Claire. I’ll probably need the sunglasses in the car.” 

In the garage, Claire led him towards her SUV, but he stopped in the farthest stall to admire the Tesla Model S Performance. It had been Henry’s pride and joy - purchased only months before his diagnosis. Claire didn’t drive it very often, but she occasionally took it out ‘to put it through its paces’, as Henry used to say. 

“This is on my list,” said Jamie running his hand lightly over the rear of the car. “I have been in a regular Tesla a few times, but never a Performance model. I hear the acceleration is insane.”

“Ludicrous Mode,” said Claire, nodding. “Yes. Scared the bejeezus out of me the first few times. Let’s take it today.” She took the Tesla key from the hook while Jamie disengaged the charger cable and held the driver’s door open for her, before moving around to the passenger seat. 

They chatted easily during the drive. Claire, a confident driver, was not at all fazed by the winding mountain roads and tight hairpin bends of the route that would bring them to Woodinville. She desperately wanted to address the FaceTime incident from that morning - needing to reassure him that she had not broken his confidence or told her girls anything that would put him at risk.

“Jamie, I-”, she started, and then stopped abruptly.

He turned to look at her, and frowned a little at her hesitance. “What is it, Sassenach?”

“I .. uh … I wanted to let you know that at no time have I revealed your identity to my girls. I had to let them know that Uncle Milo’s client was staying with us because of the issue with CHAZ.”

“Dinna fash, Claire. I know you would never do that. Of course ye had to tell them ye had a guest at the house. Imagine I accidentally walked past ye during a FaceTime call? They would be wondering who I was. Don’t give it another thought, Claire. I trust ye completely.”

She shot him a quick smile and released a sigh of relief.

He chuckled. “I canna believe that was stressing you out, Claire. I’m more fashed about ‘Ashlee’s dad’, honestly. Does the hot, divorced dad have good intentions, or is he going to keep obsessing over ye?” He had a teasing grin on his face, but there was a subtle undercurrent of ... something. She couldn't quite put a finger on it. 

She shook her head and giggled a little. “My girls are not shy about trying to find me decent male suitors. It’s the weirdest thing, most girls their age are grossed out even thinking about the traumatizing possibility that their parents might be having sex. My girls feel nothing of the sort. They text me screenshots and links to sexy dresses and shoes and … lingerie. Most of them horribly unsuitable, I might add.”

“Hmmm. If ye hand me yer phone, I can do some quality control over some of their choices if ye like. But be warned, I’ve a feeling I might approve most of them.”

“Of course you would!”

“Truly, Claire, it’s really special and sweet how much they care about ye and yer happiness. l look forward to meeting them soon.”

“They would be thrilled to meet you - unfortunately, your travel schedules don’t align this time. But they will no doubt enjoy having you as a neighbor.”

“That reminds me - Milo called while you were getting dressed. The sellers have made me a counter-offer. Not a terrible one, at that. I told Milo to do what it takes to seal it. I know he will represent me well.”

“Yes he will. He is a brilliant negotiator and knows his game really well,” confirmed Claire, pulling into a parking spot at Columbia Wineries. 

Jamie came around to the driver side door and held it open for Claire. Holding out a hand, he gently helped her out of the car, releasing a few more butterflies in the process. She had been around many educated, polite men in her life - Henry included - but never had she experienced this level of chivalry and attentiveness. It made her feel noticed and appreciated, and was more than a little intoxicating. They put on their face-masks and walked up the steps to the patio. Jamie had placed his hand gently on the small of her back, and as unexpected as that was, it also felt so right. 

She turned to him quickly, “Do you need your cap?”

He shook his head slightly. “Let’s see who we have here first.” He had become adept at reading a room - or patio, in this instance. He knew his fan-bases and their demographics, and today’s patio patrons didn’t seem to worry him at all. There were only about a dozen or so people at tables placed at the requisite distance from each other. “The face-masks are the best disguise right now, but if I need the cap when we take them off, I’ll let you know.”

When the hostess approached them, Claire asked for a table close to the breezeway, as it was less populated, and had less foot traffic. Once seated, they were able to remove their masks and chat comfortably. Jamie looked around casually, but all the patrons were minding their own business, and he relaxed visibly. They decided to try the white wines at Columbia, and would focus on reds at La Ville’s tasting room. She noticed that Jamie was very interested in everything about the wines - he asked their server a series of questions - about grape-picking, oaked or unoaked wines, filtering, bottling - his questions revealed a decent knowledge of the wine business, and this was not altogether surprising, given their chat on the stone patio the previous night when he revealed a pending transaction in the wine business. Claire wondered if he was collaborating with a winery to create an exclusive wine for Lallybroch. Jamie seemed keen to find out all he could about the whites, and took a genuine interest in the server’s answers. She, in turn, was only too delighted to share her knowledge with someone who knew something about the business. 

They both ordered paninis and salad for lunch, and their conversation remained light and neutral while they ate. They spoke laughingly about their best and worst vacations, sharing horror stories and highlights. They admitted to their most embarrassing TV show obsessions and what they binge-watched. 

“You do _not_ watch ‘90-Day Fiancee’!” Claire teased him mercilessly.

“Shhhh!” he joked, holding his forefinger up to his lips.

“Full disclosure,” Claire was blushing slightly. “I watched 'Clan Hearts' twice. Back-to-back.” He raised his eyebrow, and fixed her with an intense look.

“What did you like about it so much?” he asked casually.

“I loved seeing the lengths that Hamish went to for Aileen. There were scenes that were so incredibly intense that I found myself barely breathing, wondering how they would possibly survive. He said the most beautifully romantic things to her. And _did_ the most romantic things too. Plus, the leading man was fairly decent-looking.” She looked at him with a teasing smirk.

“Oh he was, was he? I’ve heard he’s a right twat.” Jamie smiled at her, and then focused his gaze a few inches to her left. Their server was approaching the table, and he watched as she came and stood at the required distance away from their table, nervously plucking at her black pants with a restless hand. “Excuse me - I’m so sorry to bother you.”

Claire’s eyes widened at him and he answered with a slight eyebrow raise. 

“Here we go - one of your fans no doubt,” Claire muttered under her breath so that only Jamie heard it. 

They turned to look at the server, their expressions neutral, not wanting to encourage a fan moment in any way.

“Uhhh … aren’t you Dr. Beauchamp from UDub? Fulton Business School?”

Claire looked stunned for a moment. Then she straightened up and bristled, and the color seemed to drain from her face.

“Claire?” Jamie began, but she raised her hand slightly to let him know it was OK.

She turned back to the young server and said, “Yes. Yes, I am. And I would very much -”

“OMG, I knew it! I wanted you to know that I am so grateful to you for the way you handled the whole #PILF thing a few years back. The way you stood up for yourself and for women everywhere - it … it gave all of us a voice. Anyone who has ever been objectified and then tormented for it and roasted on social media. You gave us all the strength and confidence to fight back. My ‘Girl Up‘ group in high school made t-shirts that said “I stand with Doc. B”, and because of you, I am doing my Masters in Women’s Studies when I’m done with my undergrad. So, thank you. Thank you from so many women who drew strength from your experience. Again, I’m so sorry to disturb your lunch. Thank you for listening.” 

She scurried off to attend to another table.

“Are you okay, Claire?” Jamie reached over and took one of her hands between both of his. 

“I’m fine,” she said, still a little shaken. “I was a little startled - it’s been a long time …”

“What was that all about? I’ve never seen ye so agitated.” 

“It’s a long story,” said Claire.

“Claire,” he began sternly. “Ye said that before, and I didn't like it much then either. Please don’t shut me out.” He was still holding her hand, and started to stroke his thumb across the back of her hand, eyes never leaving hers.

“Ok,” she exhaled. “A few years ago, right after I received my doctorate, I ran into three students at my gym. It was a large gym in Bellevue, Galaxy Fitness. Henry had been a member there for years. High-end, but a lot of my students come from wealthy families, so I wasn’t all that surprised to see them at Galaxy. I was working out in proper gym gear, yoga pants and a short-sleeve tee. The students saw fit to take pictures of me working out, and before you know it the pictures were all over campus, and other parts of Seattle, and #PILF was trending.”

“PILF?” Jamie cocked his head quizzically. 

“Uh .. you’ve heard the term MILF?” He nodded. “Well, the P is for Professor.”

“Oh, Claire,” he groaned, and the muscles in his jaw moved. He shook his head. “Christ! How did that all play out?”

“It was excruciating. It hit the mainstream media in Seattle, and was painfully embarrassing for Henry and me. He was Professor Emeritus by then and on the board of directors for a handful of companies. The Business School leadership was furious - it’s one the top business schools on the West Coast, so to have this awfully embarrassing situation where one of the lecturers is plastered all over social media in awkward pictures - they were desperate to shut it all down. Henry and I were called into top-level meetings - he was a valuable member of their faculty and they wanted him involved in trying to find a solution. There were some comments made about putting me on administrative leave for a few weeks until the whole thing blew over. Guess they didn’t want me around campus making things worse. Henry lost his shit - I’ve never seen him so angry. He was incensed that they would immediately put the responsibility on the female, rather than on the young men who created the situation. Henry’s business contacts were huge donors to UDub generally, and Fulton in particular, and even though he never brought that up, UDub knew they had to do some damage control or risk losing donors - especially in the midst of the ‘MeToo’ movement."

She took in a deep steadying breath, and he pressed her hand gently in encouragement.

"They brought in a crisis management team who met with me right away. I told them exactly how I felt, and they used that as the basis for their strategy. Basically, the message was that it was not okay to keep pointing fingers at women for the poor behavioral choices of men. Henry and I did an interview with King 5, our local news station, all orchestrated by the crisis team. There was a huge outpouring of support for me - the ‘I stand with Doc. B’ thing that the server mentioned trended for about a month. UDub suspended all three boys, but they were vilified on social media and quickly transferred out of state. Of course Fulton came out looking golden for ‘handling it so well’. Anyway, it’s all water under the bridge now, and they have treated me with kid gloves ever since. And honestly - I feel good about being a positive role model for young women. I feel awful that I was so rude to the server - I didn’t even thank her for her kind words.” 

“That’s why Henry set up a wee home gym for ye?” 

She nodded, recalling how she had almost blundered while showing him around the house on Monday night. 

Jamie placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, and then turned it over and placed another kiss on her wrist. He inhaled the soft perfume there, and she realized she was holding her breath, and then the moment was broken by the appearance of the awkward server with their bill. Claire smiled warmly at her, and Jamie immediately reached for the folder and settled up swiftly. 

“Ye can leave a wee note for the server here, if ye like.” He turned the invoice over, slid it across to Claire, and in the blank space, she wrote _“Find your voice and never be afraid to use it. Thank you for your kind words today. Doc B.”_

As Jamie enclosed her note in the black folder together with his signed credit card slip, she noticed that he had left the server a $500 tip.

After picking up her club wines, Jamie carried the sturdy box back to the car for her, placing it in the trunk before opening her car door to help her in. It was a short drive to the next winery. La Ville Wineries had just built a beautiful new facility in Woodinville - a multi-story building with a series of tasting rooms and event areas. There was a rooftop patio that would undoubtedly become a fan-favorite when pandemic restrictions were finally lifted. Jamie asked the hostess several questions about the facility and its design. He was interested in the reasoning behind each area. La Ville boasted several intimate tasting rooms for groups ranging from two to twenty and Claire had reserved a two-person room, an elite member privilege. Removing their masks, they sat side-by-side on the small leather sofa. Their wine specialist brought in their glasses and some crackers, along with a printed sheet of tasting notes. She poured a sample into each of their glasses, gave them a run-down on the wine, and then left the room. Jamie scooted closer to Claire so that they could read the tasting notes together. In the small, intimate space, she was keenly aware of Jamie’s sheer size as they sat shoulder to shoulder, his leg pressed against hers, completely and comfortably in her space. She could smell the lingering fresh, slightly spicy aroma of the YSL shower gel she had placed in his bathroom. She smiled slightly at that and inhaled deeply. They swirled and sipped the small wine sample, penciling notes on the sheet in case they wanted to buy a few bottles later.

As their server brought in the next few wine samples, they continued to sip and critique the wines, adding more notes to their tasting sheet. They spent some time chatting about various wine clubs that Claire belonged to, which ones she preferred, and why. Jamie listened attentively and asked pertinent questions, clearly appreciating her perspective as a wine lover and club member. All the while, they worked their way through the wine samples, and Claire was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol as a slight giddiness set in. 

“Jamie, I think I need to scale back on the wine. It’s starting to go to my head and I have to drive home.”

“Dinna fash, Claire. I can drive us home. Or, if necessary, we’ll Uber, but I weigh a lot more than you, so my blood alcohol is well below the limit. I want ye to relax and enjoy the afternoon. It’s been a while since anyone has been able to enjoy an outing, ye ken. And if I can be selfish for a minute, I’m loving this facility and the way they run their club and tasting rooms.” He leaned close to her ear, and said in a low voice “I’m doing some industry research ye ken, scoping out the competition.” His deep, low voice and warm breath in her ear, coupled with the proximity of so much of his body was doing things to her that she really didn’t want to think about too much.

She turned to him laughing, "Aaah - so this is an information-gathering outing! Can I be your research assistant?” 

He picked up his wine glass and turned his body to face her a little more, extending his arm along the back of the sofa behind her. She turned to face him too, tucking one leg under her, her other leg almost touching his. Their thigh contact was broken when they shifted but the connection between them felt more intimate now than it had before. 

“Ye’ve not been interviewed yet for the position of research assistant, Ms. Beauchamp. Can you tell me about yer credentials and experience?”

Emboldened by the effects of the wine, she looked directly into his eyes for a long moment. “Well, I know my way around wines. I can speak intelligently about slowly enjoying a robust red with a long, smooth finish.” 

“And ye like this robust red ... with a long, smooth finish, aye?”

“Yes, I find it perfectly agreeable.”

“Mm-hmm.” That low rumbling sound of his went straight to her core. 

Every. Single. Time. 

“What else can ye tell me about yer wine knowledge?”

“I’m quite partial to wild fermentation. I find I quite enjoy the rougher finish … occasionally.”

“Mm-hmm … continue, please …”

He had started to play with her hair.

“Uh … Mr. Fraser, I’m not sure that’s appropriate behavior for interviewing candidates.”

“It’s part of assessing yer suitability, Ms. Beauchamp. I need to determine whether yer curls might entangle themselves in the vines when we’re out closely inspecting the vineyards. Liability for me, ye ken?” His hand slid under the mass of soft waves and his fingers started to lightly stroke the delicate skin at the back of her neck. She bit her lower lip, and forced herself to ignore the explosion of butterflies. He narrowed his eyes, and his hand drifted deliberately and gently over her shoulder and around her neck, fingers trailing over the soft skin above her collarbone, until the tip of his forefinger rested briefly in the hollow of her throat. His fingertip traced a slow, slow path over her throat, under her jaw, past her chin, and paused in the little hollow just below her mouth. She was startled by the intensity of her response to him. A dull, tingly ache started low in her abdomen, and threatened to move lower if he continued along this tantalizing path. He dropped his eyes to her lips, and murmured something softly in Gaelic. His thumb moved over her mouth, gently prying her lower lip from between her teeth. He stroked her lower lip, taking in its soft fullness. Time seemed to slow to a halt in the room, and Claire was only vaguely aware of the noises outside their tasting room. The odd wine glass chink, light laughter, heels clicking on the wood floors. Slowly the noises faded out, until she could only hear herself breathing. She felt her reaction to his caresses in the warmth between her thighs, and wondered fleetingly if he had any idea how much she wanted him to kiss her at that moment. The tip of his thumb moved gently across the inner edge of her top lip, lightly brushing over her teeth. Inhibitions cast aside, she closed her lips around his thumb and allowed her tongue to tentatively touch its tip. She grazed him gently with her teeth, eyes fixed on his.

“Claire,” he breathed. Slowly … so, so slowly, he moved towards her, his lips coming within inches of hers, searching her eyes for any hesitation. His warm, wine-scented breath mingled with hers, and they moved towards each other, inexorably, unstoppably …

“Oh! Excuse me. Uh, Dr. Beauchamp, we have an invitation for you.” Their server entered and stood at the table, blushing awkwardly. Claire and Jamie moved apart quickly and turned to face her. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Claire asked brightly, with an overly friendly smile. 

“We’re releasing some limited edition wines, and there’s a series of small quarantine-friendly launch parties next week. Here are the details - just call us if you’re interested in attending one.”

“Thank you, I will.” Claire took the proffered invitation. “Uhhh ... I think we’re all done here,” she glanced at Jamie who nodded in agreement. “Can I collect my club wines downstairs on the way out?”

After loading the box of La Ville wines in the trunk, Jamie opened the passenger door, helped Claire in, and then settled into the driver seat. He adjusted the seat for his height, and Claire showed him how to save his seat preferences on the car’s touchscreen. He noticed that there were two other driver-seat profiles - Henry and Claire. It was a sobering reminder to Jamie that she wasn’t his to take. She had been through too much loss and pain in her life, and for him to impose his lifestyle and the havoc it might wreak on her world was unthinkable - especially in light of what she had shared over lunch - the awful situation with Fulton. The near-kiss in the tasting room was a mistake, and he needed to control himself a lot better. 

_Ye’re making it difficult for me, Sassenach. But oh, God, being that close to ye was heaven. You biting yer wee lip and teasing me with yer sexy wine talk. I ken ye felt it too, but we’re both going to have to back down. Friends and neighbors. For now._

They drove in silence for a few miles, Jamie getting used to the slightly different way the Performance Tesla handled. Once he got the hang of it, he relaxed into it and asked Claire if she would find a good playlist. He thought that some music might provide a welcome distraction from the slight awkwardness that hung between them after the tasting room. He hoped she wasn’t offended or embarrassed by it - they had both been so caught up in the moment. But she was the first to dispel the awkwardness in the car.

“That was a fun outing - disappointed that I didn't get the job as your research assistant, though.” She was tapping on the touchscreen, looking for music.

“I might have to bring ye back for a second interview.”

_Jesus, Fraser, you didn't even last five minutes before getting right back to the flirting. Ye’re a feckin’ numpty!_

“I’m on an 80s music kick right now. Is that OK?”

“Aye, I love some of those oldies too.

“This is one of my favorites.” The instantly recognizable first bars of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ had both of them responding to the music right away.

“Crank that up, Sassenach, and sing with me.”

Claire notched the volume up, and they commenced their loud and methodical butchering of the song.

_🎶 Just a small town girl_

_Livin’ in a lonely world_

_She took the midnight train going’ anywhere_

_Just a city boy_

_Born and raised in South Detroit_

Jamie reached across and pressed pause.

“Do Americans pronounce it Detroit, or Detroi?” he asked.

“Detroit. Hard ‘t’.”

“Then why didn’t Journey come up with a city that rhymes with 'boy?’

“I don’t know. Just sing, you ridiculous human being.”

Unpause.

_A singer in a smoky room_

_The smell of wine and cheap perfume_

Pause.

“He should have been in our tasting room. No cheap perfume in there. My Sassenach is a classy gal.”

Unpause. 

_For a smile they can share the night_

_It goes on and on and on and on_

She hadn’t quite recovered from “my Sassenach”, and missed a few beats, but recovered quickly. They went outrageously loud in the chorus.

_Strangers waitin’_

_Up and down the boulevard_

Pause.

“Where do you think this boulevard is, Sassenach? What city?”

“Uhhhh - I’m going to guess Broadway, New York. You? 

“Las Vegas.”

Unpause. 

_Their shadows searchin’ in the ni-i-ight_

_Streetlights, people_

_Livin’ just to find emotion_

_Hidin’ somewhere in the night_

_Workin' hard to get my fill_

_Everybody wants a thrill_

_Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time._

Pause.

“See, I told ye. It’s Vegas. They’re rolling dice and gambling.”

Unpause.

_Some will win, some will lose_

_Some were born to sing the blue_

_Oh, the movie never ends_

_It goes on and on, and on, and on_

Pause.

“Wait a minute. Can I change my answer - he’s singing about a never ending movie. It’s got to be Hollywood Boulevard.”

“You cannot change your answer. Too late. And if you pause again, I’ll thump you. Now sing, you bloody Scot!”

Unpause.

_Strangers waiting_

_Up and down the boulevard_

_Their shadows searching_

_In the ni-i-ight_

_Streetlights people_

_Livin' just to find emotion_

_Hidin' somewhere in the night_

_Don't stop believin'_

_Hold on to that feelin'_

_Streetlights, people ...._

“Ye went badly off key - completely ruined the song,” he teased.

“I ruined the song? _I_ ruined the song? You kept pausing it, threw off the rhythm completely.”

“Good thing I’m not a singer of ‘old people music’ then, aye?”

“Oh boy! You did warn me you were going to milk it.” She shook her head ruefully - he now had a wealth of Ella and Beth quotes to torment her with.

“Claire, can I ask ye something?” He sounded serious, so she turned the volume down.

“Of course.”

“When ye FaceTime the girls tonight … would it be alright if I said hi? I know they were messing around a bit this morning, and it was a good laugh. But deep down they are concerned for ye, because they love ye so very much. I want to reassure them that I am a decent guy. Anytime you mention ‘actor’, people get a stereotype in their mind right away. I don’t want them to have that in their thoughts. I’m not like that at all, Claire, as ye know, and if we’re to be neighbors, I want them to know that. I want them to know that while I’m in their home, their Mam is safe and I will be respectful and honorable.”

Claire swallowed hard. He was so incredibly thoughtful and genuine and kind and considerate. So different from any man she had met. “I think that would be lovely, Jamie. Thank you for even thinking of that.”

“Aye, of course! Let me know when we’re close to a grocery store - we’re picking up drinks for the meetings, remember?”

“Actually, we’re not far off now. We’re almost in Redmond - home of Microsoft, so the traffic may get somewhat heavier now. There’s a great curry restaurant there - you up for take-out tonight?”

A half hour later, Jamie was negotiating the hairpin bends on the way back to Claire’s home. The trunk was full of wine, beer, a range of spirits and mixers, and a selection of his favorite whisky.

“That curry smells so good! I’m starving all of a sudden,” Claire groaned. “Let’s eat right away, and we can FaceTime after that.”

  
  



	13. Chapter 13

* * *

“You were right - that is really good naan and biryani! And yer mango lassi too - I’m sorry I downed so much of it.” He smiled sheepishly. “I’ll help ye clear up.”

They had arrived home two hours earlier and unloaded the trunk, putting away all the drinks so they’d have the rest of the evening free to enjoy dinner and the FaceTime session with the girls. It was a perfect Seattle summer day, and they ate on the patio, pairing their meal with one of the club wines from La Ville. They chatted comfortably about inconsequential things - moments from their childhood and schooling, favorite ice-cream flavor, whether they preferred Mission Impossible or The Bourne series - little nuggets of information that filled in blanks here and there as they learned more and more about each other.

They cleared up quickly, leaving their wine glasses and remaining wine on the patio table.

“Are you ready to FaceTime?”

He hesitated. “Ehm - okay. Aye - I think so. Wait! Let me wash my hands.” 

He seemed uncertain all of a sudden, almost reluctant, and Claire wondered if he regretted asking to meet the girls. Maybe he had been a teeny bit buzzed on wine when he suggested it, and now it didn't seem like such a good idea. 

“Jamie, if you would prefer to do it another time -”

“No! No, Claire - I want to do it. To be honest, I’m just a wee bit nervous.”

Her eyes widened. “Nervous! Why?” She was quite taken aback. Jamie Fraser, heartthrob and celebrity, who appeared before hundreds and even thousands of strangers at panel interviews, meet 'n greets, and awards ceremonies, was nervous of meeting two teenagers? Over a video call?

“I don’t know! I guess I really want them to like me. And for them to know that their Mam is safe with me here.”

“Jamie,” she said softly, “they  _ will _ like you. Just relax and be yourself. I’ll be right here. Let me start the chat and I’ll let them know they’ll be meeting you. Then you can come and say hi. If anything gets uncomfortable or awkward, nudge my foot and I’ll find a way for you to ease out.” Jamie nodded, his face serious and thoughtful.

Claire sat at the end of the kitchen island and tapped the FaceTime icon. As soon as the girls appeared on the screen, they were brimming with excitement and blew her an avalanche of kisses. The kisses quickly morphed into heart hands, with the girls wanting to show Claire that they were wearing their new rings. She returned their kisses and heart hands enthusiastically, while Jamie watched from across the island, a slight smile on his face. 

“How was your day? Tell me everything.”

“Frankie and Lily baked us cupcakes,” started Beth.

“They were pretty good, but way too much frosting,” Ella whispered the last part conspiratorially.

“Dad said we could have anything for dinner, so we got Chipotle.”

“Sounds yummy,” said Claire, smiling - she knew how much they enjoyed their burrito bowls.

“Dad gave us tickets to Khalid for his November show in Seattle. I hope we’re not still quarantining,” Ella grumbled.

“Well that all sounds great. Seems like you had a fun day, and that makes me so happy. Girls, I wanted to -”

“Mom, how come you’re wearing that dress? And your hair looks so pretty. Where have you been?” Oh, Beth!

“Uh, I went to Woodinville for lunch and to pick up some club wines.”

“Wait - wearing that dress? Whenever we suggest that you wear it, you say it’s too sexy for the occasion. What was the occasion today?” asked Ella.

Claire pressed her lips together and shook her head in disbelief that this was happening again. 

“Mom!” Beth was whisper-shouting dramatically. “Did the actor VIP go with you to Woodinville?”

“Well, yes, but -”

“Oh my God!” the girls said in unison, and then stared at each other wide-eyed.

Claire slid a look at Jamie. He was leaning up against the counter, arms folded across his chest, shoulders shaking in a silent laugh. She subtly gave him the stink-eye and looked back at the girls, who were still freaking out. 

“Ashlee’s Dad will legit die. Was it a date, date?” Ella asked. 

“No! He very kindly came along, and he came to, uh, you know, enjoy the wine, and we went to Woodinville, and went to ... uh ... taste wine, and we went there to pick up wine.” 

She was messing this up badly. 

Taking a deep breath, she tried again. “Girls, I want you to say hi to him. Is that okay? You don't have to have a long chat or anything, but I know you were worried about me here with a relative stranger. He is really a nice man, and I want you to see that. He wants to meet you too. It’s still confidential, though. You can’t share this with anyone, okay?” She looked at them sternly.

“Of course, Mom,” they replied in stereo, equally serious. “Pinky swear.”

“Okay.” She looked at Jamie, nodding encouragingly.

He exhaled through pursed lips and walked over to perch on the stool next to Claire. He was now in the girls’ line of vision. Breaking into a wide smile, and looking quite adorable in his nervousness, he waved at the girls as they waved back at him. 

“Hi girls. I’m Jamie Fraser. Happy 16th birthday! It’s good to meet you - yer Mam has spoken so much about you, so I feel like I know you a little bit.”

The girls gasped with their hands over their mouths, eyes wide as they looked at each other in shock. 

“OMG, Jamie Fraser is going to be our neighbor!”

“He has a real accent!” Still talking directly to each other.

“Girls!” Claire began, but Jamie carefully moved his hand onto her knee under the counter and gave it a little squeeze, letting her know it was okay. 

“Sorry! I’m Ella, and this is Beth. Welcome to the neighborhood - or almost.”

“Thank you! I promise to be a good neighbor - no crazy parties." he said to the girls. “But I will need a favor." The girls nodded energetically. “Yer Mam tells me you’re both great athletes. I’m going to need one or both of you to help me with some basketball skills. I tried out yer court yesterday morning, and it took me about four minutes before I finally netted one.”

“For real?” Ella asked. Jamie nodded. “Even Mom can do it in less time than that.”

“Did you just roast me? And yer Mam?” He asked playfully. 

Both girls giggled and Ella said “Yah, we did.  _ Roasted _ !” 

“How long are you staying at our house?” asked Beth.

“About another week and a half. I have a lot of meetings and things to work on while I’m here, so it’ll be a busy time.”

“It’s awesome that Mom has someone in the house with her. We knew she would be lonely without us, and harder with the quarantine restrictions,” Beth continued.

“Will we meet you in person when we get back?” 

Claire answered. “No, Ella, Mr. Fraser will be gone by the time you get back. You miss him by two days.”

“That’s right,” Jamie corroborated. “I need to be in L.A. that week. But if things go well with the offer to purchase the property next door, I’ll be back quite soon.”

“Will you be working on a movie when you’re in L.A.?” asked Ella.

“In a way, yes. I’ll be doing some voice work for a movie that’s in post-production. We needed to add some dialogue lines, and tidy up some other things.”

“That sounds so cool! Did you take acting classes at school?” asked Beth.

“Aye, I went to a performing arts school, so a lot of my classes prepared me for my career.”

“I might do a drama elective next school year,” said Ella. “Beth and I were both in the spring musical, and loved it. It would be fun to do it all year.”

“Well, I can tell you that taking drama classes really helps with yer confidence, thinking on yer feet, decision-making, collaboration, and critical thinking. It’s a lot more involved than people might think.” 

“You might both want to consider a drama elective,” suggested Claire. “Those are all valuable life-skills that Mr Fraser just listed. Okay girls, you can chat again another time. Have a great night, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Happy birthday again! And I love you so much!” She blew them the customary avalanche of kisses.

“Love you too mom,” they said in stereo again.

“Bye Mr. Fraser,” they smiled, waving.

“Goodnight girls. It was lovely meeting you.”

She and Jamie looked at each other, smiling broadly.

“I thought that went well. What did ye think, Claire?”

Claire’s smile wavered, and she felt suddenly and inexplicably emotional. She bit her lower lip to try and regain control, but her chin wobbled a little, and she quickly got up and went over to the sink, apparently overcome by a sudden need to wash her hands. But Jamie had seen her chin tremble, and he suspected that the emotion of not being with her girls on their milestone birthday had finally caught up with her. He got up, walked over to the sink and gently wrapped his arms around her from behind. He nuzzled his face in her soft hair and inhaled the fragrance of her shampoo. Slowly, she turned around so that she was facing him. Burying her face in his shirt, she wrapped her arms around him and let the tears flow. He held her, his face buried in her hair, and allowed her warm tears to seep through his shirt to the skin beneath. He stroked her hair gently, over and over again, and spoke some soothing words in Gaelic. Eventually she sniffled and sighed, and he reached for some paper towels and gently wiped her tears with one, and gave her another so she could wipe her nose. 

“I’m sorry," she whispered.

“Don’t be sorry. I ken why ye’re crying, and there’s no need to be sorry.”

“That’s two evenings in a row you’ve held me like this and comforted me. Sorry about your shirt.”

“Shhhh. Both evenings have called for a little extra … something. I’m glad you found me to be a comfort.”

“Thank you, Jamie. And to answer your earlier question, yes, I think it went very well with the girls. They like you - you connected on their level, and they appreciated that. I must look a mess. Let’s change into something comfy and head outside for sun-downers. Or did you have something else planned?”

“There’s nothing I’d rather do tonight than hang out on the patio with ye.” 

“You are quite the charmer tonight, Mr. Fraser. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve changed.”

“Do you need any help getting out of yer 'sexy dress'?” He waggled his brows teasingly.

“I think I’ll manage, but thanks for the offer.” 

_ Bloody Scot! _

Claire splashed her face with cool water and lightly repaired the damage caused by her tears. Her mind drifted to the near-kiss, and she berated herself for coming so close. She still wasn’t sure of Jamie’s relationship status, but assuming he was indeed involved with someone, she would never have forgiven herself if they had kissed. Their level of intimacy in the tasting room was unacceptable for someone in a committed relationship. She tried to avoid judging, but it worried her that Jamie insisted he was not the typical Hollywood celebrity, yet his behavior fit the stereotype of the celebrity womanizer. Messing around with someone else's man was something she would  _ not _ be a part of. She had been scarred by Frank’s infidelities, and thinking of Jamie doing anything approaching that was troubling. 

_But you know none of that aligns with what you've learned about him in the past couple of days. This man who takes your hand when you're stressed, holds you when you need to_ _cry, generously tips a server who made your day, wants to reassure the girls that he's one of the good guys, opens doors for you, teases you, and makes you laugh._

She was so confused and torn. Shaking her head to chase out her tangled thoughts, she pulled on black yoga pants and a lightweight long-sleeved white tee, and headed back downstairs. Jamie had changed into black sweats and a grey tee, and was on the patio, grabbing their glasses and half-full bottle of wine left over from dinner.

“Do you want to sit on a different patio tonight? Similar view, with more of this eastern part.” 

“Sure. I don’t think you have a bad view anywhere on yer property, so I’m happy to sit wherever ye like.”

She led him to the end of the upper terrace, where a set of shallow steps curved away from the outdoor living area, around the corner of the house, and opened onto a small wooden deck, recessed into a small alcove directly beneath the master bedroom. It enjoyed a similar view, overlooking Jamie’s property and the Cascades beyond that. Recessed into the ceiling above the deck were outdoor heaters for cooler nights, Bluetooth enabled speakers, and soft lighting. Two roomy wicker recliners with soft cushions were placed side by side on the deck, a small weathered teak table in front of them.

They placed the glasses and wine on the table and settled into the recliners. While Jamie tested the recliner settings, Claire connected the Jazz playlist on her phone to the ceiling speakers, and turned the volume down low. After Jamie’s ridiculously detailed analysis of ‘Don’t Stop Believin’, she realized how deeply attuned he was to song lyrics, so she deliberately selected an instrumental playlist that would allow them to talk without distraction. Jamie was still messing with the recliner settings, making her giggle.

“It flattens out quite nicely. I’ve fallen asleep here many a time.” 

She set hers so that it reclined just a little. Jamie matched her angle, and then reached for their wine glasses and handed Claire hers. 

“What a day, Sassenach! I feel like it was jam-packed.”

“It was! Lots of good laughs and crazy moments. Starting with my girls on FaceTime. I must remember to thank them for giving you so much good material to torment me with,” she said dryly. “And then the server incident - thank you for tipping her, Jamie. That was so kind of you.” He grunted one of his generic grunts. “And great wine tasting all around. One little weep at the end of the day. Thank you, you were there for me through all of it. Tomorrow will be busy for you. Can I do anything to help you prepare?”

“I don't think so. Milo will pick me up for the chopper ride at 10:30. Then we’ll come back for the meeting. It should all be over by 5:00 p.m. And then you and I can have some patio or hot tub time.” He smiled gently, almost melting her.

She couldn't help noticing how he just accepted that they had started to settle into a routine of sorts. This would be the third consecutive night of chatting from dusk until nightfall. And it sounded like Jamie wanted to continue the pattern into the next evening too. 

“Claire, do you have any plans for Saturday night?”

“Why? Are you asking me on a date?” she teased.

“Yes, actually.” He was completely serious and looked at her expectantly.

She was shocked. “Uhhhh … you’ll need to give me more info …”

“The Caledonian Society has its annual gala dinner on Saturday."

“Ah yes, I'm familiar with the Caledonian Society. They host some great events.” 

The Caledonian was the largest Scottish organization in the Seattle area, geared at promoting and supporting Scottish culture and heritage. Their events were always lively affairs, with lots of whisky, bagpipes, and rich Scottish accents everywhere. She and Henry had been invited to a few fund-raisers, and if anyone knew how to party, it was the Scots.

“Hmmh, well, for whatever reason, they saw fit to invite me as guest of honor this year. It’s usually around 250 people, but they have limited it to 75 this year, as required by the state for Phase 2 of quarantining, and they will observe all the guidelines for social distancing. Large round tables with three couples per table. They're screening for fever at the door, and there will be masks and sanitizer readily available all night. My PR team texted me all that information earlier. If ye’re not comfortable with those arrangements, I completely understand.”

“I’m okay with those arrangements. But I have to ask you, Jamie … Oh, God, this is so awkward.”

“What is it, Claire? I think after the way we have opened up to each other over the past two days, you shouldn't be reluctant to ask me anything.”

“I know, but I noticed some omissions when you shared your story with me last night. So I’ve been wondering … and now you ask me to a formal event, and I … uh…”

“Out with it, Claire. The best way is to ask straight out.” 

She took a deep breath.

“Are you in a relationship with someone?” 


	14. Chapter 14

* * *

Jamie stared at her, wide-eyed.

“You didn’t mention your love life at all when you shared your story last night, and I’m wondering if you are protecting a relationship that is very special to you, and that’s why you are not willing to open up about it. And of course if you are in a relationship with someone, that is wonderful, and I would be very happy for you. Because you deserve to be happy. But I would feel uncomfortable accompanying you to the Caledonian event if there was a girlfriend out there - in spite of the fact that I would be there as a platonic plus-one, it would feel wrong.” Her words tumbled out, and she didn't know if she had made sense at all.

“Claire, you think I have a secret relationship back in Scotland?” He looked quite distressed.

“Or L.A., or anywhere really,” she shrugged.

He shook his head in disbelief. “No, absolutely not. In fact, I am on a strict six-month relationship hiatus, imposed by my sister Jenny. Actually, it’s a sex and relationship hiatus.”

“What? Why?”

“The way the industry affects peoples’ lives is very insidious, Claire. It messes with yer head. I’d had it up to here,” he held his hand at chin level, “and so had Jenny. I told you that no-one says no to her. She’s very protective of me. Told me I needed to take a six-month break from dating and relationships and sex, and figure out what I want to do with my life.”

“Okaaaay.” She nodded slowly, contemplating his explanation. "How’s that been going for you?”

“It was going fine until Monday.” He looked at her with an inscrutable expression in his eyes.

She didn't even want to unpack that comment just yet. There was so much in the little that he  _ had _ told her that needed explaining. 

“Claire, ye need to know this about the Frasers: we may have little secrets here and there, but we value honesty above all else. If you ask me something, I will answer honestly. And I ask the same of you. You may have things and wee secrets ye want to keep to yourself, and that’s okay. But if we’re to be … ehm … neighbors and friends … I ask that we’re always honest with each other.”

__ __ _ Neighbors and friends. _

“Agreed. You have my word on that.” 

“I just told you a secret and a truth. My secret is the 6-month hiatus and my truth is that I am not seeing anyone.”

Claire nodded slowly and thoughtfully again.

“Can you tell me more about how the industry and studios messed with your head? What happened in your relationships?” She paused momentarily. “If it’s too painful, I understand.“ She bit on her lower lip.

“Aye, Claire, I’ll tell ye everything. But first …” he leaned over and, just as he had done in the tasting room, gently pulled her lower lip from between her teeth with his thumb. “Did you know you do this when you’re stressed or upset? I’ve known ye two days, and have already seen ye do it too often. And I canna lie ... I find it a wee bit ... distracting."

__ __ _ And by 'distracting' ye mean ye find it sexy as fuck! Guess ye'll classify that as a secret, Fraser. _

He brushed his thumb over her lip again, and then moved his hand down to capture her fingers, interlacing them with his own, and bringing their joined hands to rest where the two recliners met. 

“My first big break in the entertainment industry was the role of Hamish in 'Clan Hearts'. I was cast when I was 27, and I don't think anyone expected it to become the success it became. Honestly, I would have been happy if it just made it through the first season. But when it was renewed for three more seasons, I was ecstatic. The crux of the show is the romance of course, so the fan base was largely female, and the studio’s hope was that viewers would fall in love with the hero and keep coming back for more. The show has aired in over 60 countries now, and the ad revenue and accolades and royalties are still rolling in. It was a cash cow for Stargate Productions, and they protected it at all costs. All of us had to sign non-frat contracts to prevent actors from forming relationships with each other and potentially causing conflicts or chemistry issues among the cast and crew. I started dating Natalie Berry halfway through the first season. She was not on 'Clan Hearts' - or any other Stargate production.”

“I remember you dating her,” Claire said. She remembered them breaking up too - it had been all over social and mainstream media. 

“We dated for over a year, and I thought she might be ‘the one’. We both thought it was a forever thing.”

“What happened?”

“In a lot of shows with a strong romantic character as lead, parts of the fan base inevitably conflate the character with the actor who plays him. So fans who had fallen in love with Hamish thought they were in love with me too. God, it’s so embarrassing to even talk about this. Do I sound like a prat?” 

“No, of course not!” She squeezed his hand gently, and he responded by absently circling his thumb slowly in the palm of her hand.

“Fans created Instagram and Twitter accounts in my name and posted pictures and videos that I had nothing to do with. Many made lewd and obscene suggestions - publicly, on social media. Hundreds of women private-messaged me photos of themselves in all stages of undress, and doing things I can’t even describe. Then they started to target Natalie. She received threats and ugly photos of awful, unpleasant things. People posted hurtful, insulting comments about her on social media. Ye’ve had a wee taste of that too, Claire, and I’m sure ye can imagine what it’s like to have it happen constantly. 24/7 all year round.”

“Jamie, I had no idea it could be this bad.”

“It got so bad, that she was followed and taunted and insulted out in public too. Her car tires were slashed. One social media threat was really frightening - we had to involve the authorities - and it pushed her over the edge. She started drinking and became addicted to prescription drugs. It completely changed her and messed her up. Of course our relationship couldn't withstand that kind of onslaught, and she ended it. That messed me up. I felt that it was my fault, that I should have done more to protect her. I went home to Lallybroch for a while. Knew that Jenny would know what to do. I didn’t do drugs, but there were times that I was reckless. I was binge drinking every few nights over a period of a few weeks. I was miserable and hungover and it was awful. Jenny threatened to kick me out and told me she would not allow me to see the kids until I cleaned up my act. That was a turning point. I love my niece and nephews so much, and the thought of her keeping them from me completely broke me. I stopped binge drinking that night and sought counseling.”

He paused again, and stared at the mountains for a while.

“What ended up happening with Natalie?” Claire asked tentatively, realizing that after the well-publicized relationship and break-up with Jamie, she hadn't been covered in the media much - if at all. 

“Her family sent her to rehab in Switzerland. Took her six months of rehab and therapy, but she finally healed. She withdrew from the entertainment industry completely. She’s married now, with two little ones. They live in Africa - Malawi to be exact. She and her husband run an animal sanctuary for zoo and circus animals.”

“Ohhh, I’m so happy to hear that things worked out for her.” Claire felt genuine relief that Natalie’s story had ended well. A different ending would likely have destroyed Jamie too.

“How did things progress for you after Natalie?”

“After Natalie, I didn’t want to date for a while. It was hard enough to deal with the crap on my social media, and I didn’t want to subject anyone else to it. After a year of not dating, questions arose about why I was never photographed with women. Some rumors started surfacing that I was gay, and honestly it didn’t bother me in the least, but it messed with the image that Stargate Productions wanted me to project. They wanted me to retain their female viewership, so to kill the gay rumors, ‘the parade’ began - Jenny’s term, by the way. It was a constant stream of red carpet appearances with a whole slew of rising young stars and wannabe actresses. Any movie premier or awards show they could snag tickets to, I was off in a tux with a complete stranger. We turned on the dazzling smiles, arms around each other or hands clasped, and then as soon as we were in the auditorium, we would be on our phones or otherwise occupied. I hated it! It was awkward and uncomfortable.” He paused here, released her hand and stretched his arms and neck to release some of the pent-up tension. 

“How about a top-up?” suggested Claire, “I need a drink just imagining all of this insanity.” Jamie poured a little of the wine into each glass and immediately reached for her hand again, kissing her wrist softly before continuing. 

“This has been the story of my love-life, Claire. It’s all lived out on social media and ET and TMZ, and I don’t even know most of the women involved. When the studio decides it’s time to make Jamie Fraser look like a player or a heartthrob or a bad boy, I’ll have to do photo-ops or pap walks at some pre-arranged destination - Starbucks, a trendy restaurant, a park - and all the red carpet events, of course. Then the social media crap starts almost immediately, and that’s the part that messes with my head. It takes so much time and energy to deal with it - meetings and calls with the PR company as they try to spin things and respond for me on social media. I’m tired of being linked with women that I would never date in real life, ye ken. I’m tired of spending time dealing with this crap when I should be enjoying better things in life. When I look at Jenny and Ian and the kids …” He frowned deeply for a moment. 

Claire nodded, and he continued.

“More honesty here Claire, okay?” She nodded. “I haven't exactly been a monk. There has been the occasional quick fling. I’m only human, ye ken. That need for a physical connection can be overwhelming at times. I also had two relationships in the past couple of years. One with an actress in L.A., and the other with a tech executive from London. I’m only telling you this, Claire, to be completely open and transparent, aye?”

She nodded again, and gave him an encouraging smile. 

“Both were short-lived, and largely due to the craziness that follows me on social media. Both women were targeted on social media, and neither wanted to deal with that. It has improved a lot since the end of 'Clan Hearts', but picks up again for a few months after I release a movie. It is so hard to maintain a genuine relationship for any length of time. Some can do it successfully. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Hugh Jackman, Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep. They all seem to do well. Matt Damon married outside the industry, and that has worked well for him. I don’t know how they’ve done it, actually, but it is a rarity. The entertainment industry is littered with broken marriages, broken hearts, broken souls. I looked around me and saw what it was doing to others in the industry too. It's pretty pervasive. Jenny saw what it was doing to me, and she said “No more.” She feels that it's robbed me of my happiness; she doesn't see me smile much anymore, and I don't seem fulfilled. She's probably right. I told her that for some time now, I’ve been thinking that it’s time for me to change paths. Initially she wanted me to just quit and join the family business. But I told her I wanted to withdraw a bit more gradually. I have a tentative 5-year plan for that, because I think it will draw less attention if it’s a carefully paced thing. Jenny asked me to promise I'd speak to the studios about no arranged dates for events or photo ops, just for 6 months so that I could have space to breathe and think and sort out my priorities without social media interference. I pushed the mental health and they agreed to 6 months - no forced dating, no studio-arranged dates. Jenny was ecstatic. So was I, actually.”

“Has it helped?” asked Claire. 

“In some ways, yes. Instead of worrying about what’s happening on my social media, and spending hours dealing with PR people because of it, I've had time to really look for investment opportunities and develop other areas of my life so that I can focus on life after I leave the industry. I was in Seattle just over a year ago filming a movie, and that’s when I fell in love with the Eastside. It reminds me so much of home. A few months after filming ended, I came back to spend 6 weeks looking around a little more. I knew I wanted to have a base here, rather than L.A., while I work myself out of the industry. Milo and Suki were introduced to me as top realtors, and after we met, they seemed to know exactly what I wanted. Milo made quiet inquiries about this land. He had to be careful because he didn’t want to attract the attention of property developers who would want to put in a whole neighborhood. He spent a few months schmoozing the current owners, and in February he told me it was looking good, and now ... here we are. Milo was also the one who approached me about the wine business. He became aware of it through one of his college friends. Seems these fraternities aren’t just about getting drunk and partying, as all the movies seem to indicate.” He smiled cheekily, and turned serious again. “I hope that after tomorrow’s meeting, I can tell you more about the wine thing. We're very close to finalizing it.”

She nodded. “So what are you looking for, Jamie. What happens when the hiatus ends? The studios will have lined up a new parade, right?”

“That’s what Monday’s meeting will be about - but they don’t know it yet. I expect fireworks from Dougal. Between you and me, Claire, my agent is bringing scripts and initial paperwork for roles in DC Comics and James Bond. There’s the potential for a Superman deal, and a three-picture deal as 007.”

“What! Wow! Congratulations, Jamie!” Claire was genuinely impressed and understood the impact of those roles on his career. Every decent actor on the planet had been campaigning for the James Bond contract.

“Thank you, but see, that’s the thing. I’m not that excited about it right now. The James Bond thing is something I chased after for a long time. But my hiatus has shown me a calmer, more peaceful, more  _ important _ side of life that I didn't even realize I missed until now. Jenny knew it though.”

He paused and looked out over the trees, a slight frown creasing his brow. Claire had come to recognize this as his ‘thinking face’.

“How far into the hiatus are you?”

“Just over five months.”

“You have some more time to think about it then, Jamie. In a few weeks' time, you might find that you’re refreshed and renewed and ready to get back into it all. Or you might find that you’re ready to plan your five-year exit strategy from the industry. I think your biggest ally in this will be Jenny. She wants the best for you, Jamie. No hidden agenda. You may not agree entirely on the approach or timeline, but I sense she will always protect your heart - and your soul.” 

They were both silent for a while, the only sound was the soft strains of the jazz track from the overhead speakers. 

“I canna believe ye thought I had a hidden relationship,” he chuckled, and then went very serious, as if suddenly reminded of something very important. “Wait a minute, ye thought I was involved with a woman even after what happened ... even after that moment in the tasting room?” 

She flushed at the memory of that, and grimaced. “I know, I didn’t know what to think, really.”

“Claire, ye should know that if I was in a relationship, I wouldna be sneaking around doing things like that. I wouldna be having these moments with ye, I wouldna be saying naughty wee things to ye, and holding yer hand.” He looked at her earnestly.

“I know, Jamie. I don’t know what’s come over me. I’m not usually so ... uh… forward. And yes, it shames me to think that even though I thought you might be in a relationship, I didn’t try to stop you in the tasting room.”

He gazed at their joined hands on the wicker chair for a while, deep in thought. 

“Thank you for letting me share all of that with ye, Claire,” he said eventually. ”And for sharing your story with me too. It’s emotionally draining, aye?”

“Yes it is. I haven’t opened up about my life to anyone in a very long time, and certainly not in so much detail. Thank you for letting me do that.”

He looked into the distance. The peaks of the Cascades were shrouded in the last rays of sun, and it would be dark soon. 

“D’ye think this is usual, Claire? To get so emotionally close to someone so soon after meeting. To feel like ye can tell them anything and know that they will keep it in their heart. To be able to bare yer soul and know that they will take yer story and cherish it and keep it in their own soul for ye. Is this usual - what’s going on between us?”

She could barely breathe as she considered the impact of his words. The raw honesty and trust in opening himself up to her like that. And she with him.

“It’s not usual, Jamie. I have never known this immediate emotional connection before either. It’s not usual at all. It’s unique … and incredibly special.”

He raised her hand to his mouth and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her wrist. And another on the back of her hand. They sat in silence as the night darkened around them, the soothing sounds of the music enveloping them.

“I never gave you my answer, Jamie, about the Caledonian event. Yes. Yes of course I’ll go with you.”

A slow smile spread across his features. “It’ll be a braw night, Sassenach. C’mon, it’s almost dark now. Let’s head inside. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”


	15. Chapter 15

* * *

Claire awoke earlier than usual. From her bed she could see bands of mist still threading through the trees in the soft dawn light. The sky was starting to pink up a little, and she so wished that Jamie was up to enjoy the sunrise. 

She had fallen asleep by 10:30 the previous night. The emotional toll of so much soul-baring over the previous three nights had caught up with her, and she needed a good, restful sleep. 

It was getting close to 5:00 a.m. now, and the sun would start peeking from behind the mountains in a few minutes. She had time to run downstairs, make a latte and grab a blanket so she could watch the sunrise from the sofa on the middle terrace.

As she frothed the milk, she hoped that the sounds from the noisy steam nozzle wouldn't carry upstairs and disturb Jamie’s sleep. 

A rustling from the family room made her turn. The panel swung open and Jamie emerged from a workout, smiling instantly when he saw her. He was toweling his hair, and had clearly worked up a sweat. He was shirtless, and she took in his muscular arms, shoulders and pecs, all covered in a faint damp sheen. She didn’t dare look at his well-defined abs, having noticed from across the room that his gym shorts were slung low on his hips. There was no way she could trust herself not to let her eyes follow his V-line to parts of his body that she really shouldn’t be imagining right now. Her butterflies were apparently awake and enjoying similar thoughts.

“Sassenach! You're a sight for sore eyes. And sore muscles. You’re up early, did ye not sleep well?”

”I could ask you the same question,” she replied cheerfully. 

“I slept verra well, actually. But my body clock is still a wee bit off from the jet-lag. I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and decided to get an early workout in.”

“I’m really glad you’re up. You’re just in time to grab a latte and watch the sunrise with me.”

“Och, Claire. I'm a sweaty mess. I’ll have to grab a shower first.” 

“No time. Sunrise is at 5:11. and it’s 4:55 now.” 

_And by the way, I used to fantasize about your sweat all over my body, so, yeah, I’m OK with sweaty._

“Watch me!” And with that, he raced up the stairs. While he was in the shower, Claire made his latte. He was downstairs in fresh workout gear by 5:04.

“Did you take a cold shower? That was really fast!” 

“Aye, it was quite refreshing. I’ve only done weights so far, still heading out for a run. I’ll take a warm shower after that. Thanks for my latte.” He followed her out into the cool morning. 

The first time they had sat on the middle terrace, Milo, Jamie and Claire had each opted for their own sofa, clustered around the coffee table, chatting and making small talk. So much had changed in three short days. Now Claire was selecting the sofa that would afford them the best view of the sunrise, patting the cushion to her left, indicating where Jamie should sit for the best view.

Placing her mug on the table, she unfolded the blanket and spread it over both of them, struck by how an act as basic as sharing a blanket could feel so intimate with the right person. They settled into the sofa, quietly sipping their coffee, completely enveloped in silence. The only sounds were the birds trilling and warbling at each other in a range of melodic calls. Some of the misty wisps had started to dissipate, but many still lingered, lending the trees and mountains an ethereal feel. The cloudless sky was now painted in large swaths of intense pinks and oranges.

“God, Claire, this is beautiful,” he whispered.

She looked at him and smiled. He fixed his eyes on her and she noticed with mild relief that he had not shaved, and his scruff was looking sexier than ever. She took a quick sip of her coffee to distract her thoughts from moving into areas that she was studiously trying to avoid.

“Foam,” he said, still holding her gaze as she lowered her mug. 

“Hmm?” she looked at him, not tracking his meaning.

He reached over, and with his index finger, swiped the foam off her upper lip and licked it off his fingertip.

“Thank you,” she smiled, turning to look back over the mountains. The colors of the sky had deepened.

“I need a picture of this so I can remember it forever. Our first sunrise, Sassenach.” He said this in a low voice to avoid disturbing the quiet peace, but the sheer sensuality of his already deep voice in an even lower register made her heart skip a beat, and it took her a few seconds to process the content of what he had said.

_Our first sunrise._

She took a deep steadying breath. He had no qualms about revealing his innermost thoughts and feelings, and she found that refreshing and endearing. But with last night’s revelations about his relationship status, she had to wonder where this was all going. And whether it was going anywhere at all - hiatus or no hiatus. 

She heard his soft gasp, and they watched together as the first rays started to appear over the top of the mountain.

“In a very short while, we won't be able to look at it anymore. It’ll be too bright,” she warned quietly.

“Aye,” he replied, disappointment evident in his voice. “I wish we could sit and watch this for hours.”

“Me too! Sunrise is my favorite time of the day. It’s a new day, a fresh start, you know? The sheer magnitude of realizing that your part of the universe is awakening around you … it’s sobering and exhilarating at the same time. The sun coming up in the morning is always a reminder that things will be okay, that no matter what challenges you faced the previous day, you have a whole new day to tackle them. Or if the previous day was amazing and wonderful, you have a whole new day to continue to enjoy or build on that.” She suddenly looked embarrassed as she realized he was listing intently to her, the glimmer of a smile in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling nonsensically.”

“No. No you’re not. You sounded so poetic and intense, and it was wonderful. Sunrise is a magical time of the day. I’m so grateful that you were willing to share this one with me.” 

They gazed at each other for a moment and his eyes dropped to her lips. She held her breath and they sat there, silent and still, suspended in the beauty and magic of the sunrise around them.

A blue jay descended onto the table and launched a series of shrill calls to its mate, breaking the spell between them. Startled, they turned to look at the bird, which flitted off immediately in response to their sudden movement. 

The sun had risen a little higher, and the bright orb began to emerge over the top of the mountains, making it uncomfortably bright for them to sit where they were. Reluctantly, she tugged the blanket off them, and Jamie stood first, extending his hand and pulling her upright. 

“Turn around, Claire." He pulled her in close, wrapping his arm snugly around her, and she could feel his scruff on her temple and the side of her face. “Quick selfie,” he said. He snapped and showed her the picture.

“Oh, I love that!” she exclaimed. They were both smiling broadly, chest-to chest, heads together, his free arm just visible around her upper back. The sun was just a bright blur behind them, but some of the beautiful color streaks were visible in the background. “Will you send it to me please?”

“Sure.” As they made their way back to the kitchen, he tapped the picture, selected ‘Sassenach’ from his contacts, and hit send. 

“I’m going to do a yoga class and then I’ll get some things ready for your meeting. You go and enjoy your run.”

“Thanks, Claire - please don’t put yerself out on account of the meeting. I think it’ll go pretty smoothly.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

She was looking forward to unscrambling some of her thoughts during her post-yoga shower, but she wasn’t sure that it was particularly helpful this time. In fact, she was more confused than ever.

Before last night’s talk, she had been enjoying the light flirting and banter that went back and forth between herself and Jamie. And now that she knew he was not in a relationship, she expected that he would continue to flirt and tease - that was his nature. She felt quite flattered, if she was totally honest. She’d had a decent number of suitors over the past year or so, ‘Ashlee’s dad’ by far the most ardent of them. But despite her admirers finding her attractive enough to pursue, she was held back by her insecurities, and these were magnified when it came to Jamie. He had his pick of the world's most beautiful and glamorous women, only too eager to hop into bed with him, no strings attached. Always one to be brutally honest with herself, she wondered if his attentions were largely due to the isolation and proximity imposed by quarantining. Was their ability to share so openly with each other just the result of being in each other’s space so much and having no one else to talk to? Was it the yearning for a human connection that was absent in both of their lives? Or was it something else entirely? A deep and instant emotional connection that was so rare that few people experienced it; and when they did, it was because everything aligned in just the right way, at just the right time.

Her heart was telling her that the immediate and unusual connection was unique and warranted further exploration. It was her darn head that was getting in the way, warning her to tread lightly. 

_This could end up being one of his flings as soon as the hiatus is over, Beauchamp. Are you sure you're okay with that? Or do you need to work harder on keeping this on a solid, friendly basis. You’re about to be neighbors, for Pete’s sake._

Jamie was incognito in his sunglasses and cap. He enjoyed running in the brisk morning hours, before the air became heavy with heat and traffic. Quickly getting into his rhythm, he allowed his mind to wander to Claire. God, she was gorgeous. And hot. And sexy. And that little minx had a naughty sense of humor that drove him wild. And an arse that drove him to distraction. Revealing his story to her last night had felt like a huge unburdening. He hadn’t shared as much about his true feelings and hopes and dreams with anyone else - apart from Jenny. Claire didn’t judge or try to persuade or dissuade him in any way. She asked probing questions that made him think more deeply, and she had encouraged him to keep thinking about his options before making his big decisions. He admired everything about her, and yearned for the kind of life she had. Apart from the hiccup with the PILF situation, she lived in privacy and anonymity. She had a successful career that was on a great trajectory, she had two beautiful daughters for whom she had created a safe and loving home. His heart tightened when he thought of how much loss she had suffered. How he would love to ease those painful memories by creating new ones with her.

Their connection was so immediate, so intense, so real - and she felt it too. She made him feel grounded and she made him laugh and she made him want to spend time with her. She was now the first person he thought of when he awoke, and the last one on his mind as he drifted to sleep. 

_She has worked her way so far into yer heart already, ye sappy walloper! And you're quite okay with that. But you need to get yer shit figured out soon, or ye'll end up being neighbors and nothing more._


	16. Chapter 16

* * *

Claire let her hair dry naturally, and quickly applied her usual daytime makeup. She dressed in slim-fit, light khaki pants and a soft blue sleeveless blouse. Eying herself critically in the mirror, she decided she looked semi-professional and comfortably casual - exactly the look she wanted to project. She slid her feet into tan Tory Burch flats, added gold hoop earrings and a spritz of Daisy - her go-to daytime perfume. 

After unloading the dishwasher, she set about making a quick checklist of things to do before Jamie’s meeting. He had returned from his run and was upstairs in the shower. She gathered a range of glasses - wine, whisky, water - and took them out to the covered patio, where she set them up on the granite counter. A few trips back and forth between the patio and the kitchen, and she had checked most of the items on her list. Plates, napkins, and silverware were all set out and ready for the afternoon meal. She wandered over to her flower beds to see what flowers might look good in a vase for the countertop. Her lawn service did a great job with her yard overall, but she always liked to potter around in the flower beds to see what might grow from her efforts. She was not blessed with a green thumb and Henry had playfully teased her about her tendency to commit ‘horticultural homicide’. She wandered through the beds on the upper terrace and made a mental note that the yellow and white peonies looked quite good, but she wanted to check the area at the end of the terrace.

“Noooooooo,” she moaned aloud.

“Claire?” She turned to see Jamie walking towards her. He looked neatly casual in khakis and a navy Henley shirt that hugged his muscled torso and arms quite deliciously, she decided. The scruff was still there. Good thing she wasn’t in the meeting, she would never be able to focus on the discussion. 

__ __ _ Our outfits match again, Jamie-boy. This is getting weird.  _

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yes, kinda,” she said ruefully. “I’ve managed to kill my gladioli. Again! They’re one of my favorite types of flowers, and I try to grow them every year, but I really need to admit defeat and move on. The peonies are looking good. I’ll cut some of those instead.”

“I’ll hold them for ye,” he offered. And as she cut them, he collected them from her, holding them gently in his big hands. He brought them into the kitchen where she arranged them in a few small square vases, and placed them on the patio to add a dash of color. 

“Claire, thank you for doing all this,” Jamie looked around the patio. “You are incredible.” She blushed and shook her head. She was never entirely comfortable receiving compliments.

“Are you ready for your helicopter ride?”

“Aye, I canna wait to see all of this from higher up.” He looked out over the trees around them. “I’ll go and work on some emails. I need to FaceTime Jenny and the family too.”

"Jamie..." she began, "good luck with the meeting today. I know that this wine business thing is something you've worked hard on, and there's a lot riding on it for you. I hope it all goes well."

He seemed genuinely touched by her words, and put his arm around her shoulder in an awkward side hug. "Thank you, Claire. Truly."

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire reviewed more student case studies in the upstairs study space, only coming back down when her phone pinged to let her know that Milo had arrived. 

“Claire, you look lovely as always. How are things going?” asked Milo, giving her a warm hug.

“Everything is going just fine. Hopefully Jamie thinks so too.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s more than happy, Claire. You are a marvelous hostess.”

“Hey Milo,” Jamie emerged from the house. “Sorry to keep you - I was getting last-minute instructions from Jenny to take lots of pictures.” 

“No problem,” smiled Milo. He had met Jenny when she visited Jamie on the lake, and knew she could be a little intense. “Claire, we should be back around 1:30. If you’re out back in around 45 minutes, look out for us. Grab your binoculars - we’ll wave at you.”

“See you later, Claire.” Jamie gave her his two-eyed wink out of Milo’s line of sight. She smiled and waved them off. 

Back in the kitchen, Claire brewed herself some herbal tea, grabbed her iPad and binoculars, and headed to the middle terrace - where she had been when she first spotted Milo in the helicopter exactly a week ago. She cranked open the umbrella, and sat with her feet up, catching up on texts, emails, and social media. Her mind drifted to the formal dinner on Saturday night and she made a mental note to go through her closet later. She opened her message app, and tapped ‘Armando’.

**Hey you! Busy on Sat afternoon, say 1’ish?**

She waited a little, but there was no immediate reply so she continued going through her email. Ten minutes later, Armando’s reply slid in at the top her screen.

__ **_Hey girl! i have 2 appointments in the AM but free after that, so i'm all yours in the PM. what’s going on?_ ** __

**I have a formal dinner at night. was hoping u could come over and do a nice up-do?**

**_OMG, Yes! we’ll do something soft - a few loose curls - stunning. i’m gonna need more deets on Saturday. who, what, why - whole 9 yards._ **

**LOL. love u! see u Sat.**

🥰 

Almost an hour later, she heard the rotor blades of the chopper and set her iPad aside. She picked up the binoculars, and walked to the edge of the terrace. Within minutes, the chopper appeared and moved towards Jamie’s property. Just like it had done the previous week, it started making wide sweeps over the area, hovering over particular spots. There was a little more hovering today, and she guessed that Jamie had a few more areas that he wanted to scrutinize closely. As the chopper got closer and closer to her terrace, Claire picked up the binoculars and peered through them. She followed the chopper on a long sweep down the length of the property, as it made its way closer to the terrace. She could make out Milo’s distinctive white hair, and when she was able to focus, she saw his face fairly clearly. She adjusted the binoculars a little, and saw that Jamie was in the seat that faced Milo, but he had turned his body towards the terrace. She thought he was waving, but when she focused and zoomed in a little, she realized he wasn’t. The goober was making heart hands at the window! His body angle was a deliberate move to conceal the gesture from the other occupants - no way he would risk it with Dougal and Milo in there. She saw that he had grabbed his binoculars, so she dropped hers, and waved with both arms. Seconds later, the chopper turned towards the west; evidently the aerial property tour was complete.

Back on the sofa, she picked up her iPad, tapped the messages app, and selected ‘Jamie F’. 

**Cheeky bugger! hope ur uncle didn't see that - or Milo**

**_Nope_** **_\- too busy looking at the snowcaps. u look quite bonnie down there. missing me yet?_**

**See u later, bloody Scot** __ __

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

By 2 p.m., there were three cars in the driveway, ten people spread across the patio, and the meeting was well underway. Some wore masks, others were less fastidious. Jamie had asked them all to wash their hands as soon as they arrived. Claire had also placed hand sanitizer and spare masks strategically in the powder room and on the patio. They were taking as many precautions as possible. Jamie had introduced her to everyone, but she knew that the only names she would remember for now were Dougal and Murtagh.

Dougal was a big, imposing man, almost as tall as Jamie, and heavy set. He had the same blue eyes, but set under bushy brows, and a severe looking permanent frown. He was completely bald, and boasted a trimmed salt and pepper beard. His eyebrow shot up when he met Claire, and he held her hand for longer than felt comfortable, looking her over from head to toe. Murtagh was a good few inches shorter, slim and wiry, with black beady eyes, and an unruly black beard. He had a full head of black hair, only lightly threaded with silver. Clearly he had inherited the good genes when it came to greying hair! He was polite and friendly, but Claire suspected that those black eyes of his missed nothing.

Wanting to stay well out of the way, she worked on student papers upstairs. Jamie would text or call for her if he needed anything. At 3:00 p.m., Claire took delivery of the food and texted Jamie.

**Food’s here LMK when safe to bring out. don’t want to walk out if ur talking private stuff**

Seconds later, Jamie was in the kitchen.

“I don't expect you to handle all of this on yer own, Claire. Give me instructions.”

“Okay, why don’t we unpack all of it. I want to give it all the once-over, make sure it looks presentable, then you can carry it out and set it on the counter. I left serving utensils out there already.”

As they busied themselves, Dougal wandered into the kitchen, somewhat unsteady on his feet. He looked Claire up and down again, and asked in a thick Scottish brogue, “Could ye direct me to the restroom, love?”

_ “I’ll _ show ye, Uncle.” Jamie bristled at the way his uncle had overtly ogled Claire. He led Dougal out of the kitchen and down the hallway towards the powder room.

“She’s a bonnie wee piece of arse, Jamie. Just like you to find a willing woman - even in the middle of a pandemic.”

“DOUGAL!” Jamie raised his voice, and then instantly dropped it, but Claire could hear him quite clearly. “I’ll not allow ye to disrespect Claire. She has been nothing but kind and welcoming, not only to me, but to you and all my business associates. I consider her a good friend and neighbor, and I’ll thank ye to show her some respect. I’ll also thank ye to stop drinking for the day - it’s making you verra unpleasant to be around.”

The powder room door clicked closed and Jamie re-entered the kitchen, looking pained.

“Claire, I’m so sorry. He had no right to talk like that. He’s had too much to drink, and he’s so inappropriately old-school. Please accept my apologies.” 

“No need, Jamie. I’ve been around enough drunk men to recognize when a man is a little past his best self. Did you see I ordered some baklava for dessert - theirs is to die for. Let’s get these platters outside, and then we’ll assemble the salad.”

They set the platters of food out, and then returned to the kitchen where they opened all the separate containers of ingredients to assemble the Greek salad. Jamie sampled a chunk of feta.

“Mmm. This is good feta - creamy, not overly salty,” he declared. “Here ...” He held a small chunk of feta up to her lips, and she closed her mouth around it as he carefully withdrew his thumb and forefinger. 

Dougal chose that very moment to return from the bathroom. He froze momentarily, fixed the pair with a raised eyebrow, and then continued out to the patio with a knowing look. 

Claire turned to look at Jamie with a wide-eyed look of concern, but he merely shrugged and went over to the sink to wash his hands. “Let’s get this salad out there, aye? Will ye join us for the meal, Claire?”

She shook her head. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I’d rather just grab a bite later. You may want to continue discussions over the meal, and you can’t do that if I’m there. I’ll be working upstairs, just text if you need anything.”

Claire retreated to the upstairs study, and continued working through student papers from the summer cohort. Within twenty minutes she heard Jamie call her, his voice sounding closer as he approached the study area. She swiveled around in her chair, and her heart stopped momentarily. 

He had plated up her meal and brought it up to her.

“It’s a wee sampling of everything. If there is anything you want more of, I can bring it up.” 

“Oh Jamie! You are a sweet, sweet man!” She shook her head in disbelief.

“I thought I was a ‘cheeky bugger’!” He said in mock confusion.

“That too!” she said, dipping a piece of pita bread into the hummus.

“Try the baba ganoush,” he suggested.

She did as requested, and responded with a groan. “So good.”

“I didn’t forget your baklava. Saved us both a piece to enjoy in the hot tub or on the patio later.”

“Thank you, Jamie,” she said, eying her plate, “this is perfect.” 

“I’ll come and get you when the meeting’s over.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

It was almost 6 p.m. when her phone pinged, alerting her to movement in the driveway. The meeting was clearly over.

Claire felt good about what she had accomplished over the preceding few hours. She had FaceTimed the girls, who had seemed disappointed that Jamie was otherwise occupied and they wouldn't get to chat with him. She had also spent some time going through the formal section of her closet. It had yielded two good options for Saturday’s event, and she planned on asking Armando’s opinion when he came to do her hair. 

Jamie joined her upstairs and collapsed onto one of the girls’ oversized bean bags. 

“That was exhausting! Dougal is a prick when he’s had too much to drink.”

“How did it go - apart from Dougal?”

“Really well. I’ll tell ye downstairs - are you up for the hot tub? I could use that warm bubbly water to wash away the stress.”

“Of course. Get your swimsuit and robe, and meet me downstairs in a few.”

“Sassenach?”

“Yes?”

“I’m quite partial to that cheeky swimsuit ye had on the other night. Just sayin’.”


	17. Chapter 17

* * *

Claire wriggled into a red one-piece that offered better rear-end coverage, but was a little lower cut in front. She wrapped her robe tightly around herself and tied the belt in a knot. Jamie was not in the kitchen yet, but she was taken aback at what she saw. The kitchen counters had been cleaned, the dishwasher was running, and the glasses and dishes that didn’t fit were stacked in the sink, ready for loading. Glancing out at the patio, she saw that it too had been cleaned. 

“I’ll load those after this load is done,” he appeared in the kitchen, and gestured towards the sink and dishwasher.

“I can’t believe you cleaned up! I would have helped you.”

“I would not have allowed ye to. Murtagh helped me - while Dougal poured himself another drink. Good thing Murtagh’s driving the rental.”

“I’m dying to hear about the meeting. You ready to go outside?”

“Aye. How do you feel about taking some whisky down there tonight, instead of wine. I picked up some good stuff at the store yesterday.”

“I’d love it. Grab the bottle, I’ll bring glasses.”

They set the whisky, glasses and their iPads next to the hot tub, draped their robes over the towel rack, and eased into the steaming water. For a few seconds they allowed their bodies to get accustomed to the stinging heat. 

“Sassenach, would you mind finding music - your favorite playlist is fine. I need to spend a few minutes on my iPad. I’m sorry - I hate to be so rude, but once I’ve taken care of a wee thing, I’ll give ye an update on the meeting.”

He tapped away on his iPad while Claire selected a favorite playlist that combined oldies from the 80s and 90s. The strains of Queen’s ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ soon filled the space around them. 

“God, I love Queen!” Jamie didn't look up from his iPad, but his mouth lifted in a crooked little smile. “Ye ken this is from the movie 'Highlander', aye?"

“Yes. You can’t live in Scotland in your teens without seeing it at least 5 times at various sleepovers. Christopher Lambert was quite a hottie in his day, so it really wasn’t a hardship to have to watch it multiple times. He rocked that kilt!” 

“Mm-hmm. A hottie, huh? Ye like a man in a kilt then, Sassenach?” He still hadn't looked up from his iPad.

“Depends on who’s wearing it.”

“And ye ken The Highlander’s clansmen were enemies of the Fraser clan, aye?”

“Still a hottie,” she insisted playfully.

“Done!” He set his iPad on the hot tub ledge. “I’d like to make ye dinner tomorrow night, Claire. I just placed the grocery order. It’ll be delivered in the morning. I would have asked ye first, but ye’d have said no.”

“I _would_ have said no. You don’t need to go to all that trouble.”

“I knew ye’d say that. It’s no trouble - it’ll be really simple. One of Jenny’s recipes that she makes at the B&B.”

“I’m looking forward to it. And I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Now - tell me about the meetings.”

Jamie stood up and reached for the whisky glasses. He had brought down a bottle of Kilchoman single malt, and handed Claire a glass of the rich amber whisky before pouring his own. Sitting across from her, he took a sip of his whisky and cocked his head slightly. 

“We should be toasting this with wine, but I don’t have the right wines, and feel like it would be disloyal.” 

She frowned, “Disloyal? What do you mean? What are the ‘right wines’?”

“Ehm …well, Claire ... ye’re looking at the new owner of The Grotto.”

Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “The Grotto? The winery?”

“Aye. The winery, the resort, the tasting rooms - all of it.”

“Oh my God!” She was stunned for a few seconds. “The whole nine yards?”

“That’s a verra American expression, but yes, the whole nine yards.”

“Oh my God!" she said again, still processing. "Congratulations!” She leaned across, planning on giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek, but at the last minute decided that this moment was quite extraordinary and warranted a much bigger gesture, so she flung her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. “I’m so, so excited for you.”

The hug caught him off-guard and whisky sloshed over the side of both glasses. He was clearly delighted by her excited reaction, and wrapped his free arm tightly around her before she could return to her seat. 

“Sit here, and I’ll tell you about it,” he patted the molded seat closest to his. The 90º angle of their corner seats meant that their legs would inevitably get tangled together, but she ignored that, and focused her attention on what Jamie was saying.

“I ken that you and Henry were good friends of Milo and Suki - and that the three of them were friends from college days. I assume ye ken Rob Raymond?”

“Yes. Very well. He was part of the frat group that remained friends over the years. I’m not as close to Rob and Susan as I am to Milo and Suki, but they are friends - good people. He built up The Grotto from nothing. Started with just the winery, and then added the tasting rooms there and in Woodinville, and slowly built the resort at the winery over the next few years. It's magnificent ... it overlooks the Columbia River valley and some of the rooms are recessed into the rocks and cliffs. I assume you know this all better than me by now," she smiled. "I had no idea he was selling it.” 

“Milo knew that Rob was not ready to retire 100%, but he was keen to start divesting and preparing for eventual retirement. Their only child was killed in Iraq, so he had no one to take over the business. When Milo mentioned it to me, I was apprehensive at the thought of taking on a business in an industry I know nothing about. Still am, if I’m honest.”

“I don’t think that you would have embarked on this journey if you didn’t feel you could do it, Jamie. You asked so many pertinent questions at the wineries yesterday. It’s clear you have a deep interest and decent knowledge about it already. Tell me more about the deal.”

He acknowledged her words of encouragement with a smile “I brought in my business advisor from Glasgow, and he and my local lawyers helped structure a deal that appealed to both sides. I have a 65% stake right away, and Rob keeps 35% for the next five years as I learn the industry. It’s a good way of keeping him involved while I learn, and a big enough stake for him to stay committed and keep building on the winery’s success. It also means that he can slowly get used to retirement over the course of a few years. After five years, I acquire the remaining 35%.”

“How are you planning to balance your movie schedule with learning the ropes? Will current management stay on for the full five years?”

“Aye. That was written into the deal. The entire management team is locked in for five years. They were well incentivized for that. Rob thinks most of them will stay on beyond that. More than half of them have been with him for ten years or more. Murtagh will be spending the next six weeks up at The Grotto. He will be my eyes and ears, and will learn more about the industry faster than I can with my commitments. After my week in L.A., I’ll be back here to spend some time at the winery and start my ‘on-the-job’ training.”

“It all sounds really exciting. Your purchase deal sounds solid and it seems you’ve locked in everything you needed. I love that Murtagh will be involved to keep an eye on things.”

“Aye. He has a keen business sense, has Murtagh. He spent nine years in France working for a cousin who is a wine and spirits merchant there. He runs a huge enterprise, and Murtagh learned things from the ground up, until my Da passed away, and he came back to help take care of us.”

“How perfect that he has some background in the industry. I have a really good feeling about this for you, Jamie.”

“Aye, me too,” he chuckled. “Me too.”

Jamie stood up to replenish their whisky.

“Go easy on mine please, Jamie. I can’t be getting tipsy in front of you every day.” She was already feeling the effects of the whisky’s much higher alcohol content. 

“Dinna fash, Sassenach. I’ll take care of ye. I won’t let ye drown.” He winked his goofy wink at the reminder of Tuesday’s hot tub moment when he thought she had fallen asleep.

He sat down with his drink and their legs got entangled in their attempts to settle back down into their previous positions. Claire considered moving to sit across from him, or on the same side of the tub at least, to try and avoid the inevitable confusion of legs. She didn’t know if it was the effects of the whisky or just her growing level of ease with Jamie, but she untangled her legs from below the water, and eased them up and across his lap. 

He slid her a quick look, but she had rested her head against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes. 

“Sorry,” she said lethargically, ”I’m too lazy to move - and legs are always a mess when you sit in the corners."

“Did ye hear me complaining?” Her eyes were still closed, but she knew he was smirking.

“So you’re going to come back after L.A.?” she asked casually.

“Aye, there’ll be a lot to take care of with The Grotto. And if I get this property deal finalized, I’ll want to start working with architects, builders and the like.”

His fingers started to draw lazy circles on her foot, carefully avoiding the ticklish zones when she flinched slightly. She was still pondering the fact that she might get to see him when he was back in Seattle after L.A. Why did that make her feel so warm and fuzzy? Or was that the result of Jamie gently caressing her foot under water. Water made everything so much slower and sexier. 

_You’re getting into dangerous territory here. Where’s your resolve?_

She took another sip of whisky.

His fingers were softly exploring her ankle. 

“Jamie?” she opened one eye.

“Mmmm?”

“You promised me some baklava.”

“I did, didn’t I? Do you want me to go get it now?”

His fingers traced slow whorls and circles up her shin.

“Uh uh. Not yet.”

He chuckled, and his fingers continued their slow, sexy exploration. He reached the area behind her knees, and she squirmed at the sensation of his fingertips in this particularly sensitive spot. Her back arched slightly, and he paused briefly.

“Do you want me to stop?” 

“No,” she sighed, her head still resting against the edge of the tub. “But you’re neglecting my other leg. That’s favoritism.”

“Well, then. I can't be accused of favoritism, now can I? He reached for her other foot, and began a very thorough sensory tour of that leg too.

She was breathing a little faster and shallower now. And there were things going on between her thighs that she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. She didn't dare open her eyes because if she looked into his blue eyes now, she would lose herself in him completely. She bit her lower lip and heard one of his deep, rumbling grunts. 

“Jamie?”

“Mmmm?”

“What did that little grunt mean?”

“Grunt?”

“Yes. You make all sorts of Scottish noises, and I never know what they mean. You’ll have to make me a glossary of your grunts.”

“A glossary of grunts?” He chuckled. “Aye, I’ll get right on it.”

His hand was on her knee now, and slowly making its way north. She opened an eye again. He had also leaned his head back against the edge of the hot tub, eyes closed.

By the time he reached her mid-thigh, she knew she was in the danger zone. 

_Oh God, there's some serious stuff going on in my lady parts. I don’t want you to stop, but …_

Her head was a little woozy from the whisky, but he was awakening feelings and reviving sensations that she hadn’t felt in so long, and she wanted more. Much, much more. Maybe they should slow down a little.

“Jamie?”

“Mmmm?”

“I think it’s time for that baklava.”

His hand stopped in its tracks, and she sensed his disappointment.

“I’ll be right here, Jamie. Too lazy to move.” 

“Sip yer whisky - I’ll be right back.”

She sensed the water level rising slightly as he got back in the hot tub. Having downed the last of her whisky, she thought she still had her wits about her - _mostly_ \- but she was feeling dangerously uninhibited. 

She smiled lazily at him and said, “You poured me way too much whisky. I’m going to have to stay out here for the night.”

“I’d never leave you out here all night, Sassenach. I’ll carry you back to the house, dinna fash. You ready for your dessert?”

“Mm-hmm. Very ready.” She hoped she wasn’t slurring. And she hoped she could keep it together - she tended to get a little naughty when she drank whisky. 

She held her hand out to take the Baklava, but Jamie pulled it back out of her reach.

“Uh uh. You took care of so much for the meeting today. Time for you to relax. I’ll feed it to you. Scoot over a wee bit.”

She was still reclined in a comfortable, floating slouch, and lazily moved aside to make room for him, sitting up a little higher. Holding the wedge of syrupy, honey-drenched baklava between his thumb and forefinger, he brought it to her lips.

“Take a wee bite.”

She obeyed, and immediately groaned at the decadent deliciousness of it. 

“Oh my God, it is so good. Try it Jamie.” 

“I’ll get mine soon, this one is all yours _.”_

His body was very close to hers, leg pushed up against her thigh. Her languid semi-slouch had her right at eye-level with his chest, the perfect vantage point to take in his well-formed pecs and strong, defined biceps. She wondered what it must be like to lay her head on his chest and feel those arms wrapped around her, keeping her close to his heart. His voice, so close to her now, interrupted her thoughts.

“Another wee bite,” he prompted, bringing the baklava slowly back to her mouth. A single drop of thick honey dripped off Jamie’s forefinger onto her chest. She looked down in mild surprise and saw the bead of honey on the swell of her breast. She started to raise a lazy hand to wipe it away, but Jamie gently pushed her hand away with his wrist, the last bite of the baklava wedge still balanced between his thumb and forefinger. Looking into her eyes for any hesitation and finding none, he slowly lowered his head, bringing his lips down to her breast, over the bead of honey, and gently licked it off. He heard and felt her soft gasp. He raised his head, eyes fixed on her lips, which had parted as she drew in soft, shallow breaths. Reaching for his hand, she guided the baklava back to his mouth, silently encouraging him to accept the last bite. Then she brought his hand back to her mouth, and took his sticky, syrupy forefinger between her lips and slowly, so very slowly, licked the honey off. 

“Sassenach…” he breathed.

When his forefinger was clean, she took his thumb into her mouth, and sucked and grazed the honey and flakes of pastry that lingered there. She released his thumb slowly and he dragged his hand lightly across her shoulder and down her arm, below the water, with exquisite tenderness. He moved his hand around her to the small of her back and traced a slow path up her spine to the base of her neck. Weaving his fingers into the damp curls at her neck, he cupped the back of her head gently in his large hand. She was almost breathless in anticipation, biting her lower lip and keeping her eyes focused on his. His eyes dropped to her lips, and he groaned a little when he saw her lower lip between her teeth. It did things to him. Things that were beyond his control. 

“Claire …” She nodded a tiny nod and he eased her up towards him slightly, lowering his head at the same time. His eyes didn’t move from her lips until his mouth was just inches from hers. He shifted his gaze to her whisky eyes, and found them looking into the depths of his eyes. God, she was beautiful. He wanted her desperately, but he intended to take it slow. He wanted to be sure that she was completely ready for this step. Slowly and tenderly, he touched her lips with his and let them linger there, mouths barely touching. She released her bottom lip, and he took it between his lips, softly kissing away any indents her teeth may have made. They parted briefly, eyes locked. The tip of his tongue peeked out, wetting his lips slightly, and he moved towards her mouth again. 

_🎶 I found a love fo-o-or me,_

_Darling just dive right in …_

They froze. Seconds went by as they stared at each other, motionless.

_Well I found a gi-i-rl, beautiful and sweet …_

“That did _not_ just happen!” Claire’s face started to crease into a laugh, and within seconds her giggle erupted from the depths of her belly. Jamie straightened up and then collapsed against the back of the hot tub with a groan. Then he started to laugh. They sat side by side laughing in disbelief that a love ballad, of all things, could ruin such an intense moment.

“This must be destined to be our song, Sassenach.”

“Oh, Jamie, I am so sorry.” She giggled. “That was bad timing. I didn't even realize this was in the playlist.” Her speech sounded lethargic.

“D’ye think yer girls mentally telepathied that to us? Is that even a word?”

Another giggle. “Possibly. I FaceTimed them earlier and they were bummed that you were too busy to speak to them.”

“Claire!” he chided her, “you should have texted me, I’d have come up to say hi.”

“You were too busy buying wineries, remember?” More giggles.

He turned to face her again - he was so ready to pick up where they had just left off, but something about her voice and giggle bothered him.

_Please, please don’t be tipsy, Claire. I want you so much, I ache. But I’m not going any further if you’re not fully aware of what ye’re doing._

She sighed deeply, and lay her head on his shoulder. Tentatively, she placed her hand on his chest. He held his breath for a moment, and exhaled slowly as her fingers explored the firm contours of his chest - the hard nipples and firm pecs, the little hollow between them, the sprinkling of soft russet hair. Her hand slid lower and it was obvious to him now that she was feeling the effects of the whisky quite markedly. There was no way he would be continuing what they had just started unless she was completely clear of the effects of alcohol.

He gently took her hand and held it in his. Kissing her fingertips, he looked into her eyes, which were a little less sharply focused than usual. 

_Damn! Why did ye think whisky was a good idea tonight? She's a small wee thing, and it's gone right to her head!_

”To be continued.” His voice was low and tinged with disappointment, but his words were full of promise.

“Mmmm,” Claire murmured. 

“l’ll grab the robes.” And like he had done on Tuesday evening, he carefully and tenderly wrapped her in her robe, lifting her off the ledge by the waist, and placing her carefully on the grass. Pulling on his own robe, he rested his hand on her back and guided her back to the house. She was steady enough on her feet, but he knew from her general lethargy and slight giggliness that it would take a couple of hours to clear her system. 

It was a little after 8:00 p.m., and Jamie suggested that a movie might be a good way to end the evening. It would also be a good distraction from the lingering heat and longing between his legs. 

“A movie sounds like a great idea. What do you want to watch?”

“Your choice. Let’s change out of our swimsuits. Uhhh … I’m going to need a quick shower. Let’s meet back here and you can pick the movie while I get us some snacks.” 

Claire took a quick shower too, downing a bottle of water between the kitchen and her bathroom - she knew she was headed for a hangover in the morning if she didn't hydrate well. By the time she reached the kitchen, she was feeling a tiny bit less woozy. Jamie was in his grey sweats and a navy tee, brewing some herbal tea for her. No more alcohol tonight. She was also comfortably dressed in yoga pants and a soft tee. They headed into the media room together.

“Are ye hungry? I can make you up a wee plate.” He handed her the tea in a travel mug so she could keep it in the seat's cup holder. 

“Thank you,“ she smiled gratefully, taking a small sip, “I’m not hungry, but please grab something for yourself.”

“I’m okay too. I’ll grab you a bottle of water and some snacks. What are we watching?”

She scrolled through the recommended movies based on her preferences, and stopped at one she knew was good.

“How does the 'The Equalizer' sound? Denzel Washington. I've seen it, but it's so good, and I've been wanting to see it again.”

“Yasss! I love action movies. I've seen it too, but I want to watch 'Equalizer 2', so I'll gladly re-watch the first one. I'll re-watch anything with Denzel. Great choice.” 

She dimmed the lights, and they picked the two middle seats in the back row as it gave them the best view. The deep red leather seats reclined quite far back, so they set their seats at the same comfortable angle and settled in to watch the movie. Jamie reached over and took Claire’s hand, interlacing their fingers. 

When he awoke three hours later, the screen was blank, and they were still holding hands. He looked over at Claire, sound asleep in her seat. She looked beautiful and peaceful, and he hated to disrupt her sleep, but he certainly didn’t want to leave her there all night. 

He leaned over, brushed a curl from her face, and stroked her cheek softly with the back of his forefinger.

“Claire,” he whispered. 

No response.

"Claire, wake up, mo leannan.” He continued to gently stroke her cheek.

“Huh?” She stirred, blinked awake slowly and yawned deeply. “Oh God, I am so sorry. I can’t believe I fell asleep on you.”

“You were out within 20 minutes and I didn’t last much longer - just woke up myself.” 

He stood up and held his hand out to her. Pulling her upright, he steadied her for a second as she adjusted to wakefulness from a deep sleep.

“I’ll help ye tidy up in the morning. Let’s get a good night’s sleep. Take some more water up with you.”

They headed upstairs together. At the top of the stairs, he pulled her into a firm hug and held her there for several long seconds. Kissing her temple, and squeezing her hand, he let her move away from him. They smiled a little awkwardly at each other.

“Good night, Jamie.”

“Good night, Sassenach.”

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	18. Chapter 18

* * *

Claire awoke well after sunrise - unusually late for her. She had the tiniest headache and groaned when she thought of her tipsy behavior the previous night.

_Seriously! The man is on a friggin’ hiatus that is really important to him, and you’re getting all tipsy and up in his stuff._

She felt slightly ashamed for her wantonness.

_New day, fresh resolve. You got this._

But this was the fourth day in a row of telling herself to renew her resolve and she had failed every time. God, he had been so freakin' sexy in the hot tub. She was so turned on and ready. And she knew he was too. That was about to be the hottest make-out session of her life.

_Damn you, Ed Sheeran!_

How would they ever survive the next week together without messing up his hiatus?

She swallowed a Tylenol before taking a long, hot shower, pushing all thoughts of Jamie out of her head. Focusing on the impending professorship process, she made a mental list of people she needed to connect with. Faculty members who would give her useful advice as Fulton started to seriously vet her and her competitor. She also needed to reach out to some of Henry’s business contacts for advice and guidance. She was good at networking - Henry had taught her well - and his circle of contacts would provide valuable wisdom and insight. Pulling on grey yoga pants and a soft peach shirt, she headed to the kitchen. 

She could see Jamie through the window, sitting out on the middle terrace. The umbrella was up and he was sprawled on a sofa, a document in one hand, and latte in the other. She made herself a latte and headed over to the terrace. 

“Good morning!”

“Sassenach!” He sat up, and she quickly shook her head.

“Don’t get up. I’m about to do some croissants and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Does that sound OK?”

“That would be a great breakfast, thank you. Can I give ye a hand?” 

“Nope. Thanks though. Have you been up for a while?

“Aye, I’ve been for my run, and I’ve FaceTimed with Jenny and the kids. They are very excited about The Grotto. Now I’m just going over some of the final details from Milo - about the property deal. Keen to get that sorted, ye ken.” 

“Fingers still crossed for you.” She held up her ten-digit mess of crossed fingers, and he chuckled. “I’m going to check the cinnamon rolls and will be right back.” 

She set some preserves and fresh berries on the counter, checked on the cinnamon rolls, and set the oven timer. While the rolls baked, she grabbed her iPad and went back to the terrace, settling into one of the sofas while Jamie finished reading his document. After a few minutes, he put it away, and she set her iPad down.

“Are you going to work on campus today?”

“No, I can do everything from here. I need to make a ton of calls to colleagues and business contacts. The professorship thing.”

“Aye. It’s important that you focus on that. I’m glad you got a good night’s sleep before tackling all that.” He smiled cheekily and they laughed at how they had fallen asleep during the movie the previous night.

“I think we should try the movie again tonight - after I’ve made yer dinner.”

“That sounds like a good idea. No whisky, though. I can’t be trusted around it.”

He narrowed his eyes, then his crooked little smile lifted the corner of his mouth. 

“Good to know. I’ll have to remember that.”

“Jamie … I need to apologize for my behavior last night. I should not have been so … you know? Frisky … or whatever.” She blushed a little. “I want you to know that I respect your hiatus, and your need to spend the time thinking about your life and what you want to do going forward. I should not have messed with that.”

“Claire, you realize there were two of us in the hot tub last night, aye? You didn’t do anything that I didn’t want. If ye recall, I was a very active participant. I’m a grown man, and if I feel like the hiatus has run its course, that’s a decision I’m comfortable making. Please don’t mistake the fact that we didn't continue after the song for reluctance on my part. Or because I’m too hung up on the hiatus. I knew that you were still a little under the influence of the whisky, and I respect you too much to take advantage of a situation while you don't have all your wits about you. No matter how badly I wanted you. And I wanted you very badly."

He paused and continued to hold her gaze.

"Our first kiss - or first anything - is not going to happen in a haze of alcohol.” He looked at her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. 

She nodded slowly. His phone buzzed.

“I need to take this call,” he said apologetically.

“Go ahead, I’ll make you a fresh latte.”

_Jesus! Thank God for that call. I need to unpack all that! First kiss. First anything. He wanted me so badly? He’ll decide when to end his hiatus. Jenny’s going to hate me. And he refused to take advantage of me in my drunken state. I need that coffee._

As he paced around the terrace, seemingly in an intense conversation, Claire made him a fresh latte and set it on the patio table for him. He nodded his thanks and continued his conversation. She returned to the kitchen to clean up. The croissants were ready and the cinnamon rolls would be done soon. 

She had just finished wiping the counter top, when Jamie entered the kitchen, latte in hand. His eyes were alive with excitement, and she could tell he was bursting to tell her something. She looked at him quizzically, a silent question in her expression. 

“I have some good news, but I’m afraid to tell ye.”

“What? Why?”

“Because last time I told you some good news, ye launched a stealth offensive on me, and caused me to spill my whisky all over myself. And now I’m holding a very hot coffee.”

“Jamie …” she said, very slowly and deliberately, “… set … the coffee … down.” She had a little suspicion about what the good news might be and her heart was thumping. “Are you going to tell me what I think you’re going to tell me?”

“I don’t know what you think I’m going to tell ye,” he teased.

“Stop tormenting me!”

“Okay, okay! I need a sip of coffee first.”

“Jamie!” she threatened.

He set the coffee mug on the counter.

“The property is mine. That was Milo on the phone.”

She squealed and launched herself on him, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and they hugged tightly.

“Congratulations! We’re officially neighbors.”

“Hmmh.”

“See, there’s one of your grunts. That needs to go in the glossary.”

They were still hugging, her head on his shoulder and his face buried in her mass of fragrant curls. She moved to let him go, but he tightened the hug.

“I need to enjoy this moment a little longer.”

“I know, I’m excited for you.” God, she would stay wrapped in those strong arms of his all day if she could.

She raised her head and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“Congrats again! I need to get the rolls,” she said softly.

He released her and she pulled the cinnamon rolls from the oven and set them on the range to cool.

"This calls for a wee celebration, Claire. Do ye have any champagne?”

“I do - and some orange juice. We can make mimosas.”

“I canna wait to go check out my new property. Will ye walk it with me later? It’s a bit rough and rugged, but we can wander around a little and check it out.”

”I’d be happy to. Wait - let’s take our breakfast over there and have a celebratory picnic. There’s so much to celebrate this morning!”

“Braw idea! How can I help?” 

They gathered the croissants and cinnamon rolls, jams and preserves, fresh berries, and the mimosa ingredients and loaded it all into a cooler bag. Claire grabbed a thick picnic blanket, paper plates, knives, and two mimosa glasses. At the last minute, she pulled open the freezer and pulled out a small box of macaroons from Le Panier. They would thaw quickly. Pulling on sneakers and gathering their picnic supplies, they walked down her driveway, and made their way to the overgrown bushes and long grasses into the large expanse of property.

“Watch out for wee rocks and things, Claire, I don’t want you spraining an ankle. Especially just before our big date night tomorrow.”

“Oh, it’s a big date night, is it?” she teased.

“Aye, I’ve arranged a limo, so we don't have to worry about driving. And I plan on dancing with you, so ye need those wee ankles in good shape. I already ken they’re in pretty good shape, though.” 

“Mmm, I’m sure you do.” Her thoughts wandered to his thorough investigation of her legs in the hot tub.

They walked a little way into his property, until they found a space that would allow them to spread the blanket out fully. 

“It’s a bit rough, but this should do just fine,” she said, patting the blanket to flatten the overgrown grasses below. They set out all the picnic items, and while they ate, Jamie peppered her with questions about the house designing and building process.

“I can recommend architects and builders if you like. Milo and Suki will have a list of great ones too - reputable firms that design and build custom homes. You might want to meet with a few of them and decide who you connect with.”

“Aye, I think I’ll do that. I love the layout of your house Claire. I’ll be picking your brain to find out if there are things you might have done differently.”

“Oh there are definitely things I’d have done differently.”

“Like?”

“I’d consider a separate gym for starters. You might also want to think about a separate little guest house - you have so much space here and it makes sense. You’re likely to have a lot of guests visiting from Scotland - Jenny and her family and others. A ‘casita’ or guest house would give them some privacy. Also consider that if you have babies and small children in the main house, it’s easier to maintain a routine if you have some separation between visitors and your home life. My girls are older and we love having guests, so it’s never been a problem in our home, but if they'd been babies here, I would have been stressed out about routines.”

Jamie nodded thoughtfully at this. “Makes good sense fer sure.” 

“I can think of a few other small things, but I’ll let you know as I remember them. Suki mentioned that you might want horses out here too?”

"I haven't given that enough thought yet, but when I found out how big the property was, I thought it might be worth considering. I love horses. They played a big part in my role on 'Clan Hearts'. There’s nothing like a long horse ride to clear your mind. They are such gentle, intuitive animals. If I did keep them, it would be as far from yer house as possible.”

“We’re horse lovers too - the girls each have a horse. They’re stabled a few miles from here. They’ve been riding since we moved to Seattle. Both girls volunteer at the stables to help kids with special needs ride horses and ponies. As you said, they are intuitive and gentle, and it’s amazing how therapeutic they can be.”

Jamie popped the cork on the champagne and mixed their mimosas. He handed her a glass. She knew he was going to make a toast, and assumed it would be a generic toast to new friends and neighbors.

He raised his glass: “To new beginnings. To family and children and loving homes and horses and happiness.” It was both lighthearted and heartfelt. They tapped glasses and sipped.

_No_ _‘friends and neighbors’._

“Your turn, Claire.”

She raised her glass.

“To new beginnings for you, Jamie. To making the right decisions. To filling your new home with laughter and love and passion and children.”

They tapped glasses and sipped again. 

Having eaten their fill, they tidied up, loaded the leftover breakfast things in the cooler bag and stretched out on the blanket to enjoy the warmth and peace of the surroundings. The sun wasn’t very high in the sky yet, and they enjoyed the dappled shade from some nearby trees. Claire lay back and squirmed into a semi-comfortable position on the uneven ground.

“I might lie here for the rest of the day instead of working. I love how unspoiled and peaceful it is out here.”

“I used to lie like this under the clouds as a kid. Lay there for hours at a time with Willie and Jenny. It’s sad that when we become adults, we get so wrapped up in our lives that we don’t take the time to lie back and do absolutely nothing for a moment. Force away all our thoughts and just enjoy our surroundings.”

“Mmmm. I agree.” 

After a moment, Jamie turned to Claire. “Can I ask ye something Claire?”

“Of course.”

“We spoke a lot about my dating life the other night. Have you been able to think about how that will unfold for you going forward. I mean dating and such?” He sounded tentative and hesitant. “I know you have men interested in ye. Ashlee’s dad, for one. The one who’s ‘legit dying’ right now. I hope it’s okay that I asked. If you’re not comfortable talking about it, I completely understand.”

“No, I’m okay with it. I had just started to dabble in dating before the pandemic. Last year, I went on a few one-and-done dates. There are some crazy people out there. Two of them thought that since I’d been widowed for well over a year, I must be desperate for sex, and they thought they’d be the ones to break my drought for me. Acted like they were about to do me the favor of my life. One of them suggested a threesome with our server! In both cases, I got an Uber home - no way was I allowing them to drive me anywhere.”

“Jesus, and I thought things were weird in Hollywood!” 

“A couple of Henry’s old business connections have asked me out. That felt strange, I must admit. I declined one, and had dinner with the other several times. Really great guy whose wife left him for someone else. He’s not a player in any sense of the word. On our last date, he brought me home, and I asked him in for a drink - not planning on anything beyond that, because I just wasn’t ready.”

“Mmhmmm”

“We were out on the patio, and he kissed me and I just shut down completely. It just felt wrong. And I felt awful because he was such a gentleman about it.”

“Why d’you think you felt that way, Claire? Did you feel disloyal about being intimate with someone in the home ye shared with Henry, or was it because he was Henry’s friend? Or just no chemistry?”

“Probably the last two, to be honest. It was weird that he had been a close friend of Henry’s, but to be blunt, there was zero chemistry. I knew that from the first date, but thought maybe it would develop, but it didn’t. Thinking about intimacy in the home I shared with Henry was a concern for me when I first started dating. I even sought grief counseling for that. When Henry was … near the end … he made me promise I wouldn't turn the house into a shrine with his pictures everywhere. He told me he wanted me to find happiness, and if that happiness brought someone who loved me and cherished me into our home, he would be happy. But he said it wouldn’t work if I had pictures of him everywhere. He told me I could keep one picture of him up - he even picked it out - it’s the one of him in a frame in the office. Smallish one on the shelf. All his other pictures are in albums or saved digitally for me to look at when I feel I need to.”

“He sounds like a good man, a wise man, who loved you very deeply, Claire.”

“Yes, I was so very lucky.”

“The grief counselor that you saw was helpful, aye? What did he or she advise?”

“She was a very experienced counselor and helped me work through some things. Primarily about bringing a new man into Henry’s space. She did not think that selling our home and finding a new one would be helpful to me or the girls. Henry was much more of a father figure to them than Frank - and they were devastated when he died. It would have added to their heartbreak if I moved them from the happiest home they have ever known. So the counselor suggested that I completely redecorate my own space - the master bedroom - and I followed her advice. My room is so completely different in every way from the room I shared with Henry.”

“And ye’ve not shared it with anyone yet?”

“No,” she said quietly.

“Where does Ashlee’s dad fit into all of this?”

She giggled, "He doesn’t really. Too much of a playboy. He’s a Microsoft exec, but far from being a tech geek, he’s a bit of a ladies’ man. I’ve been boating with him on Lake Washington and we went to a Seahawks game a couple of months before quarantine. Nice guy, but he really wants a trophy wife, and that’s not me. I have no plans to move that forward. It’s a little awkward, because the girls are very good friends with Ashlee. They don’t know about the dates with him, and think we were all out in a group, like teens, you know." She chuckled. "It would be awkward for the girls and Ashlee, and I have no desire to add myself to a sleepover there anytime soon. He’s working it hard though."

Jamie was watching her intently. 

“And there you have my sad little dating life, in a nutshell. A university lecturer with two teenagers isn’t exactly the most sexy image for dating, ye ken.” She teasingly borrowed one of his expressions, and he smiled.

“Ye’ve got be joking Claire. You are the sexiest woman I know, and I’m not one given to flattery. Teasing and playing around, yes, but not mindless flattery. You are intimidatingly intelligent. Do you know how sexy that is? And you are beautiful, Claire. In every way.”

She plucked at a thread on the blanket, still gazing at the sky. Compliments made her so uncomfortable.

“Full disclosure, Claire - when Milo told me he was introducing me to my neighbor to talk about the property, he gave me the basics. Associate professor, widow, two teenagers, English. I was expecting Helen Mirren - and know that I love Helen and think she’s a classy, beautiful woman. But that was the image I had of the neighbor I was going to meet with Milo. When he first pulled up at your front stairs with me in the car and I saw ye standing there, I told him ‘I thought ye said the kids were out of town’. He almost died laughing right there in the car, and told me ‘That’s your new neighbor. I think you’ll find that she’s pretty great, actually.' And he wasn't wrong.”

Jamie rolled onto his side to look at her, propping himself up on one forearm.

“And then you came around to the front of the car and I saw ye up close, and I saw your eyes for the first time. Christ, Claire! Did you know yer eyes are the color of whisky? And sunrise?”

She turned her head to look at him and giggled. “Well I’ve heard them described as honey-colored, or amber, or sometimes tiger-eyes, but leave it to a Scot to say they’re like whisky!”

He smiled at that. And they held each other’s gaze, suspended in timelessness, neither willing to break the spell. Jamie rolled over a little more, bringing his body closer to hers. She could feel the heat off his chest, and she could smell the subtle spice of his shower gel on his skin. He moved his hand to her face, gently tucking her curls behind her ear. He curled a tendril around his finger.

“You have no idea how stunning you are.”

Her butterflies were suddenly on high alert. He was sober, she was sober. Whatever was about to happen here could not be explained away by alcohol. And no matter how much they had tried to self-talk themselves into trying to fight the attraction, and to find every logical reason why it would be a mistake to surrender to the desire and the hunger and to keep the relationship on an even keel - friends and neighbors - they kept failing dismally. If the intense emotional connection they had was ‘not usual’, then the insane sexual chemistry that accompanied it threatened to overwhelm them completely. 

He released her curl and his finger traced a lazy path behind her ear, around her neck and along her collarbone. Then he lowered his head and his lips traced the same path along her collarbone in a series of tender kisses. She moaned and gasped softly and felt his mouth smile into the little spaces around her collarbone. His scruff tickled her lightly, driving her mad with desire. He had zeroed in on one of her most sensitive areas and he knew it. He tilted her head back a little to expose more of her neck and lay down a new path of kisses and tiny licks in every shallow little groove he could find. He nibbled and licked and kissed, until she could stand it no longer. 

“Jamie,” she breathed. 

Having teased her mercilessly, thoroughly kissing and nibbling every available inch of her collarbone and neck, he focused his attention back on her face. He moved to gently position himself over her body, one forearm on either side of her head. She parted her legs, allowing him to move into the space between them. Bringing her knees up a little, she tilted her pelvis into a more comfortable position, which also meant they were groin to groin. She brought her hand up to his face, stroking his scruff slowly, gaze locked with his. Her hand rested along his jawline, and she stroked him with her thumb, relishing the bristly softness. Moving both her hands around his back, she slid them under his shirt and felt his warm bare skin under her fingertips. His back muscles rippled slightly as he adjusted his position to lift some of his weight off her breasts. She felt the tingly warmth between her legs at the same time that she felt Jamie’s growing arousal pressing into her groin. 

“Close yer, eyes, mo leannan.” She didn't understand the Gaelic term, but it sounded so sweet, so loving, that she melted even more under his warmth. He gently kissed her eyelid, and traced a path of kisses to her ear, down her cheek and along her jawline, kissing all the way across, up her other cheek and finally kissing her other eyelid. She opened her eyes and gazed into the deep blue of his eyes.

His mouth hovered inches above hers, his breath fanning her lips. 

“Claire, I-”

He didn’t finish what he was going to say. Instead, he lowered his lips to hers and left tiny, delicate kisses all the way across her lower lip. He pressed his mouth over hers and breathed something in Gaelic onto her lips. His breath was warm and she knew he would taste of the mimosas they had just shared. She parted her lips and the tip of her tongue brushed along his lower lip. Her hands now out from under his shirt, she brought them up to cradle his face, and her lips traced a path of soft, dewy kisses along his upper lip. 

A low groan escaped his lips, and he moved his mouth over hers again, gently pushing it open with his tongue. He pulled back almost immediately and placed more soft kisses on her lips, raining them down gently but firmly. His tongue pushed in between her lips again, and the tip of her tongue reached for his, but he teased it back and tugged her lower lip tenderly between his. She was achingly aroused now, her body wanting so much more than he was giving her. She tried to suppress her little pants and sighs, but he heard all of them, and each one went to the core of his own arousal. Her hips started to move infinitesimally against his groin, and she felt his erection against her lower abdomen. He couldn’t hold back another deep moan as her hips moved against his. Lifting his head a little, he looked into her eyes, and then brought his mouth down on hers and pushed his tongue into her mouth, exploring hungrily, greedily. She tasted of cinnamon and berries and celebratory macaroons. She responded to his kiss with the same feverish intensity; her tongue caressing his, his tongue stroking hers. He tasted of mimosas and strawberries. Their kiss deepened, and everything else fell away around them. The trees, the birds, the hard ground beneath - nothing existed but the warmth and taste and feel of each other. Their bodies were in perfect alignment, hip to hip, chest to chest; and their lips met in an exquisite union of softness and fullness - at times seeking, at times yielding. When they broke apart, breathless, but still desperate for each other’s mouths, she reached up to caress his face gently. Their gazes locked, amber and azure, whisky and ocean; each wanting to drown in the other, to stay in this moment as long as possible. Their first kiss.

“Claire,” he whispered, “Christ -“

“Shhhhh,” she placed a finger on his lips, “just kiss me.”

He claimed her mouth again, gently sucking on her lower lip, savoring the softness as she surrendered to the passionate demands of his lips. He released her lip, and she captured his mouth in hers, her tongue finding his again as a primal desire moved his hips in perfect tandem with hers, his hard length pressing into her abdomen with every movement. Their kiss became more fervent and they were completely lost in each other now. They pulled apart - panting, breathing each other in. 

“Sassenach ….” he whispered, and peppered tender, healing kisses all over her swollen lips. He left a trail of nibbles and kisses along her jawline. She knew where he was headed, and she waited in breathless anticipation, as he zeroed in. In an agonizingly slow burn, he brushed his scruff lightly over her skin in a tantalizing path from her jawline toward her shoulder and along her collarbone. He was immediately rewarded with the deep, slow, rolling movement of her hips. Her arousal was almost painful in its intensity.

“Jamie,” she gasped, as he continued his downward path of kisses and nuzzling. He paused at her breasts and raised his head to look into her eyes. She met his gaze with unashamed longing. His hand slipped under her shirt and found its way to her breast. He thumbed gently over her nipple through the soft fabric of her bra; every part of her was on fire, and her hips moved up against his with more urgency. 

An aching, desperate need took over her senses, and she reached for his waistband, fumbling awkwardly with his buckle. He reached down to help her, and then stilled for a moment, a frown furrowing his brow.

“Claire, are you … I don’t have anything… protection, ye ken?”

She released a long deep sigh. “Oh God, Jamie. We should have …”

He remained frozen for a long moment, face suspended above hers, both of them trying desperately to process their thoughts and their options against the urgent need they had aroused in each other. Their eyes were still locked together, and a look of anguish slowly replaced the passionate yearning. 

He slowly rolled off her onto his side, still nestled up against her.

“Christ Claire, I’m sorry … I should have … I wasn’t expecting...”

“I know, Jamie, neither was I. It’s okay.”

“It just felt so right - it _feels_ so right. I can’t see you lying there Claire, without wanting to kiss you. I don’t want to keep fighting it.”

“I didn’t try to stop you, Jamie.”

“I’m so sorry, Claire. I feel terrible - this is so awkward. I should have thought of this sooner, but ye ken, it’s been a while since I’ve had to think about it.”

She touched her fingers to his lips. “It’s okay - it’s on me too."

They lay in silence for a while, allowing their bodies to slowly come down from the intense highs they had just shared. A sense of disbelief and disappointment settled into the space around them. 

“Claire,” his voice was barely above a whisper, “I don’t think we’re going to be able to keep fighting this … this thing between us.” 

She nodded. 

“We need to talk about what we’re going to do, Claire - what it all means for us emotionally and what we’re going to do about protection. We have to be responsible about it.”

“I know, Jamie. I’ve never connected this strongly with anyone. I don’t think we can deny it much longer. I don’t want to fight it either.” 

She paused for a moment, appreciating how very considerate he was, and how he had the ability to make an awkward situation feel so comfortable. 

“I … uh … when I first started getting back into the dating scene, I was fitted with a contraceptive implant, Nexplanon. But that was so long ago and I haven’t given it any thought at all since I got it. Haven’t needed to. I would have to check with my physician - whether my Nex is still effective - and I think it might be, but we need to be sure. I’m so sorry Jamie.”

“No, Claire, don’t apologize. I want you to know that I am scrupulously careful about my health and I have a full medical every year, including all the testing. My last one was in March. Completely clear on all the tests. And since I haven’t been … active since well before then …”

She nodded. 

He reached for her hand, and she rolled over to face him. They interlaced their fingers, and she smiled a slow, shy smile, lips still tingling from the intensity of his kisses.

“I’m glad we had this talk.”

He nodded; regret, longing, want written all over his face.

He pulled her close again and kissed her still-swollen lips slowly and tenderly. There was no urgency in his kiss, just a softness that said so much without uttering a word.

They lay there facing each other, lips touching lightly, sharing the same breath, feeling the same intense desire. Finally, he stood up and helped her to her feet, immediately gathering her into a comforting embrace. They held each other for a long moment, until he kissed her temple and they moved apart. Collecting the things they had brought with them, they walked back to the house in silence.

Jamie’s groceries had been delivered, and they carried them into the kitchen. Once they had put the groceries away, Jamie pulled her close again and wrapped her in his arms.

“You’re going to drive me to distraction, Claire. I can barely keep my hands off ye.”

She rested her forehead on his shoulder. “Oh, Jamie, we’re in trouble here, aren’t we? Let’s try and focus on our work this afternoon. We both have lots to do. I’ll start with my medical records.”

He nodded. “I’ll start preparing yer dinner at 5:00’ish.“

He gently tipped her chin up with his forefinger and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her lips.

“That’s not helping, you cheeky bugger!” They both chuckled, then headed to their separate work areas.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

It ended up being a very productive afternoon for both of them. Jamie worked on his speech for the gala dinner and made several calls about the winery. He FaceTimed with Jenny again. She knew him well enough to notice a levity and buoyancy in his voice.

“I ken that lilt in yer voice verra well, Jamie. Ye’d better not be taking a hiatus from the hiatus!” 

“Jenny! Back off!” He was mildly annoyed. “I’ve been really good about it, and it has already given me a lot of time to think and sort things out in my head and my heart. Ye need to trust me. I may be yer baby brother, but I’m a grown man. I ken what I’m doing.”

“She’d better be worth it.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Claire had placed an immediate call to her OB-Gyn, with whom she had a great relationship. She hoped that Glenda would call her back as soon as she heard her message, but decided to speak to her assistant too - just to ensure that her call was prioritized. Glenda’s assistant let her know that she was performing some out-patient procedures, but would call back as soon as she could. Claire then focused on work matters, making calls to faculty members and business associates. Two colleagues who had become professors in recent years offered to meet for coffee or lunch. Business contacts were delighted to hear from her - most of them had learned a lot from Henry, and owed large parts of their success to his business advice and acumen. They assured her of their support in whatever way she needed. Most of them were well-connected, and Claire had a deep understanding of the importance of networking. She was feeling more and more confident about the professorship. The remainder of her work time was spent on planning curriculum for an online course she was offering later in the summer. 

Her phone buzzed at around 4:45. The caller ID was “Prima Medical”. It was Glenda’s assistant, letting her know that Glenda needed to check Claire’s records for some important information, and would call her that evening or first thing in the morning. 

Jamie was already in the kitchen setting out his ingredients. He had poured her a glass of wine and it was waiting for her at the end of the island. 

“Sassenach! Did you get a lot done?”

“Yes! Tons, how about you?” 

“Oh, aye. Milo is picking me up for brunch tomorrow morning. We’re signing the paperwork, and he’s lined up two meetings with architects. Figured there’s no point in delaying. I’d like to see what initial ideas they have.”

“That’s fantastic! It’ll be good to get multiple viewpoints before you appoint your architect. Remind me what time our limo is coming?”

“5:00 p.m. There’ll be pre-dinner drinks at 6:00, and dinner starts at 7:30.”

“Sounds perfect. I have a mani-pedi in the morning, and my hairstylist is coming at 1:00.”

“Ye’ll look beautiful no matter what, Claire. It makes me happy that you’re looking forward to it. Now, where can I find those wee herbs you’ve been growing in yer garden?”

“They’re around the far corner - near my dying glads. While you get what you need, I’ll FaceTime the girls.”

“Aah,” he smiled. “I’ll pop my head in and say hello, if that’s okay.”

“Of course.”

The girls appeared on screen, full of excitement and energy, as always. After the kiss avalanche, they were ready to share all their news and find out Claire’s too.

“We saw Nonna, again. She seems kinda down, mom.”

“Oh no! I have neglected her this week. I’ll FaceTime her tomorrow for sure. What else have you girls been up to?”

“Not a lot. Is Mr. Fraser available?” asked Beth, expectantly.

“He will be soon - he’s making dinner tonight and just went to pick some herbs.”

“Oh my God mom, that is such a couple thing. A guy making dinner for a girl is so ‘coupley’,” Beth beamed excitedly.

“Yah, Beth is totally shipping you guys.” Ella rolled her eyes. “I mean, he’s definitely cute, Mom.”

“Girls, please - no embarrassing comments tonight.”

Jamie walked in with a handful of fresh herbs and placed them next to the sink. He looked at Claire questioningly and she nodded. He walked over to the iPad and pulled up a stool.

“Hi girls!”

“Hey Mr. Fraser,” they said together, huge smiles on their faces.

“Did yer Mam tell you the news?”

“Couldn't get a word in,” said Claire wryly, giving the girls an exaggerated look of exasperation. “Why don’t you tell them?”

“Oh my God, let me guess,” said Beth, “you guys are dating!”

“Beth!” cried Ella in shock.

Jamie and Claire shot a quick look at each other, trying to maintain blank expressions.

Jamie jumped in quickly. “My good news is that the property deal went through this morning, so we are officially neighbors.”

“Yay - that’s awesome,” both girls clapped their hands excitedly. “Congratulations.”

“When will you build your house?” asked Ella.

“As soon as possible. There’s quite a lot to do before we get to that point. I’m also considering building stables, and I hear you lasses have yer own horses?”

“What?” They stared at Jamie in disbelief. ”You’re getting horses?” They looked at each other and squealed. 

Jamie laughed, “It’s something I’ve given some thought to. I’ll let you know what happens. I’ve gotta go make yer Mam some dinner.”

“Thanks for being so awesome to her, Mr. Fraser,” Beth smiled.

Jamie started to prepare the meal while Claire chatted a little longer with the girls. Wrapping up their chat, Claire said, “We’ll chat earlier tomorrow. I have an event in the evening.”

“With Mr. Fraser?” asked Ella.

“Well … yes, but it’s a big dinner with dozens of people.”

“I called it!” yelled Beth triumphantly. 

“You guys are so dating!” whispered Ella. Beth sat next to her making heart hands and a kissy face.

“Love you girls, good night.”

“You’ve raised two amazing young women, Claire. I’m going to enjoy getting to know them.” He was trimming chicken breasts at the sink, and when those were done, he assembled the herbs to rinse and chop.

“They may get a over-little excited by things occasionally, but they are really good girls at heart. I’m proud of how they’ve bounced back from some hard knocks, you know? Can I chop the onions or grate the Parmesan?” offered Claire.

“No, thank you. I’ve got this. You get the night off.”

“Umm … we’ve mostly had take-out, so it’s not like I’ve done a lot. I’m happy to help.”

“Ye’ve opened yer house to me, Claire. That is a pretty big thing, ye ken. I want to do this for you. Sit back, relax, and enjoy yer wine, mo leannan.”

“You’ve said that to me more than once, what does it mean?”

“It’s a term of endearment. It means sweetheart or darling.”

She sipped her wine, and mulled that over. 

_Why am I so warm and fuzzy over the fact that he is already so comfortable using endearments with me._

Unable to shake off her discomfort about not doing anything to help prepare the dinner, she waited until he was busy at the sink; then she moved silently to the chopping mat, picked up an onion and a knife, and checked the recipe printout to see if it called for sliced or chopped onions. Sliced. She set the onion on the mat, and prepared to cut into it.

Before she could make another move, Jamie was behind her, pushing his body into her back, nudging her hips right up against the counter. She could feel the heat of his body along the entire length of hers. Her breath hitched and she froze, waiting for him to say something.

He moved her curls aside and lowered his head to her ear. Sucking softly on her earlobe, he nipped it gently between his teeth and in a low rumble that awoke every nerve ending in her body, he admonished her, “Dr. Beauchamp, you’re not a very good listener.”

He gently nuzzled his scruff into the sensitive area behind her jaw and brushed his chin gently down her neck.

“I thought I asked ye to sit back and enjoy yer wine.”

Her breath came in little gasps and pants, and she felt his little smile of triumph on the side of her neck. It hadn’t taken him long to learn exactly what to do to her to make her start losing herself in him. Moving his jaw back up to her ear, he started a trail of gentle, wet little kisses in a line from her ear lobe all the way to her collarbone, the lingering moisture a torturous reminder of their picnic and how his kisses had left her wanting more. So much more.

“Drop the knife, Dr. Beauchamp.” His voice still low and commanding.

“Just trying to help,” she whispered weakly.

He turned her around by the shoulders. “Ye can help by sitting and keeping me company.” He lowered his head and kissed her lips gently. Before he could move away, she took his face in her hands and placed a series of kisses on the scruff along his jawline. 

“I’ll sit back down if you promise not to shave for a while.”

He smiled his crooked, one-sided smile. “Well, I’ll need to shave tomorrow for the formal event, but I promise to grow it back next week.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Fraser.”

“I’m a man of my word, but we can seal it with a kiss if ye need more than that.” 

One hand threaded through the curls at the back of her head, while his other hand found its way to the small of her back and firmly pulled her hips closer to his. He tilted her head back a little, and lowered his face to hers. His lips were a hair’s breadth from hers and his breath was on her mouth, but he teasingly withheld his lips from touching hers until he heard her tiny groan. With infinite control, he softly brushed over her lips with his in the lightest butterfly touches, all the way across her lower lip, and all the way across her top lip. Desperate to take his mouth and kiss him deeply, she forced herself to exercise the same restraint, every nerve fiber in her body ablaze with longing. He paused for a long moment, lips barely on hers. Slowly, slowly, he pressed his lips on hers, and the tip of his tongue pushed gently into her mouth. Her lips parted and her tongue met his in the gentlest of touches - caressing lightly, delicately - for what seemed like an eternity. Both of them felt the familiar stirrings of their need. The soft, slow touches started to give way to a deeper, more urgent exploration of each other’s mouths, and they kissed long and deep with a fervor and intensity that left them both gasping as they pulled away, lips swollen and glistening and still desperate for more. Her hips were pressed against his, and they both knew they were dangerously close to can’t-turn-back territory. His eyes dropped to her mouth and she sensed that if he kissed her again, there would be no holding back.

“Jamie,” she whispered. “You know where this is going. We-”

“Sassenach …” his voice almost a whisper, “did you call your doctor? I’m so sorry to ask, but, God! You drive me crazy with thoughts of what I want to do with ye.” He pulled her close and released a deep sigh over the top of her head. 

“It was the first call I made. She was performing procedures all afternoon and will get back to me tonight or first thing tomorrow. She wants to check my records for all the correct information. I’m so sorry.” She reached up and held his face in her hands, thumbing gently over his lower lips. He touched her forehead with his own, and they nuzzled for a moment.

“Claire ... you should probably sit back down while I still have a measure of control.”

She returned to her seat, acutely aware of the yearning their kiss had aroused deep in her core.

“We need cooking music!” she announced, looking for anything to break the sexual tension. “I’ll pick a playlist, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, I love music while I prepare dinner.”

“Do you like country music?”

“I was never that into it. It seemed like every song was about a man and his dog in a truck, on a country road, singing about his broken heart. But when I started attending more events here in the U.S., I also attended awards shows for the music industry - usually a publicity appearance orchestrated by the studios or my PR. I found I really started to enjoy some of the country music. The songs all tell a story. And the writing comes from the heart. Musical poetry, ye ken.”

“Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I was also not a huge fan of country music until I attended Watershed last year with the twins and some of their friends and a few moms.”

“Watershed? Is that the one held over by The Grotto? It came up in discussions while we were negotiating the purchase. One of the big events that takes The Grotto to 100% occupancy.”

“Yes - it’s a 3-day camping festival at The Gorge amphitheater, which is super close to The Grotto. Thousands of country music fans attend, and most of them camp in the campgrounds. We had to Airbnb because The Grotto was full. But it was an absolute blast! It’s cancelled this year, but I definitely want to be there next year. And like you, I found myself enjoying the music a lot. I’ve started to add a few great country tracks to my playlists - some classic and some more recent crossover stuff like Florida Georgia Line.”

“Let’s hear some of yer favorites then,” he smiled as he busied himself rinsing some quinoa.

She tapped her ‘Country and Crossover’ playlist, and the first bars of Faith Hill’s “Breathe” drifted from the overhead speakers. _Oh God, way too intense for us right now._ She tapped the skip button, and the slightly more uptempo beat of Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean’s 'Don’t You Want to Stay' filled the space.

🎶 _I really hate to let this moment go_

_Touching your skin and your hair falling slow_

_When a goodbye kiss, feels like this_

“I like this,” he said, a few lines in.

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while_

_Don't you wanna hold each other tight_

_Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight_

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while_

_We can make forever feel this way_

_Don't you wanna stay_

“I like this verra much. Good choice.” He looked over at her for a moment, and then continued to prepare his ingredients, clearly paying close attention to the song’s lyrics. 

_Let's take it slow I don't wanna move too fast_

_I don't wanna just make love, I wanna make love last_

_Shoot, this one has some intense moments too. Are you also thinking of our picnic moment this afternoon, Jamie-boy? Because yes, dammit! Yes, I want us to hold each other tight, and yes I do want to fall asleep with you tonight. Fuck! Why hasn't Glenda called?_

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while_

_Don't you wanna hold each other tight_

_Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight_

She changed the music to something more upbeat to lighten the mood, and while he finished preparing a herb and Parmesan encrusted chicken breast with quinoa and roasted cauliflower, they chatted about the property and his house. He shared his vision for his man-cave, gourmet kitchen, and wine cellar. He asked for her thoughts on areas like the master bedroom, walk-in closets, and whether a main floor or second floor laundry was better.

“You have some great ideas, Jamie. Lots of little luxury touches, but plenty of practical ideas too.”

“Aye, that’s the goal. Ready for dinner?”

They ate on the patio. Claire kept her phone close to her in case Glenda called. Jamie’s eyes dropped to her phone every now and again, but no call came. The meal was perfect — tender, flavorful chicken with a divinely cheesy, herby panko crust. Everything was cooked to perfection.

“Jamie, this is restaurant quality. Which makes sense, since Jenny offers this at the B&B. I’m so impressed. And grateful.”

“No, mo leannan, I’m the one who’s grateful. This has been one of the happiest weeks of my life. Certainly the most memorable.”

“Yes, it’s not every week one buys a winery and prime piece of real estate.”

“Or meets the woman who changes the way one views one’s world.” His eyes held hers for a long moment.

“Jamie … you give me too much credit. I just let you talk and listened while you did.”

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed each fingertip gently. 

“Movie night?” he asked.

“Yes - let’s try to stay awake this time.”

She kept her phone in the cup-holder, but there was still no call or message by the time the movie ended.

They looked at each other for a long moment at the top of the stairs, knowing with certainty that if they touched … or kissed … neither would be able to hold back.

“Good night, Jamie,” she whispered.

She bit her lower lip and willed herself not to reach out her hand. He fought the overpowering urge to take her in his arms. 

“Good night, Sassenach,” he replied, his voice low and strained. “Go now, or I …”

She nodded and walked backwards a few steps before turning around and making her way to her room.

  
  



	19. Chapter 19

Jamie was first to the kitchen, hoping to catch another sunrise, but he had missed it by about 10 minutes and the sun was already well over the mountains and streaming into the kitchen. Filling his water bottle from the fridge dispenser, he headed to the man-cave for his weights workout.

Claire came downstairs a few minutes later. Her hair was pulled up in an unruly ponytail, and she was dressed for her yoga class. Hearing the muffled clank of the weights in the man-cave, she decided to wait and give Jamie his space and privacy while he worked out.

She knew that he had brunch planned with Milo later, but figured that he might need a little something to eat after his workout. Scanning the fridge, her eyes landed on the picnic leftovers. She pulled out the remaining cinnamon rolls. They would be perfect for French toast, and that would be the ideal little filler snack between his workout and brunch.

Forty minutes and a fragrant kitchen later, she had a tidy little stack of sliced cinnamon roll French toast. Taking her latte out to the patio, she sat down and mentally mapped out her day. Yoga first. Mani-pedi at 11:00. She had been lucky to secure that appointment on short notice, as nail salons were still under quarantine restrictions and operating at 50% capacity. Next was Armando at 1:00. She was excited to spend time with him. Not only was he a talented hairstylist, he was also one of dearest friends. She needed his advice on her dress choice for the event, and she trusted him to ensure that she looked her best. As soon as her hair was done, she’d FaceTime the girls and Nonna. She would start to get ready at around 4’ish.

She had to admit that she was pretty excited for tonight. It had been so long since she’d attended a formal event. Prior to Henry’s illness, they had enjoyed a busy social life, attending numerous formal and semi-formal events year-round. After his death, she had attended a few events as a ‘plus-one’ with men in her social and business circles, and even some of her faculty colleagues. There was nothing date-like about them, and they were strictly platonic. Tonight would be different. It felt exciting. It felt like the date that it was. And she would likely know quite a few of the people attending the dinner - her social circles tending to intersect a lot. It would be good to reconnect with some familiar faces. She and Jamie needed to be on their best behavior - Jamie had such a high profile, and she still had some lingering recognition issues after the very public PILF matter. They definitely didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to themselves. She couldn't prevent a slow smile as she hoped they'd be able to keep their undeniable sexual attraction firmly under control. 

Last night had been hard enough, but they had managed to get through the entire movie without incident. Jamie had held her hand, occasionally kissing her fingertips or wrist or palm, between quick glances at her phone. Still no call from Glenda. At some point Claire had given up on getting the call, and rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the feel of his scruff on her forehead. Both were acutely aware of the sexual tension. The desperate hunger they felt for each other was escalating, but in the absence of the confirmation they needed from Glenda, they had to do the prudent thing and suppress their ardor for now. The abstinence also gave them an opportunity to internally process the emotional intensity of the previous few days before giving in entirely to their near-overwhelming physical needs.

“Good morning, beautiful.” She turned to see Jamie emerge from the French doors of the man-cave, shirtless and glistening with the exertion from his workout.

“Hey you! Ready for a latte and a light snack while you wait for Milo?”

“Oh, aye! Whatever you’ve been working on this morning, the aroma has been seeping into the gym and making my belly growl like crazy.”

“C’mon, let’s get you fed.”

Over coffee and French toast, they shared their timelines so that each was aware of where the other would be throughout the day.

“It sounds like you won’t be back from your meetings with Milo until at least 3:30. Do you need me to steam your tux or shirt?”

“Nope - thank you though. I have it all sorted. I won’t get to see you until the limo gets here.”

He reached out to wind one of her loose curls around his finger, and then released it as they stood up to clear the table and start their busy morning.

Her phone buzzed. 

Both of them stopped dead in their tracks. Their eyes went immediately to the screen.

Glenda Lytle.

Claire answered right away, and after they dispensed with some niceties and small talk, Glenda asked her a few questions. Claire nodded and said "No" a few times, and “Hmm’ed” and "Ah'ed" several more times in response. At one point, she put her hand to her forehead and shook her head. Finally, Glenda confirmed that Claire's Nex implant was indeed still active and assured her that there was no reason to abstain or have any concerns about it. Then Glenda wished Claire a “very,  _ very _ good weekend” and hung up.

Jamie had heard Claire's side of the conversation, not even attempting to hide his curiosity. Claire's chin dropped to her chest, and she shook her head wryly. 

"Claire?"

“Uhhh … that was my doctor. I’m good to go. For at least a year and a half!” She blushed slightly, and Jamie couldn't suppress his little half-smile.

“Why the delay in getting back to you, though? Is everything okay?”

“Yes. Ugh - this is so frustrating! She remembered that I had taken some anti-anxiety meds for a few weeks during the PILF situation, and knew that there may have been some adverse drug interactions with the Nex implant that rendered it ineffective, but she just couldn't recall the exact timeline - which was way off by the way. I had been off the meds for a while by the time I got the Nex. But she wanted to be 100% sure, and some of her records are stored on a separate system, so she stopped by the office to access it early this morning. Then she wanted to check whether I was on any meds right now, which I'm not. If I’d known about her concerns, I would have given her assistant all that info. I'm so sorry! She’s just very thorough about things. I'm giving her a Covid pass. She's probably as stressed out as the rest of the medical community, and still trying to deliver babies and take care of patients under extremely difficult circumstances.”

“No need to apologize. I think that’s the best news I’ve had all week, Sassenach!” He pulled her into his arms, and kissed the top of her head. 

“Don’t be daft! I’d say the winery and your property were hands down the best pieces of news you’ve had in months!”

“Aye but the winery and the property don’t come with a fine arse like this,” and he pinched her butt lightly, barely dodging her swift swat to his bicep. 

“James Fraser, you are out of control! I’m going to do my yoga class, but first I need to bid farewell to this,” she placed her hand gently on his scruff. Leaning forward, she pressed several delicate kisses on his jawline, and one final soft, wet, cinnamon-flavored kiss on his lips.

“Jesus, Claire …”

She placed two fingers softly over his lips, “See you later, Jamie.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Just before 1:00 p.m., her phone pinged to let her know that Armando had arrived. She had just taken a shower and her hair was still damp so that he could work his magic with it. Dressed in sweats and a tee, she pulled the front door open and waited for him to park. She squealed with excitement when she saw him - they were always delighted to spend time together. She’d had her balayage treatment barely a week ago, but she could never get enough time with this hilarious, kind, and talented man. He was wearing pointy ankle-length boots, skinny black jeans and a hot pink tee, with a heavy knee-length brocade coat in shades of purple and pink. His hair was freshly trimmed - a cheekbone-length black bob, undercut at the back. He always looked flamboyantly chic, and had the best taste. Claire rarely made a designer shoe or clothing purchase without texting Armando a picture.

“Hey girl,” he hugged her tightly.

“You look divine, as always. Let me take your coat. Wine? Whisky?”

“Ugh - I’m mildly hung over. Do you have herbal tea?”

Minutes later, they headed upstairs to Claire’s bathroom.

“I need your advice on my choice of dress for tonight.”

“Uh uh! Hold your horses. First, I need to know who the lucky man is tonight.”

She sighed. “Armando, you need to swear to me that you will not breathe a word of this to anyone. It is so, so confidential.”

He studied her through narrowed eyes for a few seconds. 

“Okay, you’ve never asked me to do that before, because you just know that I would never let you down like that. So, I’m guessing this is a big deal.” 

She nodded.

“Claire, hon, after the crap you went through with the little shits who PILF’ed you, you know I am your biggest supporter and protector. You don’t even need to ask.” He looked at her earnestly. 

“Okay. Are you ready for this? I’m going to the annual Caledonian dinner event.”

“Uh-huuuuh?” he encouraged.

“With Jamie Fraser.”

He was blank for a split second, then his eyes widened.

“No. Fucking. Way.”

She nodded.

"What? How? What?”

“I know right? It’s a crazy story. I’ll keep it short. He just bought the property next door, and came to talk to me about the neighborhood. Got caught up in the CHAZ/CHOP situation, and was stranded because his hotel was downtown. So he ended up staying here in one of my guestrooms.”

“Holy crap - I need to sit down.” He perched on the edge of the bathtub. “Is he as hot in real life?”

“Hotter.”

“Are you … uhhhhh ... ?”

“NO!”

Armando raised his brows. “Nuh-uh, girl, I’m not buying that. Two of the hottest people in the friggin’ galaxy alone in a house together. There must be a little somethin’ going on.”

She blushed.

“Claaaaaaire…?”

“Armando, I can’t… we haven’t …” 

She paused.

“Hon, I get it,” he said gently. “It’s too new - maybe too special too - to want to share right now. But when you want to open up, you know who to call.”

She giggled. “I love you, 'Mando, you are literally the best.”

“Okay, this calls for your best look ever! Let’s see the dresses now, before we do your hair.”

Claire carefully stepped into the first dress option. It was a Vera Wang that she had picked up at Neiman Marcus the last time she had visited New York. A deep plum, off-the-shoulder dress, with a slight mermaid cut. The color looked perfect against her pale skin. Armando pinned her hair up roughly so they could get a sense of what it might look like with the up-do.

“Oh my stars! You look gorgeous. You could pair this with the platinum Jimmy Choos. Perfect. Turn around.”

She did a slow 360.

“Love it - a definite possibility. Let’s see the other one.”

Claire emerged from her closet wearing a beautifully cut black Oscar de la Renta gown. Armando took in her front view. The fabric was a delicate silk crepe that fell softly into an elegantly flowy skirt concealing a thigh-high slit up one side. The cut of the bodice revealed a modest amount of cleavage, and the impossibly thin straps skimming her shoulders were subtly jeweled with black beaded crystals.

“Love this too - the cut and the fabric are divine! Turn around, let’s see the back.”

She did a 180 and waited.

“Awww, hell naaaaaw!”

The dress was almost completely backless, deeply dipped to just above her butt. The beaded straps crossed over at the back and attached to the side of the bodice. The overall effect was sexy and classy in a way that was typical of Oscar de la Renta designs.

"God, Claire - this one is sensational! You still have the tag on - you’ve never worn it?”

“No, haven’t had the right occasion.”

“It looks sooooo good on you. Sexy but tasteful. Wait, let me look up close. Okay, obviously no bra, but it has a nice boob insert thing for support.”

He moved around to her back.

“Yeah, you can’t wear undies with this dress. I can see your little black thong peeking out.”

“Wait, what? Let me try another pair - maybe a nude pair.”

She emerged from her closet wearing the nude thong under the dress.

“Nope, even worse. It’s more visible because your skin is so fair. You’re going commando tonight. Whoop! Whoop! Jamie Fraser better be ready for Dr. Claire Beauchamp!”

Claire swatted at him, laughing at his sheer silliness.

“Do you have fabric tape, Claire? Bring it to me and I’ll fix it so that your ass isn’t visible down the back. Take the nude undies off so we can get the full effect.”

Claire stepped out of her underwear, and Armando attached a double row of fabric tape securely along the inside edge of the dress where it skimmed above her buttocks.

“Okay, put on the black strappy Louboutins, and walk towards me from the door.”

She did as asked. 

“Guuuuuurrrrlll!” He fanned himself with his hands. “Someone is getting laid to- _ night _ !”

She blushed and he chuckled.

The high heels were the perfect touch. She walked towards him again, did a 360, sat down on the edge of the tub to test the reliability of the tape. Everything looked and felt good. 

“This is definitely the dress, hon. So, so hot! The slit only opens up every now and again, and the effect is all in the back. Shoes are perfect. Wear diamond stud earrings - classic and less is more. No necklace. Okay. Let’s get to the hair. Put your robe on so that you don’t mess it up when I’m done. And let me replace the backing strips on the fabric tape, or they’ll stick together and make a mess. Peel them off carefully and when you get dressed, position them exactly where I just showed you.” 

For the next hour Armando dried, curled, pinned, twisted and sprayed her hair. They chatted about why he was hung over, his six-month old St. Bernard puppy, and his husband’s restaurant’s struggles in quarantine. Steering clear of an overly structured, severe look, he gathered her hair in a full, low chignon, slightly offset. Expertly weaving in pieces to reveal the subtle colors of her balayage, he tugged out a few loosely curled tendrils to soften the overall look. He adjusted her hair until he was satisfied that it looked perfect.

“Girl, you are going to kill it tonight! But more than anything, I hope you enjoy it. Have a great time, but also protect your heart, you know?”

“I know, ‘Mando. And I know when you think of Hollywood and celebrities, you probably have an immediate stereotype. I definitely did - it took me about a day to realize I had been wrong, wrong, wrong about Jamie. He is such a gentleman, and he calls me Gaelic endearments, and he feeds me baklava, and he holds my hand when we talk …”

“Oh my God,” Armando clutched his heart. “He sounds better than Hamish, even! And he was a bad-ass, romantic warrior! In a friggin kilt! I’m excited for you, hon.” He enveloped her in a hug, taking care not to mess up her hair. 

With an hour to go before she needed to get dressed. Claire grabbed her iPad. She needed to make quick FaceTime calls to Nonna and the twins.

“Ciao, bella!”

“Hi Nonna, how are you doing?”

“Good, good, thank you. So happy to see you!” 

“I’m so sorry I haven’t called this week - it has been a crazy week.”

“Yes, the girls told me you have big things going on at work.”

Clearly, they hadn’t mentioned the fact that she had a house-guest. She was grateful to the twins for that.

“Yes. hopefully it will all be over in a month or two. Nonna. Thank you for spending time with the girls this week, and for treating them to your wonderful cooking.”

“It was my pleasure. They are lovely girls, Claire. You should be a proud mama.” 

Every so often, a few ‘Italianisms’ would creep into Nonna’s speech, something Claire found very endearing. 

“Nonna, would you consider coming out to spend time with us in Seattle this summer? Any time is good for us. We’re not going anywhere.”

“I don’t know, Claire. I’m nervous about traveling. But I miss you so much, cara, and I want to see you. I’m scared for my health. Let me think about it for a few days, and I’ll call you back next week.”

“Okay, Nonna. Ti amo, and we’ll chat next week,”

“Love you too. Ciao, Claire.”

Her heart tightened thinking about Nonna on her own in Boston during quarantine. She so hoped that she would agree to come for a visit. 

She tapped her iPad, and soon the girls were up on the screen.

“Hi girls.” A longer than usual avalanche of kisses followed. Speaking to Nonna had made her miss them even more than usual. “I just spoke to Nonna - tried to convince her to come see us this summer. She’ll think about it.”

“Awww, I hope she comes.” Beth, as always, the emotional one.

“Mom, your hair looks awesome,” gushed Ella. “Did Armando do it?”

“Yes. I have the formal dinner tonight, remember?”

“Oooooh, date night!” Beth teased.

“What are you wearing?” asked Ella.

“One of my black dresses,” Claire replied lightly, imagining the over-the-top reactions if she showed them her choice.

“You always look good in black mom,” said Beth.

“Do a nice smokey eye mom - I’ll send you a tube-video of an awesome makeup artist.”

“Thanks Ella. Hopefully it’s a short video, I don't have a ton of time.” She had already been planning on a smokey eye, and matte red lips.

“Send us a selfie when you’re ready.”

“Will do. Love you both, and we’ll chat tomorrow.”

“Love you, Mom.”

As she glanced at the time on the iPad, a text slid in at the top of the screen. 

Jamie F. 

She tapped it - hopefully, he wasn’t running late.

**I’m home - u busy?**

'I’m home' … Not 'I’m back' or 'I’m here' or 'I’m at the house'.

__ __ **_Hey! yes, just putting on makeup - need anything?_ **

**Not really - i missed u - did u know this is the longest we’ve been apart all week**

Oh God. 

**** **** **_I missed u too. see you downstairs at 5_ **

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Her makeup looked exactly the way she wanted. The occasion demanded a more intense, glamorous look, and Claire was skilled at applying her own makeup, knowing which colors worked for her, and how much to apply. She slipped some extra fabric tape, lipstick, and gum into her Judith Liebner beaded clutch, spritzed on some Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb, and took a final look in the mirror. She had to admit that the dress flattered her body, gently skimming her curves and accentuating her small waist and pert derriere. Turning to check her rear view carefully, she wanted to ensure that the tape was doing its job. Going commando was certainly not something she did routinely, and she hoped that the tape would not let her down. She gave the fabric a little tug, but it was going nowhere. 

__ __ _ Hmm - might be painful coming off later. Never mind - I’ll deal with it then. _

She took a quick selfie and sent it off to the girls. They would be crazy with excitement - they loved it when she glammed up for special occasions.

Descending the curved staircase carefully in her almost 5” heels, she could hear Jamie in the kitchen, and called out to him. 

“Jamie? I’m ready - is the limo here?”

She heard the clack-clack of his brogues on the marble floors as he walked towards the foyer staircase. She stopped dead - with four steps still to go - as soon as she saw him.

_ Sweet baby Jesus! He’s wearing a kilt!  _

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he held his hand up to help her down, a stunned expression on his face. She placed her hand in his as she took the last few steps, and then she was standing in front of him. She raised her eyes and they looked at each for a moment.

“Claire!”

“Jamie!”

They smiled broadly - they had breathed each other’s names at the same time. 

“Ye look absolutely beautiful, babe. I am near speechless, and ye ken that doesn’t happen often.” She smiled, suddenly feeling a little shy. 

_He called you_ _‘babe.’_

“Jamie - I had no idea you were wearing a kilt tonight. You look amazing!” She looked over his outfit from his bow tie to his traditional brogues. “Will you explain all the different parts to me - in the car?”

“Aye of course. God, Claire ... it’s going to be hard to keep my hands off ye in public. Let’s see all of you.” He raised her hand to turn her around, and she gracefully complied to show off her back.”

“Christ Claire. I’m speechless again. God, you’re gorgeous.”

“You look so dashing, Jamie.” She ran her fingers over his smooth jawline. “Clean shaven looks just as good.”

Her phone pinged. “Limo must be here.”

Jamie helped her into the back of the limo, and climbed in after her. They sat close together, and he gently placed his hand over hers on the seat. The driver turned around to face them.

“I have the address. There’s water in the back, and I believe you requested champagne. Do you need help opening it?”

“Thanks - I’ve got it.” Jamie nodded at him.

“I’ll raise the privacy screen, and if you need anything, press the buzzer.”

The privacy screen was a clear glass panel that gave them the freedom to speak in private. It was a 30-minute drive to the event center, and they were both relieved to be able to chat without worrying that a complete stranger might overhear them.

“Claire, let me take in all of you. Your hair looks beautiful - and yer face. You look beautiful to me all the time, but tonight you are just indescribable. Your dress is perfect on you. I like yer sexy shoes too. Lift them up for me to look.”

She raised her foot slightly, and the dress fell open at the slit, revealing her leg up to mid thigh. He leaned his head on the headrest, closed his eyes, and groaned.

“Oh my God, I’m not going to be able to take my eyes off ye.”

He leaned towards her and kissed her below her ear.

“I’ve never seen a sexier woman in all my life. Thank you for being my date tonight.”

“I’ve never been on a date with a man in a kilt. Now  _ that’s _ pretty darn sexy.”

“I guess we’ll just be the sexiest couple, then.” He grinned the naughtiest grin, and she shook her head, trying to keep a straight face.

“You are a ridiculous man! Will you tell me about your formal kilt? It looks amazing and sexy and so full of culture and tradition.”

“Well the formal event calls for a black Prince Charlie jacket. I like to wear mine with a waistcoat and a bow tie of course. The kilt is the Fraser colors. This is a traditional sporran - with a silver chain for formal wear. I like the kilt hose like these - I’m a little bit of a traditionalist in that sense. My shoes are also traditional brogues, and as ye see I have the laces too. I wear the Clan crest on my jacket for formal occasions.” He unclasped it to show her more closely. “It has the stag’s head and Fraser motto, ‘Je Suis Prest’ -”

“I am ready,” Claire interjected. 

“Aye, in French.” He attached it to his jacket again, and she sensed that he was really quite proud of the centuries of tradition that went into his heritage. “It’s all so interesting and rich in history and folklore and legend. I love it, Jamie. You look incredibly handsome tonight.” 

“I’ll be rolling a lot of history into the Ultimate Sassenach Highlands Tour,” he winked at her. “So ye’ll learn a lot more about some of these things,” he gestured at his outfit. “I’ve already started making a list of things and places I want to show you and the girls.”

“Oh, Jamie, you really are a rare man.”

“Let’s have a wee glass of champagne before we get there, and I’ll give ye a run-down of the events.”

He popped the cork and poured them each a glass, holding it up for a toast.

“To the sexiest couple.” She laughed and tapped her glass against his. They sipped their champagne as he briefed her on the order of events.

“When we arrive, I have to go straight to the photo area for a short meet ‘n greet. It’s not a huge red carpet event like a movie premier. There will likely only be three or four photographers. But I’ve been asked to pose for pictures with guests - part of the job, ye ken. I want to try and avoid letting them capture pictures of you. First, if they capture us together, I don’t want social media drama to follow you, Claire. That would break me.” He frowned lightly and kissed the inside of her wrist. “Second, I know you don’t want any more attention than you’ve had. You’re my plus one, so we should walk in together. I’ll give ye my elbow to hold because that looks less … uh … intimate. Ye ken I’d prefer to hold your hand, but I canna do that until the press photographers have gone and we’re inside the event area.”

“Roger that. As soon as we’re in, I’ll head off to the pre-dinner drinks area while you do the meet ‘n greet. I’m bound to know a few people there tonight. Do you have any other duties?”

“Aye, I have to speak a little about Scottish culture and heritage - just 5 or 10 minutes. I do these talks all the time - it’s not a big deal at all. I prepared my speech yesterday. They do it right at the beginning of the night, so it’s over and done with right away. There will probably be some Highland dancing - usually a local dance school will send some kids to dance. It’s quite sweet, really. Apart from that, it’s eat, drink, and be merry.”

“It’ll be a lot of fun, Jamie - I’ve been looking forward to it.”

“Aye, it will. I hate that we have to be on guard at the beginning, and that I have to abandon ye for a half hour. I’m so sorry, Claire.” He leaned over and kissed her gently on the mouth.

“Uh-oh! Let me check you for lipstick. It’s matte so it usually stays put.” She held his face towards the dim interior light, but his lips looked clear. “All good.”

But just in case, and because she was feeling sassy, she swiped her thumb slowly across his mouth, dragging his lower lip, and biting her own intentionally.

“Ye’re a shameless tease, Sassenach, ye ken that, don’t ye?”

“Mmhmmm. How did it go with Milo?”

His eyes were still on her lips. “It was really good - I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. We got a lot done.” He raised his eyes to hers, “I really did miss ye, Claire. It was a long day without you.”

Her heart skipped a little beat. “I missed  _ you _ . The house felt lonely and quiet without you.”

The privacy panel dropped a few inches and the driver turned his head slightly to let them know that they were about five minutes out. 

  
  



	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW.

* * *

The driver stopped the car at the portico and ran around to Jamie’s door, which was nearer to the stairs. As he opened the door, Jamie handed him his unlocked phone. 

“Could you do us a favor, mate? Take a couple of pictures of us together please.”

Jamie unfolded himself out of the car, then turned to help Claire out. She placed her hand in his, eased herself out gracefully and stepped towards Jamie. He pulled her close, his arm around her near-naked back, and they smiled broadly while the driver captured a couple of photographs in quick succession.

“Our first date pics, Sassenach. Can you imagine if the girls saw these?”

They looked at each other and laughed.

Jamie thanked the driver for taking the pictures and confirmed their pick-up time. Claire slipped her hand lightly into the crook of his arm, and they walked up the stairs together.

_No photographers, thank God!_

Two bagpipers were at the top of the stairs, playing “Scotland the Brave” as the President of the Caledonian Society, Angus MacFarlane, came over to greet his guest of honor the moment he saw Jamie arrive. 

After quick introductions, Claire excused herself to find the pre-dinner drinks, and Jamie went to the meet ‘n greet area, which was set up in a corner of the foyer. He was immediately surrounded by mostly female fans. Claire found herself thinking that this was one good thing about quarantine restrictions - numbers for this event were limited, or there would undoubtedly have been even more people waiting for pictures.

She made her way to the Rainier Ballroom, where roughly 15 large round tables had been set up for the dinner. A small dais and lectern had been placed at the front of the room for the speakers, and just to the left of that was the DJ table. There was a small dance floor, and in the back of the room, a large area had been set aside for a bar. A small crowd of around 30 people had started to gather for pre-dinner drinks. Gloved and masked servers were walking around with trays of appetizers and champagne flutes. Claire grabbed a flute - it was barely one-third full and she had sipped a small amount in the limo. She wanted to be alert and observant tonight to avoid putting Jamie in any kind of compromising position.

Standing at the edges of the group, she looked around and spotted a business executive who had been on a board of directors with Henry. She went over to greet her, and she was delighted to see Claire and chat with her. She introduced Claire to a few of her group, and they stood around making pleasant small talk for a few minutes. Claire was adept at mingling and continued to circulate and greet acquaintances, enjoying reconnecting with those she hadn’t seen for a year or more. She was starting to yearn for the company of her Scot and, sneaking a look at her watch, she hoped he wouldn’t be too much longer at the meet 'n greet. 

“Claire?” His voice was right in her ear, and she jumped a little.

“You’re back!” 

“Will ye mingle a bit with me?” She allowed Jamie to lead her away, his hand resting lightly on her back, warm and strong and reassuring.

Together, they circulated and worked the room. Jamie, ever the charming Scot, was meeting and greeting, schmoozing and humoring everyone he came into contact with. She was at his side the whole time, his hand protectively on her back, and occasionally he would squeeze her hand gently. They were a striking couple and looked very comfortable together. Heads turned when they were near, and they attracted more attention than they realized.

As dinnertime approached, guests were asked to take their seats, and after a brief introduction by Angus, Jamie delivered a short but well-rehearsed speech about Scottish culture, history, and heritage. He spoke about how ‘Clan Hearts’ had increased interest in Scotland, and tourism had spiked enormously. He encouraged everyone present to visit Scotland. Much applause ensued as the audience heartily endorsed his sentiments. He went on to talk about how important it was for organizations like the Caledonian Society to prosper so that they could continue to nurture Scottish heritage globally. He urged guests to donate to the Caledonian. More applause followed. And finally he spoke of how he had fallen in love with Seattle after months of filming a movie locally. He spoke of how much the greenness and weather reminded him of Scotland. This drew some light-hearted groans as Seattleites acknowledged their notoriously rainy, cool climate.

Claire watched him and listened carefully to every word as he spoke with deep passion and conviction about his heritage. He looked devastatingly handsome up there, dapper and polished in his Highland finery. His russet hair gleamed under the lights, and the chiseled lines of his face looked even more defined now that he was clean-shaven. She watched him and the audience’s reaction to him with a sense of pride _._

Jamie started to wind down his speech by saying that Seattle felt like a second home to him. He glanced briefly at Claire at that point. The audience sensed the sincerity of his comments and responded with rapturous applause and whistles. Most of them were second and third generation Americans, and while they held onto their Scottish heritage firmly, they liked nothing more than a foreigner who loved their city. He endeared himself further when he mentioned that he was a Seahawks fan and had the jerseys to prove it.

His memorable conclusion was tweeted by a guest, and then retweeted extensively by his fan bases over the next few days. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to conclude by reading a short poem by Scotland’s beloved Rabbie Burns. This poem may well be my ode to Seattle, and for some of you in the room, it may be an ode to your beloved. I sense that for a few of us, it may even be both.

O my Luve is like a red, red rose

That’s newly sprung in June;

O my Luve is like the melody

That’s sweetly played in tune

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;

I will love thee still, my dear,

While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my luve,

Though it were ten thousand mile.

He read it beautifully with all the right Scottish inflections, thrilling the audience with his expert intonation, a result of his years of training and experience in delivering lines with impact and feeling. During his reading, he made fleeting but unmistakable eye contact with Claire several times. Whistles, applause, and a brief standing ovation followed Jamie as he made his way across the room, amid pats on the back and quick greetings. He returned to his place next to Claire, who was still on her feet, applauding his perfect address. She sat down, reeling from his reading of the poem, and almost breathless as she tried to remember every word and searched for meaning in it. She had analyzed the poem extensively in literature class when she was in S5. In the Scottish school system, that meant she would have been around 15. She wished she had paid better attention, but she sensed that Jamie’s interpretation here was much more personal and real than anything she could hope to learn at school. 

She wanted to hug him, kiss him firmly, and tell him that he had done a phenomenal job. But, aware that a lot of eyes were still on Jamie, she smiled politely at him instead, as he took his seat at the table. 

“That was excellent, Jamie.” 

“Thank you.” Under cover of the long tablecloth, he found the slit in her dress and slid his hand under the fabric to gently squeeze her knee. He left his hand there, and she looked at him with a tight smile and warning look in her eyes. He looked at her steadily, eyebrow slightly quirked, and the corner of his mouth twitching a little.

Grabbing the printed program from the middle of the table, she placed it between them, and pretended to point at something on it. Both looked down at the page, making it hard for anyone to even try and make out what they were saying to each other. She said through a smile:

“People are still watching us. Please remove your hand from my knee.”

“I canna. It feels so good.”

“Jamie, please.”

“Are ye begging me, Sassenach?”

He was enjoying this.

“I’m appealing to your common sense. What if someone sees you?”

“No paparazzi here tonight.”

_Damn you! I’m going to have to fight fire with fire._

“You looked hot up there, Jamie. That kilt is doing things to me.”

“What kinds of things, Claire?”

“I’ll tell you if you take your hand off my knee.”

In response, he started to trace lazy circles on her knee with his thumb.

“Would you like me to adjust your sporran for you - right here?”

“Aye, I’d love it.”

The server arrived with drinks at that moment and Jamie reluctantly moved his hand from her knee back to the table, his wicked little half-smile giving away nothing to anyone but her.

Soon after the drinks arrived, guests enjoyed a beautifully presented and delicious dinner of roasted pheasant and spring vegetables. The two couples at their table were good company. They were well-traveled, witty conversationalists, and it was a pleasant meal-time conversation with none of the awkwardness that is typical of large, formal events. As the meal drew to an end, tables started to break up and regroup, as friends and acquaintances carefully reconnected after months of quarantine and isolation. 

Jamie leaned towards her, “ I recognize some people in the bar area. Group of guys in the red kilts - they were a hoot last year. It’ll be a while before dessert is served. Let’s head over and join them.”

“Sure - let’s do it. They are definitely having a good time.” She giggled at the boisterous laughter coming from the group. 

Jamie stood and helped her from her chair. They excused themselves from their table companions and walked over to the bar, where Jamie and the red-kilted men re-introduced themselves and reminisced briefly about the previous year’s event. He introduced Claire to the men and they were immediately drawn into the uproarious fun the men were creating around them. The red-kilts had plainly over-indulged and the whisky shots lined up on the bar counter indicated some drinking games, but Jamie and Claire preferred to watch rather than participate, enjoying the fun nonetheless. Here in this bubble, with the red-kilted men surrounding them, they felt safer and more protected from prying eyes. Jamie was more attentive and openly affectionate in this space. Now and again he planted a quick kiss on her temple, her nose, her neck. The men didn’t seem to notice - or if they did, they were too drunk to care and carried on as normal. Jamie’s hand was on her back, lightly caressing and stroking the delicate skin from the small of her back up to her waist. His fingers slid under her dress, and he softly tickled her waist. She drew in a sharp breath at this more intimate touch, forcing herself not to squirm. Enjoying her reaction, Jamie noticed that none of the red-kilts were paying any attention to them, and with their backs close to the wall, he and Claire were well out of the line of sight of curious eyes. His fingers crept lower under her dress, reaching her hip, where he paused and caressed her skin with his thumb. He dipped lower, past her hip and paused again where the fabric tape prevented him going lower. His fingers were stroking her hip as far below the fabric as he could go, touching, enjoying the softness of her skin and the goosebumps that his fingers left in their trail. Slowly, something dawned on him. He glanced at her with a questioning little look, and she looked boldly back, a knowing smile curving her lips.

Realization glimmered in his widening eyes and a lop-sided smile lifted the corner of his mouth. He leaned over to her.

“Claire!” He sounded almost hoarse, “Did ye forget something?”

“No. Why? Did you?” 

“Jesus, Claire. The things ye’re doing to me tonight! Ye’re cruel and merciless.” 

“Mr. Fraser, Mr. Fraser!” Angus MacFarlane was peering through the group of red-kilts trying to find him. Jamie quickly pulled his arm away from Claire and waved at Angus.

“Angus! Here!”

“Mr. Fraser - we have a donor who would love to meet you. He may ask for an autograph for his daughter. Would you mind terribly?“

“Not at all.” He went into charming mode immediately. Turning to Claire, he asked, “Will you be alright for a minute, Claire? The lads will look after ye. I’ll be a few minutes at most.”

“Go ahead Jamie, I’ll nip to the bathroom and will be here when you get back.” 

Returning from the bathroom, she noticed that two men in blue-green kilts had joined the red-kilts, and she wondered fleetingly why so many more men than women attended this event.

_Maybe it’s that age-old kilt camaraderie._

She skirted her way around the group to wait where she and Jamie had been standing.

“Claire!” She turned to see who had called her and looked into the smiling face of Jeff Campbell, quickly making his way over to her.

“Jeff! I didn’t realize you were here!”

“My table is near the back. I saw you earlier - wanted to make sure I said hello.”

He reached her, and put an arm around her shoulders, placing a wet kiss on her cheek. She wondered how she could discreetly wipe it off. He smelled of beer and whisky and was unsteady on his feet.

“I always come to this event, Claire. I’m a proud Campbell,” he indicated his tartan kilt in his clan colors.

“How have you been, sweetheart?” His hand moved from her shoulder and slid down to the small of her back, warm and clammy, and dangerously close to her butt. He lowered his voice. ”You look hot tonight. Every man in the room is looking at you. Me included.”

_Oh God, how do I get out of this awkwardness._

Thankfully, the DJ announced that the dance floor was open, and launched into a string of golden oldies. A steady stream of couples moved towards the dance floor. It was just the distraction that she needed, as even the red-kilts turned momentarily to listen to the announcement. She tried to wriggle away, but Jeff moved with her.

Jamie had indulged the donor with a few minutes of small talk, and then signed the back of a program with a message for the donor’s daughter. Smiling broadly, he thanked him and headed back to the bar. He and Claire had some unfinished business. He felt the response below his kilt as he remembered where they had left off. Knowing that the little minx was not wearing underwear would make it that much harder to keep his hands off her. How was any man supposed to maintain a level of self control when faced with that much sexy!

Approaching the bar, he noticed a man in Campbell tartan talking to Claire. He seemed a little in her personal space, but that was likely the result of all the free-flowing whisky. Probably all harmless - maybe someone she knew. When Campbell-kilt placed his arm around her shoulder and planted a kiss on her face, Jamie froze. For a second he clenched his teeth, muscles moving furiously in his jaw. Campbell-kilt dropped his hand to her lower back, and left it there, almost on her butt. 

_What the fuck are you doing? I’ll thank ye to take yer hands off my Sassenach._

Jamie had reached the end of his tether. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he strode over to the group, and reclaimed his place on the other side of Claire. He was at least 4 inches taller than Campbell-kilt and he fixed him with an icy blue stare.

“Jamie,” Claire moved in as close to him as she could in unspoken confirmation that Campbell-kilt’s attentions were unwanted. He fixed the man with a stony stare - charm be damned! No drunken lout was going to slobber all over Claire and place his hands on her while he was around. Claire noticed the look on Jamie’s face and knew she had to quickly defuse this situation. 

“Jamie, this is my friend, Jeff Campbell. Jeff, this is Jamie Fraser.”

“Good to meet you Jamie. I’m a fan of your work - ‘MI5’ is one of my favorite movies.” Jeff was slurring a little.

Jamie nodded, and Claire saw his jaw muscles move almost involuntarily. She didn’t recognize this side of him. There was a tension about him that was both thrilling and a little frightening at the same time. And very, very sexy. 

A sudden round of raucous laughter from the red-kilts reminded her that they were in a very public space, with a wealth of cell phones equipped with cameras. Jeff’s hand was still on her back, and she hoped the situation wouldn't escalate.

Making another attempt to break the uncomfortable mood between the three of them, she said lightly, “Uh … Jeff’s daughter, Ashlee, is really good friends with the twins.”

Jamie looked at her sharply.

_Fuck!_ _‘Ashlee’s_ _dad’, and he’s still obsessing, apparently. What a cocksplat!_

Jeff’s hand still hadn’t moved - even when she had practically snuggled into Jamie’s arm. Downing his whisky, he looked at Claire and smiled his most lecherous smile. The song changed - clearly a crowd-pleaser as more couples moved towards the dance floor.

_I’ve got sunshine, on a cloudy day_

_When it’s cold outside I’ve got the month of May_

_I guess you’d say_

_What can make me feel this way_

“Would you like to dance?” Jeff asked her, slurring his words. 

_My girl, my girl, my girl …_

_Talking_ _‘bout my gi-i-irl_

“Claire, I believe this is our song,” Jamie looked at Jeff, eyes still icy. “It was good meeting ye, Campbell.”

He took Claire by the hand and guided her to the dance floor.

Once on the dance floor, he wrapped an arm around her, resting his hand on her lower back. He clasped her other hand and held it gently between them. 

“I’m so sorry, Claire,” his voice gentle and comforting in her ear. “I should have taken ye with me to sign the autograph.”

“It’s okay. He’s harmless - just annoying.”

“Hmmh.”

“Since when is this our song?”

“Since tonight,” he laughed.

“I thought it was 'Perfect'?”

“I like that one too - it’s also in the running.”

“For what?”

“To be our song.”

“How many songs are in the running?”

“I don’t know yet, there are so many great ones with beautiful lyrics. We need to listen to them all and find our song, aye?”

The song changed, and they continued to dance and chat comfortably, both enjoying the physical closeness of dancing and the fact that they had to speak into each other's ears to ensure that their words were for each other only.

“You really listen carefully to every song, don’t you?”

“Aye. I told ye my Da would play special songs for my Mam all the time.”

“Yes - musical poetry he called it.”

“Aye. He taught me to really appreciate poetry. Told me that poets write and rewrite a verse, or a line, or a word, to make it just right. To create the right mood and send the right message. He said we need to respect that by truly appreciating what they’ve written. It’s the same with songs, according to my Da. The writer or singer writes and rewrites parts of it until it’s perfect. We should appreciate it more deeply and listen more carefully.”

“Your reading of the Burns poem was beautiful. Such a perfect way to end your speech.”

He pulled her in closer. “I changed the poem at the last minute. I worked on it after we got back from our picnic. The one I had picked just didn't work with the way I was feeling. “Red, Red Rose” captured my feelings much better.”

He moved his head, breaking their cheek-to-cheek contact so he could look into her eyes. They gazed at each other for a long, long moment, almost coming to standstill on the dance floor. 

“Claire,” his voice was heavy with desire and longing. “Let’s get some fresh air. I need to clear my head.” 

He took her by the hand and made his way out of the ballroom. Heading down the corridor, he guided her to the escalators, and they headed up to the next level. It was completely deserted, with just a few lights glowing to indicate emergency exits.

“Where are we going?”

“There’s a lovely wee patio here, overlooking the lake. Last year, the men gathered there to smoke cigars and take in some air, but they’re not doing that this year since the event is so much smaller.”

The patio was unlocked, and they stepped outside to a magnificent view over Lake Washington. The space was dark and deserted, of course - the empty tables, chairs and stools a reminder of the strange quarantine world they were in. Night had fallen, and hundreds of city lights were reflected in the lake. A few yachts and boats bobbed languidly in the water, their lights also reflected in the lake. They leaned on the railing, shoulder to shoulder, and looked out over the water.

“I’ve never seen the lake so peaceful and quiet. Hardly any boats out at all.” 

He looked at her, the reflected lights from the lake casting enough brightness for him to clearly make out her features - his gaze dropped to her lips. He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. They stood like that in silence for a moment, looking over the lake and its dancing, reflected lights. Pressing kisses on the back of her neck and shoulder, he slowly turned her around to face him and pushed her gently against the railing. She felt the hard, cold railing against her back, but didn't dare react - her eyes searched his eyes and then dropped to his mouth. The tip of his tongue peeked out to wet his lips briefly, and then he was moving towards her. 

He kissed her hungrily, tongue brushing her lips, gently at first, and then pushing them open and greedily exploring her mouth. Their tongues twisted together and they kissed with an urgency and roughness borne of the slow-burning desire they had both felt for each other all evening. Crushing each other’s lips hard, they were a mess of lips and tangled tongues, teeth nipping and holding, then releasing again. He sucked in her lower lip hard, holding it in his mouth, grabbing it between his teeth. She let out a little moan, and they broke apart, breathing hard. They looked at each other, suspended in a moment of intense longing, her lips swollen and glistening in the soft reflected light. He brought his mouth down over hers again, and kissed her lips achingly tenderly, wanting to heal the roughness and the lingering sting from his passionate onslaught moments earlier. He pressed tiny soft kisses all the way across her swollen lips.

“I’m so sorry, Claire, I didn’t mean to hurt ye.” He sounded pained and regretful.

“You didn’t,” she said, placing her fingers gently over his mouth, and then reached up to softly kiss his lips. 

Taking both of her hands in his, he walked back a few steps, bringing her with him. He leaned on the edge of a patio table, legs extended in front of him, and pulled her in to stand between his thighs. The height of the table and the angle at which he sat placed his eyes level with the base of her throat. He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss in the hollow there. Still holding both of her hands, he started to draw gentle circles on the inside of her wrists with his thumbs. Looking into her eyes, his face became serious, as if he'd been thinking about what to say to her.

“Claire, I’m sorry about my earlier behavior. With Campbell. I wasn’t very friendly or gracious, was I?”

“You definitely seemed tense.”

“When I saw him with his arms around you, kissing you like you were his to kiss, I almost lost it. And I know I have no right to do that, but I canna help it, Claire. I don’t know what I was feeling at that moment. Maybe a bit of jealousy - I wanted you all to myself. But it was also a sense of wanting to protect you. I could feel that you were not enjoying his attentions at all.”

“I wasn’t. I didn’t feel unsafe, but I was nervous about getting out of the situation without causing a scene. And I wanted him to know that I was with you.”

“I think he knows that now,” he chuckled briefly, and then the seriousness set in again.

“Claire, I’ve already told you that this week has been life-changing for me.” He was drawing soft, gentle patterns on her skin with his thumbs …. up and down the inside of her arms, all the way from her wrists to the delicate area on the inside of her elbows. She tried not to focus on how much that was turning her on. “And not all of it has been about the winery and the property. I’ve never known anyone like you, Claire. You’ve gotten under my skin, and ye’ve made yer way into my heart in a very short space of time.”

His thumbs were so distracting, and almost as if sensing that, he slid his hands down to hers and interlaced his fingers with hers.

“I desperately want to explore that feeling and that special connection with you, Claire.”

He searched her face for acknowledgement, and she nodded, her eyes never leaving his. 

“I know you haven’t felt ready to move past some of your own boundaries, and that ye need more than just the physical - more than just the sex. But I want you to know that my feelings are not based just on the physical, the lust, the maddening desire you arouse in me. It’s not only about you being the most beautiful woman I have ever known. And the sexiest.” His tiny smile made her respond in kind. 

“Are ye willing to explore this connection further with me, Claire?” He waited anxiously for her response.

“Jamie, this has been an unforgettable week for me too. You have awakened feelings - and needs - in me that I haven't felt in a long time. They make me scared and nervous, not because I don't trust you with my heart, but because these feelings have grown so intense, so fast. We’ve spoken a bit about this unusual and instant bond we’ve formed. I’ve never felt that with anyone else. I want to explore it with you, Jamie, but we need to spend some time thinking and talking about it too.”

“Aye, I understand ye better than ye think, mo chridhe.”

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed each of her fingertips, and then placed soft kisses in her palm. She had noticed how much attention he lavished on her hands - always kissing each part of them. It melted her to think that a man would take the time to focus on areas that brought her pleasure - her neck, her collarbone, the soft skin of her inner arms - rather than just the ones that turned him on. As if reading her thoughts, he kissed the inside of her wrists, and continued with a line of tiny wet kisses up the inside of her arm to the soft skin on the inside of her elbow. He gently nipped and sucked the most sensitive part. The moisture he left behind cooled in the night air, making her shiver slightly and starting a slow ache between her legs.

“Jamie … the … uh … the physical is important to me too, you know. I don’t think we can explore _us_ fully if we don't explore the physical, and I want you to know that … how do I say this …? Je suis prest, Jamie. I won’t hold back. Like I said, you have aroused some needs in me … ” She gave him a shy smile that eased the seriousness of the moment.

“Well, you’ve been teasing me all night, so I am very interested to learn more about those needs. I might find ways to tend to them, ye ken.” His half smile and raised eyebrow stoked the fire already making its way through her body.

“Oh you might, might you? Care to elaborate, Fraser?”

His eyes narrowed a little, and he looked thoughtful for a moment.

“I’ve given a lot of thought to that this evening, Claire. Ye canna stand before me looking like that and expect me not to think about taking you in my arms and making love to you all night.”

His hands were around her waist now, warm and gentle, his thumbs caressing the area below her ribs.

Her eyebrows lifted slightly. “Continue …”

“Well first, I will take you in my arms and I will kiss you for a very long time Claire. I will kiss every inch of your beautiful face, from your eyes, to your ears, to your neck - especially that little area right there,” his eyes dropped to her clavicle, and he leaned in to place another tender kiss there, “the one that drives ye mad and makes ye pant and sigh and squirm under me.”

“I don’t pant and sigh and squirm!” she said indignantly.

“Oh, aye ye do. And after I have made you squirm, I’ll go back and kiss your mouth again for a long, long time." He paused and kissed her hungrily, pulling away reluctantly to look into her eyes. "Sometimes my kisses will be gentle, and sometimes they will not, because you bring out some very base instincts in me at times, Claire. I wouldna hurt you, but ye would certainly feel my heat and my passion in those kisses. And when yer lips are swollen and sore, I will give them a wee rest.”

“And then what?”

“Then I’ll ease these bonnie sparkly straps down over yer shoulders and I’ll follow them down with kisses.” He pulled her closer, slid a finger under each strap and pressed kisses along her shoulder and a little way down her arm.

“What then ... ?”

“I’ll very gently and carefully remove the tape that is protecting your modesty here,” he gave her the dirtiest little eyebrow raise as he caressed the lowest part of her back above the line of her dress, “and your dress will slide off yer body and fall in a wee puddle on the floor around your feet. Then I will take my time looking at your beautiful body, Claire, and I will ignore my own arousal so I can continue to adore every part of you.”

Her breathing was faster and shallower now.

“And how do you intend to do that? ” she breathed.

“I’ll take you up in my arms, and I’ll lay ye gently on the bed. Then I’ll kiss ye all the way down yer neck until I reach yer breasts.”

“And then ... ?”

“And then I’ll kiss and suck yer breasts until … ” his hands slid up her body, past her waist towards her chest and his thighs tightened around her legs a little. His thumbs found their way under the outer edges of her dress to lightly caress the swell of her breasts. She was barely breathing. His thumbs caressed her nipples, already hard and now agonizingly tender under the gentle circles his thumbs made around them. “Until I feel your nipples in my mouth and on my tongue. I’ll take my time there, and then I will suck them until your hips push hard against me and ye beg me to stop.”

She bit her bottom lip involuntarily. “Keep going …” she whispered.

“I will reluctantly take leave of your breasts, and I’ll kiss ye all the way to yer wee belly button, and I’ll kiss and lick ye there, until ye wriggle and squirm, and then I’ll continue kissing, past yer belly button …" He paused.

“Don’t stop now,” she said softly, breathlessly. The slow ache that had started between her legs had continued to intensify, and she knew that she was wet with longing.

“Then I’ll roll you over, and start at the top again. Kissing ye from the back of your neck,” he pulled her in closer still and she placed her hands on his shoulders, steadying herself. He reached up and softly caressed the back of her neck with his fingertips. She clasped her hands around his neck and looked intently into his eyes, lips slightly parted, and still swollen from his earlier kiss. 

“I’ll kiss every inch of your back too, and I’ll leave a path of wee kisses down yer spine,” his fingers lightly showed her the path his lips intended to take, all the way down to the dip in her dress. She shivered delicately under his touch. He moved his hands onto her buttocks and clasped his hands over the soft roundness there, relishing the soft yielding feel in his hands through the fabric. “God, Claire, you have no idea how I have longed to feel yer perfect wee arse in my hands.” He groaned at the sheer pleasure of it and rested his forehead on her shoulder. She indulged him for a moment, and as he pulled his head back again, she held his face between her hands, looking into his eyes.

“Please continue …”

“Then I will kiss every millimeter of yer arse. I will bite and nibble and lick - I'll spend a lot of time there, Sassenach.”

“Mm-hmm ...”

“Then I’ll kiss and nibble the back of your thighs in a long line …" he released her butt and slid his hands slowly down the back of her legs until he reached the back of her knees. He brought his hands around to the front and, finding the slit in her dress, he pushed his hands through the folds of fabric to touch the skin at the back of her knees. His fingertips caressed the sensitive skin there, increasing the ache and wetness between her legs to new levels. She couldn’t suppress a low moan that formed in the back of her throat. 

“Hmmh,” he grunted, “sounds like I might have to spend a little more time here, kissing, and licking, and nibbling.” 

“And where will you go next?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“I will roll you back over,” and he withdrew his hands from the back of her legs and reached up to place a hand on her lower back. With his other hand, he reached through the slit of her dress again and started to draw lazy circles and random patterns with his fingertips on the inside of her leg, just above her knee. His eyes were hooded and she could tell he was working to control his own responses. He continued up the inside of her leg to mid-thigh, and looked into her eyes intently, wanting visual confirmation of her consent. Her breath was coming in short pants, and she slid her hands from around his neck to the lapels of his jacket, gripping the fabric tightly. She could feel that her wetness had started to seep past the confines of her folds and the very tops of her inner thighs bore traces of her blazing arousal.

“Carry on,” she panted, “I want to know more.”

“I’ll kiss you all the way from yer knees,” he had lowered his voice and she could barely hear it over her breathing and the sound of her own pounding heart in her ears. His fingers continued on their teasing, titillating upward path, and his fingertips now just millimeters from her slick wetness.

“And when I reach here, Claire, I will lose myself in you. I will kiss you, and lick you, and smell you, and taste you. I will find all the hidden areas that make ye pant and squeal. I will spend a lot of time here and you will show me how to please you Claire, and when ye finally stop shaking in my arms, I will kiss your mouth again, and I will make love to you again, with my body, instead of my mouth.” 

His fingers continued to stroke and caress where they had stopped in their upward path. Their eyes were still locked on each other, and slowly, he moved his fingers into her warm, wet folds. She gasped softly and gripped his lapels hard. He groaned something in Gaelic. 

“Claire, ye’re so wet for me. God, I want you so much.”

With his other hand on the small of her back, he pulled her closer so that her thigh brushed up against his arousal. The fingers of his other hand were gently exploring her folds and spreading her wetness where he needed it.

“Jamie …” she brought her hand down towards his kilt, but his hand grabbed her fingers.

He shook his head. “This is about you, Claire.”

Slowly and with exquisite tenderness, he inserted a finger inside her, eliciting a deep moan from the depths of her throat. She felt herself flutter and tighten around his finger and he released a raspy breath. Pulling his finger out, he stroked and caressed around her opening, and then two fingers were inside her, gently moving, allowing her body to adjust. Clenching around his fingers, she gasped as he curled them and they continued to move inside her. His thumb explored her folds, finding her swollen nub; gently, tentatively touching her. She made a sound that was somewhere between a squeal and a gasp, and clutched his jacket by the lapels again, feeling the hard metal of his clan crest under her palm. Gripping the fabric hard to steady herself, she panted unashamedly now, as his fingers moved inside her and his thumb circled her sweet spot. She groaned at the combination of agony and ecstasy that this slow burn had created in her core. 

“Jamie! God, Jamie …”

“I know, babe. Christ, I want ye so much I can scarcely breathe.”

She ached for him so badly, for the friction and touch that would bring her to her shattering undoing, but they both knew that this was not the time or place. They knew, too, that this was just the start of what would be a long night of ecstasy and fulfillment.

Slowly, so slowly, he withdrew his fingers and left a trail of her wetness down the inside of her thigh as a reminder that they had unfinished business. 

She sighed deeply. Wrapping his arms around her back, he brought her closer, and she leaned in to kiss him. She kissed him with tenderness and passion, her tongue pushing gently into his mouth, and his tongue meeting hers in a lingering, delicate kiss that held a promise of more to come.

"We should go back inside,” she whispered, voice unsteady and breathless. “You’re the guest of honor, they might be looking for you.”

“Aye, ye're right. The wee Highland dancers will be on soon, and we should probably have a dance or two and mingle for a few minutes before we call it a night. I need to take ye home, Claire. Does that sound okay?”

She nodded her head. 

“Quick bathroom break, and then I’m good to go,” she said.

“Aye, you and me both,” he said dryly. 

The Highland dancers were about to start their performance, and no one noticed Jamie and Claire quietly slipping into the ballroom again. They made their way to the bar, where the red-kilts had also stopped their carousing to appreciate the performance of the talented young dancers. 

"I definitely need a drink,” Jamie eyed her knowingly.

“I’ll sip on yours, if that’s okay.”

After the performance, they enjoyed the company of the red-kilts for a little while, sharing Jamie’s whisky and laughing at the men’s stories and antics, until Jamie heard the first chords of an old classic and immediately took her by the hand. 

“May I have this dance, mo chridhe?”

“Of course,” she moved with him towards the dance floor, not recognizing the song until Roberta Flack’s sweet, pure voice filled the room.

_The first time, ever I saw your face_

_I thought the sun rose in your eyes_

He pulled her close, one hand firm and strong and low on her back, the other holding her hand over his heart. Her other hand rested on the back of his neck, where she could gently play with the russet curls that just reached his collar. The tempo of the song was unusually slow. They were swaying to the music without moving about the dance floor much, and that suited them just fine. After the intensity of the patio, they were content to just bask in the enjoyment of having their bodies pressed together. He held his cheek against hers, and turned his head slightly to inhale the combination of fragrances that made up her unique aroma. Perfume, lotion, shampoo - all of them combined to create her own special scent, and he couldn't get enough. 

_And the moon and the stars_

_Were the gifts you gave_

“You so smell so good, babe.”

“Sshhh. I’m listening to the words - isn't this musical poetry?”

“Aye it is. I grew up listening to this.”

T _o the dark, and the endless skies_

_My Love_

_And the first time, ever I kissed your mouth_

_I felt the earth move in my hands_

“I love the lyrics,” she said, and he pulled her closer still, fingers lightly caressing her back. “I think I heard this song earlier this week. Isn’t it funny how you don’t hear a song for years and years, and then suddenly you hear it several times in succession.

“Mm-hmm.”

_Like the trembling heart_

_Of a captive bird_

_That was there, at my command_

_My Love_

“Jamie?”

“Hmmm?’

“Did you request this song?”

“Aye. I did,” he sounded a little sheepish. “And before you ask, yes. Yes, I added it to your playlist when you were in the hot tub. Because the first time I saw your face, yer eyes reminded me of sunrise. And whisky.” 

“You are a precious man.” She lay her head on his shoulder while they swayed to the music, her nose nuzzling his neck.

_The first time, ever I saw_

_Your face .... your face …_

The song came to an end, and they stood still on the dance floor, staring into each other’s eyes. They so badly wanted to kiss, but there was no way they could do that with so many people around them. Jamie took her hand and led her back to their table. 

“Grab your purse, babe. Our car will be here in less than 10 minutes. I’ll say my goodbyes to Angus and his team.”

  
  



	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

* * *

The drive home felt agonizingly slow. They were keenly aware that every mile brought them closer to inevitable ecstasy, and their patio exploits had significantly escalated the sexual tension between them. The yearning for each other was palpable. There was an electric and exhilarating energy between them in the car that forced them to exercise remarkable control, aware that the privacy panel was solely there for passengers to enjoy private conversations. The driver could see everything, and there was no way they could risk any physical expression of their hunger for each other, save for the tender lingering kisses they stole when the passion threatened to overwhelm them.

The driver lowered the panel and let them know that they were five minutes out. 

Jamie pulled Claire in close, his hand gently caressing her shoulder and arm. She rested her head on his shoulder, and her hand was on his chest, where she could feel his heart beating below the hard metal of his clan crest.

“Je suis prest. I wasn’t kidding, Jamie, I am so ready!” she whispered.

She could hear the lazy smile in his voice. “I know, Claire. I ken exactly how ready you are. If you thought you were wet on that cigar patio, you should know I am ready to take ye all the way,” he murmured in her ear, sending a thrill through her, all the way to her toes.

As soon as the driver brought the car to a stop, Jamie helped Claire out and took her hand as they quickly ascended the stairs to her front door. He entered the key code and pushed open the heavy door, guiding her into the foyer and following her in. She waited for him to lock the front door, and extended her hand to him in an unspoken invitation that had been a week in the making. His heart stopped for a beat and he felt his response in the twitch between his legs. 

“I want you, Jamie,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. “I need you.”

“Claire … ” He took her hand and pulled her towards him firmly, releasing her hand and holding her face between both of his hands. He looked into her eyes, and brought his mouth down over hers in an electrifying kiss that left no doubt about how the evening would end. The deep moan that escaped her lips was his undoing. Still holding her face in his hands, and raining greedy kisses down on her parted lips, he turned her and walked her back a few steps until she was up against the front door. His breath came in ragged gasps as he kissed her fervently and passionately, tongue exploring and teasing and eliciting an immediate response from hers. He lowered his head to her neck, his sharp stubble adding a deliciously new sensation after the familiarity of his softer scruff. He moved his prickly jaw in a targeted and deliberate exploration of her neck and collarbone. Her moans made him twitch again and she was keenly aware of his arousal as he pushed her firmly against the solid door. He brought his lips to hers and whispered into her mouth. 

“Claire, I need you so badly.”

“I need you too.” She whispered back, her lips on his.

His hands moved around to her lower back, and she arched it away from the door a little, instinctively knowing what he wanted. Gently and carefully, he started to ease the fabric tape from her skin to free the dress, their lips still lightly pressed together, parted but not kissing, just breathing in sync. He didn’t want to hurt her sensitive skin, but, God, he desperately wanted to slip the dress off her and have her naked in front of him. He had pictured this moment so many times over the past week - the moment they would finally succumb to the emotional connection and sexual tension that had been building between them from the night they met. But he hadn't fathomed the depth of his longing and the intensity of her response to him. Easing the last piece of tape away, he could finally dip his hands beneath the dress, and he cupped her bare buttocks, squeezing gently, relishing the feel of her soft flesh yielding to his touch. She pushed her pelvis against him, feeling his hardness and gasping at the quivering response it evoked between her legs.

He slid his hands up to her shoulders and pushed one of the beaded straps down, planting sweet kisses all along the side of neck, across her shoulder and down her arm. He did the same on the other side, then captured her lips in another searing kiss, pushing his groin up against hers, seeking the movement of her hips that she willingly gave him. Her skin here was delicate and fragrant, and he brushed his stubble lightly over it knowing that it elicited a primal response from her. 

“Your skin is so soft, mo chridhe.” 

She was delirious with pent-up desire, and his warm, steamy kisses on her neck and shoulders brought a new wave of little moans and a surge of wetness low in her core. 

“Jesus, Claire, do you not know what those noises do to me?” he growled.

Driven by the rumble of his deep voice against her shoulder and the thought of her lustful noises intensifying his arousal, she gasped against his ear, and fumbled urgently with the fabric of his kilt. Finally finding her way to his buttocks, she grasped his taut, solid muscles firmly, pushing her fingers deep into his flesh. His rear end had been the subject of millions of fantasies - her own included - and she pulled him tighter against her now, possessively, almost forcefully. He ground his hips into hers and she dug her nails into the strong, muscled flesh, triggering a deep groan from him. She was not immune to his noises, and that groan went to her very center, intensifying her yearning in a fresh rush that left her wetter still and breathless. She immersed herself in the sensations that he was arousing, marveling at his ability to awaken nerve fibers that blazed with his every touch.

Gazing deep into her eyes, he slowly and deliberately worked her dress down past her breasts and arms, allowing it to fall free and pool at her feet. His eyes followed the path of the dress, taking in her firm, rounded breasts, her taut stomach, neat Brazilian patch and shapely, toned legs. He already knew that she was a stunningly beautiful woman, and having her stand naked in front of him, filled with desire and yearning for him, pushed his thoughts into sensory overdrive. He kissed her again, desperate for another taste of her mouth, for the feel of her tongue against his, for the sounds of her pleasure in his ears, for the provocative combination of smells that made up her unique fragrance.

“God, you’re beautiful, Claire. So beautiful.” He smoothed his hands slowly up her arms, over her shoulders and down to her breasts. Cupping a breast in each hand, he gently circled his thumbs over her hardened nipples, mouth seizing hers again and again in an endless series of tempting little kisses. He lowered his mouth, still wet from her kisses, and claimed a nipple, sucking gently at first, and then with increasing intensity. Her nipples ached with a need that went to her core, and brought new waves of desire and hunger for him.

“Jamie,” she panted, her fingers losing themselves in his hair. He took her other nipple lightly between his teeth and nibbled and teased until she tugged lightly on his hair, and he sucked gently as her hips ground more urgently into his. She slid her hands under his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders, and he quickly discarded it, along with the waistcoat and bow tie. Her fingers moved quickly as she started unbuttoning his shirt, planting sweet kisses and tiny licks on his skin as she exposed more and more of his muscled chest with each button. She was brazen in her eagerness to disrobe him completely so that she could freely explore and bask in the delicious mounds and hollows of his incredible body, honed to near-perfection by hours of dedicated workouts.

His hands slipped around to cup her buttocks again, caressing and kneading and getting his fill of the arse that drove him crazy with lust. She pulled his shirt free of his waistband and undid the last two buttons, intentionally pressing up against the arousal under his kilt. He inhaled sharply and looked at her with hooded eyes. Dragging his shirt down his arms, she splayed her hands on his chest and buried her face in the sprinkling of soft, curly hair between his well-defined, firm pecs, inhaling his intoxicating scent. She swirled the tip of her tongue gently over his nipple, and felt his reaction in the movement of his muscles. Kissing her way across to the other nipple, she licked and nipped lightly until he moaned softly and caught her lips in his, leaving her panting with another scorching kiss. She wanted to spend hours exploring and licking and kissing his entire body, but he had other ideas, and with an urgency that sent a ripple of anticipation through her, he discarded his shoes and socks in a few quick moves, and started to remove his sporran.

“No,” she breathed, “I’ll do it.” She pushed herself tightly against him, her breasts pressed on his chest. She dragged the sporran across his waist, pressing it torturously up against his erection, until she had the clasp in her fingers. She unclasped and discarded the sporran along with the growing pile of clothes on the floor. Locking her eyes with his, she ran her fingers slowly along the inside of the kilt’s waistband, feeling his abdominal muscles react to her touch in tiny pulsing movements as her fingers sought the clasps that would release the last barrier between his skin and hers. He gave her a tiny smile and guided her hands to the buckles on each side of the kilt. Making short work of both buckles, she pulled the kilt free at last and discarded it. He was finally naked before her, and she needed to take him in - all of him. His body was hard and toned and lusting for her. She ran her fingers lightly over his broad shoulders and strong muscled arms, hands closing firmly around his biceps, savoring the strength and hardness she felt there. Completely focused on enjoying his body, she ignored the aching desire between her legs, and skimmed her hands over his chest, down to his abdomen, where she lightly brushed the lines and grooves of his muscled 8-pack with her nails. Her eyes dropped to his V-line, and she drew her breath in sharply at the sight of his erection. She knew that when they finally came together, her body would need to adjust to his size and she let out a tiny moan of pleasure at the thought of how he would fill her.

Locking her eyes with his, she reached down and gently palmed his balls, taut and straining and desperate for the moment that would bring them release. He narrowed his eyes, breathing faster and shallower now. Moving her hand up along his length, she tentatively touched the drop of moisture collecting at the tip. Slowly circling her finger in the slick wetness, she raised her finger to her mouth and licked it slowly, seductively. He drew in a sharp breath and watched her through narrowed eyes. She lowered herself to her knees and ran her fingers over his shaft, feeling the swollen veins throb at her touch. Gasping slightly at the thought of tasting him, of taking his length slowly into the warm depths of her mouth, she ran her tongue slowly up and down and around his shaft. Looking up at him, she bit her lower lip, and heard a groan rumble deep in his abdomen. Pressing one hand into his russet curls, she wrapped her fingers around the base of his erection. Her other hand circled his shaft, dragging slowly along the full length of him. He watched as she lowered her head and closed her lips around the head of his shaft. Her lips and tongue, her hands and fingers - he was almost incoherent with carnal desire and need. The little vixen was dangerously close to sending him over the edge.

Jamie’s hands were suddenly on her wrists.

“Babe, if you carry on, I’m not going to last,” he said gently. “I need you up here.”

He helped her up, and pushed her gently back against the door and she gave herself to his slow and sensuous kiss. She pushed back against his body, her hips rocking rhythmically against his, as she sought the friction that would bring her satisfaction. Jamie’s hands were on her hips, and he was wild with desire as her hip movements almost pushed him beyond the realm of his control. Their kiss grew more urgent and intense, until they devoured each other’s mouths hungrily, tongues pushing and twining and sucking and savoring. They finally parted, panting and desperate for more. His hand moved slowly from her hip to the front of her thighs, and he gently cupped the V-patch between her legs. 

“Oh God, Jamie …” She wanted to freeze time and stay locked in this moment. His long fingers buried themselves in her folds and the abundant wetness there.

“Claire!” he looked deep into her eyes in awe at the physical proof of the sensations he awoke in her. 

“Jamie, I need you …” she whispered. 

His fingers were deep in her folds now, electrifying her with every touch. He found her swollen nub, and began to massage in slow circular motions. She arched her back towards him and he took her nipple in his mouth, sending a charge directly to her wet, aching core.

“Jamie …” 

His mouth was on her jaw, on her neck … tracing a path to her breast and back to her collarbone with his tongue, and her breath came in pants and sighs as he licked and nibbled the hollows he found there. He slowly inserted two fingers inside her, and she tightened around them in small pulsing movements that hinted at what awaited him when he finally took her. But he pushed those thoughts aside to focus on her pleasure. He curled his fingers inside her, seeking gently until he found what he was looking for. He stroked her steadily until she arched her back away from the door in a forceful movement. He wrapped his other arm around her and used his body to gently push her back against the door, pressing his body close to hers. He withdrew his fingers from her core and found her swollen clit again. With gentle fingertips, he circled the slick, swollen nub while he nuzzled the space between her neck and shoulder, listening to her noises and breathing, and responding intuitively until she started to tremble and he knew she was close to peaking. 

“Jamie … Jamie …” she breathed. 

“Show me, babe.” 

She placed her hand gently over his and with the gentlest touch guided his speed and pressure. Her breathing became more erratic, and her noises alternately guttural and breathy. His fingers moved inside her, around her sweet spot, bringing her tantalizing, agonizingly sensual pleasure. Her body began clenching around his fingers, shaking, tightening, bringing her to a soaring crescendo and losing herself completely in his arms. He held her tightly pressed to him until he felt her shaking subside, and then he peppered gentle kisses all over her face.

“Jamie …” she reached for his cock, but he held her hand. She wanted to bring him pleasure as he had done for her, but he knew that in his desperate state of yearning for her, he needed to take the lead tonight.

“Upstairs.”

His voice was raspy and desperate with desire. He reached around to grasp her butt and quickly hoisted her up. She wrapped her legs around him, and he took her upstairs effortlessly, their groins pressed together. He carried her into her bedroom and sat her gently on the edge of the bed. Reaching into her hair he felt for the hair pins and gently released her curls from the chignon. How he loved her mass of richly textured curls. Whether she wore it natural or in softer waves, he could barely resist inhaling it, or touching or winding a curl around his finger. Burying his fingers in her hair, he tipped her head back and kissed her hungrily.

“I could kiss ye all night, Claire. I canna get enough of yer mouth.” He traced her lips with his finger and dragged it down her neck to her breasts, where he circled one nipple slowly. He gently pushed her back onto the bed with his body, and with a strong arm beneath her, guided her to the middle of the bed. 

“My shoes, Jamie,” she breathed.

“Your shoes are staying on, Claire.” His voice was low and decisive, and she thrilled at the thought of him wanting her to keep her stilettos on while he made love to her. Her hair lay in disarray around her head, and he nestled his face in it, reveling in the soft, fragrant curls. 

“Ye smell like heaven.” He planted tiny, wet kisses along the entire length of her shoulder and collarbone, making her dig her stilettos into the bed and roll her hips against his body. She was still achingly sensitive from her intense release downstairs.

“Claire,” he rasped as her groin rubbed up against his straining erection. Taking her nipple in his mouth, he lavished it with licks and nips and kisses, and then sucked it hard, nipping it delicately between his teeth, while his thumb and forefinger lightly pinched and tugged at her other nipple. 

He took it between his lips and left a circle of kisses around it, continuing the trail of kisses down the middle of her abdomen, pausing to lick and kiss her belly button. He gently rolled her over, and continued his sensuous trail of kisses along the back of her neck. His hand caressed her butt with a feather-light touch, and he felt her hips grind down into the bed as his lips left a slow path of kisses down her spine. She knew he was going straight for her ass - it was his not-so-secret obsession - and she waited in eager anticipation for attention he would lavish on her. He started in the sensitive small of her back, pressing kisses in a low curve, dipping into the little cleft between her soft mounds. He rained firm kisses down on every visible inch of her butt, groaning with pleasure as she clenched slightly and rolled her hips under him. He grazed her lightly with his teeth and nipped gently, as his hands kneaded and pressed and his fingers explored dangerously closely to her wet, quivering core. His own response was bringing him close to the point of no return, and for the umpteenth time that night, he fought for control of his visceral, carnal urges. 

He abandoned thoughts of kissing her all the way down the back of her legs to her stiletto-clad feet. That exploration would have to come another time - he was too close to his own release, and he still needed to feel her peak in his arms again. 

Reluctantly leaving her delectable butt, he rolled her over again, and buried his face in her neat V-shaped mound, gently pushing her legs apart, caressing sensually from her knees, all the way up to her inner thighs. She sensed a renewed urgency in his movements now, and the idea that he was getting close to the limits of his control thrilled her. She was desperate for him to fill her and find his own release deep inside her.

His hand moved to her inner thigh, moving intentionally upwards towards her swollen pink folds. Slowly and gently, he immersed his fingers in the abundant moisture he found there. 

“Christ, babe ...” he whispered. His straining arousal intensified at the evidence of her response to him, and when she spread her thighs further to accommodate his body on hers, he let out a moan of pleasure that rippled through every fiber of her being. 

She bent her knees up a little more, stilettos digging into the bedding, back arching sharply in response to his gently probing fingers. He stroked and explored with the gentlest of touches, finding her clit again, still swollen and slick with her juices, and so, so ready for him. He drew tiny circles, his mouth moving closer and closer, dropping more kisses over her small V-patch, the coarseness of the hair tickling his lips as he moved to her smooth, wet folds. He buried his face in her, inhaling her heady scent and groaning in pleasure and anticipation. She arched her hips upwards, and brought her knees up higher still, scraping his butt and hips with her stilettos. Her nails dug into his shoulders, leaving little half-moon indents - imprints of her wildly escalating lust. He pressed kisses in a small circle around her sweet spot, and followed them with tiny licks. His tongue teased over it, and she arched her back wildly, then pushed back down, deep into the bedding. She started to rotate her hips rhythmically, as his tongue flicked and sucked and swirled. He ran his tongue along her fold, and in the slick spaces between them, and brought it back to where she needed it most, flicking light, gentle touches that brought her to the edge. He dipped two fingers into her, keeping them there until her tightness had adjusted to their girth, then slowly, slowly he inched them upward, curling them to maximize her pleasure. He pumped them in and out slowly, eliciting a series of pants from Claire. He withdrew his fingers to allow his tongue to take over, exploring the depths of her, taking in her scent and her taste, as his tongue plunged into her. He dragged his tongue back to her swollen, aching nub and lavished attention on, licking, swirling, sucking. She writhed under him, her thighs pressed against his head. 

“Jamie. I .. Jamie,” she dug her nails into his scalp and he knew she was close.

Her hips arched up again, and her gasps and sighs grew louder. 

“Jamie. Jamie, please …” her voice was plaintive, pleading.

He lifted his head and watched her intently and his fingers sank into her again, his thumb reclaiming her sweet spot. His fingers worked their magic on her, while his mouth found her nipple, licking and nipping and sucking. She couldn’t prevent the movement of her hips - nor did she want to. 

“Jamie, Jamie! Oh God,” she was breathless, panting, “don’t stop!” She clutched at his back … at the bed-covers … at his back again, thighs pressing in on his hand, hips arching, nails scraping his back. His lips were on hers, breathing her name; his fingers were on her … in her; bringing her unimaginable pleasure. She lost herself completely in him. Wave after wave of unstoppable ecstasy coursed through her body, intense and exhilarating. Nothing else existed in that moment. It was just the two of them, completely absorbed in each other, completely suspended in their awareness of each other as her body trembled beneath his. 

He didn’t stop until her shaking and panting and moaning slowed, her hand gently stilling his. Still breathless, she took his face between her hands.

“I need all of you, Jamie. I need all of you, now.”

He lowered his mouth to hers in a swift, plundering kiss and spread her thighs wider. Taking his thick, hard cock in his hand he gently guided it to her opening and eased in a little. He searched her eyes, finding only raging desire, and he pushed in more, allowing her to adjust, until he was deep inside her. She pushed back on his chest and brought her ankles up on his shoulders, her stilettos in his peripheral vision. He started thrusting, slowly and deeply, withdrawing almost fully, before plunging in again. Her raised legs allowed him intensely deeper penetration, eliciting deep sighs and groans of pleasure from both of them. 

Desperate to prolong her pleasure and his, he maintained his slow rhythm, their eyes locked in mutual rapture. He kissed her deeply, sucking the breath out of her, triggering more blissful moans deep within her. Her breathing was fast and shallow, her hands grabbing the strong muscles of his back and raking hard. He pumped harder and faster now, and she rocked upward to meet his thrusts. He pushed deeper still, wanting to possess her entirely, to lose himself in her body, to get lost in her soul. Looking deep into her eyes, he felt that everything about this moment was perfect. He couldn’t imagine a time when lying with someone had felt so right. Her nails dug into his back, and she pressed the tips of her heels into his flesh. His thrusts slammed into her in a visceral rhythm that awakened parts of her body that yearned for more, in a euphoric combination of pleasure and pain that made her cry out his name. He plunged deeper, his breathing and thoughts fevered and wild.

Desperately thrusting, his blood coursed through his veins, pounding in his ears and focusing his thoughts entirely on where his body and hers joined. His rhythm became irregular and they knew he was close. With a shudder that she felt all the way in her center, his movements slowed as he called out her name. And in that moment, his heart, his soul, his entire being was one with hers, as he poured himself into her in ecstatic and total release, her core pulsating around him, drawing him even deeper into her as he filled her completely with heated gushes, the culmination of a week of intense and overwhelming desire. In that moment, there was only Claire. Her whisky eyes fixed on his, her hands on him, pulling him tightly and deeply into her. He shuddered, completely spent, and collapsed on her, panting and breathing her name.

They lay there for an eternity, sharing the same breath, the same heartbeat; unable to take their eyes off each other. They were fused together by this moment that was almost divinely surreal in its intensity. 

“Don’t move,” she whispered. “Stay inside me. Just stay here forever.”

His lips melted into hers, and they kissed with infinite tenderness. 

“Mo chridhe,” he breathed, his hand caressed her face.

“What does that mean?” she whispered.

“My heart.”

They held each other, legs tangled, and arms wrapped tightly around one another. Neither of them wanted to fall asleep, preferring to gaze at each other endlessly. He smoothed some curls from her face and kissed her gently, almost reverently. And when his kiss ended, she caressed his face, and left a trail of tender, lazy kisses across his lips. 

Eventually, they lay still ... fingers interlaced, breathing aligned ... and gave themselves to a deep, restful sleep, completely entwined in each other. 

  
  



	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

* * *

She awoke slowly. The sun was streaming directly onto her bed, and she knew by its angle and warmth that it was late morning - probably close to noon. She _never_ slept in this late. Lulled by the heat of the sun on her bed, she lay on her side, perfectly still, and closed her eyes again, enjoying the indulgence of a Sunday morning lie-in. Gradually becoming aware of her senses, she felt the mild ache between her legs first. Releasing a deep sigh, she allowed images and moments from last night to float into her consciousness. Jamie’s mouth on hers, gentle, then demanding; his hands on her body - giving, then taking, then giving again. Jamie on her ... and in her, stretching her and filling her so completely. A soft moan escaped her lips as she recalled how she had abandoned herself to him.

The second thing she became aware of was the stirring of his strong muscular body behind her, his arm draped across her middle, gently tightening his hold on her. A series of kisses gently deposited on her shoulder told her that Jamie was awake too. She opened her eyes and interlaced their fingers, holding his hand over her heart. She released a soft sigh. 

“Those wee noises of yours are going to get you in a whole lot of trouble.” His voice was sleepy and insanely sexy in her ear, and she felt an immediate response between her legs.

“Mmmhmmm,” she hummed again, kissing his fingertips, “tell me more…”

He pulled her towards him gently, the frenzied passion of last night replaced by a languid tenderness. She felt the first signs of his arousal against her, and a slow smile stole across her lips. Slowly, she rolled over to face him, his hand sliding across to her lower back as she moved, drawing her close to him. 

A smile crept across his features and he captured her lips in a slow, deep kiss. 

“Good morning, beautiful.”

She reached her hand up to his face, and gently brushed his stubble, smiling as she remembered his promise that he would allow the scruff to grow back. “Good morning.” 

His hand moved to her butt, and he traced abstract patterns on her skin with his fingers. Her fingers explored his back, feeling the slightly raised marks that her nails and stilettos had left on him. A question formed slowly in her not-quite-awake mind.

“My shoes?” she asked quietly, and he smiled his half smile.

“I got up at some point to pull the covers over us and took yer shoes off.”

“Mmmm,” she murmured gratefully.

His hand slid up her belly to her chest, and he gently cupped her breast, thumbing over her nipple with a butterfly soft touch. Reaching for her mouth again, he kissed her tenderly, leaving her slightly breathless as he moved his attentions down her neck to the sweet hollow at the base of her throat.

“Did you sleep okay?” she asked, wondering if she’d hogged the covers.

“Best sleep I’ve had in ages. I might stay here all day, if you’ll stay with me.”

“Hmmmm. Sounds heavenly. You wouldn’t get any more sleep, though.”

“That’s the whole point.” His little eyebrow raise told her exactly what was on his mind.

Her hand drifted over his hip, and across his belly, where her fingertip slowly circled his belly button, feeling his muscles contract in response. She traced the lines of his 8-pack with her nails, and dragged them down the strip of soft russet hair in the middle of his V-line, reaching his springy red-brown tangle, and caressing slowly, gently. She felt him twitch against her hand, and she moved her hand to gently palm over his hard, erect length. He groaned into the hollow of her throat, the vibrations going straight to her core, adding to the aching wetness that had been building from the moment he warned her that her ‘wee noises’ would get her in trouble. If this was trouble, she wanted more of it.

He dragged his lips up from her throat to reclaim her mouth. Her fingertip circled the head of his erection and with the lightest of touches, stroked the ridge at the base, eliciting a low moan from him. He took her hand and moved it gently away from him, holding it firmly in his hand. He was already so turned on, so ready to feel her take him deep inside her.

Rolling her over onto her back, he brought his lips down on her nipple, and flattened his tongue over the pebbled hardness. He pulled her nipple into his mouth, swirling and flicking his tongue over it, making her moan and roll her hips in a rhythm that was starting to become deliciously familiar to him.

He ran a hand over her belly and gently palmed her mound and brushed his fingers through the soft, trimmed curls there. Reaching lower, he dipped a finger into her slit, immediately finding the slick, warm evidence of her arousal within her swollen folds. 

He released a low, guttural groan. “You’re so wet already. God, you make me want to lose myself in you.”

Gazing into his eyes, she nodded, and he slowly pushed his fingers into her. Her wetness all over them, he slid them slowly back to her swollen nub, and started to trace slow circles, as she released a long, deep moan and clutched the bicep of his arm, pressing her nails into them. His other hand still held hers away from his arousal. He wanted them to enjoy delectably slow morning sex, and she made him want her with an urgency that rocked him to his core. He was hard and thick and aching for her. He desperately wanted to sheath himself in her and feel her tighten and pulsate around him, but he needed to take it slower.

He kissed her mouth deeply, and continued to tease her clit with his fingers, adjusting his pressure as he gauged her breathing and hip movements. Her breathing became shallower, and her legs became increasingly restless. Using two fingers over her sweet spot, he increased his intensity a little more. She rolled her hips and pressed them up into his groin, trapping his hand just where she needed it.

“Slower, Jamie,” she breathed, and he adjusted his movements, gazing deep into her eyes. He wanted to watch her lose herself in him. 

“Jamie … Jamie …” she arched up. “Oh God …” 

And in that moment, he knew she was giving herself to him completely. He felt her shattering, powerful release in her trembling body. She arched her back up, head thrown back on her pillow, clutching the bedding in her fists, panting hard and moaning deeply as she came undone in his hands. Flushed and breathless, she parted her legs wider. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her, his own arousal heightened by watching her release. 

“Now, Jamie! Please …" she breathed. She reached down and reclaimed his hard straining cock in her hand, thumbing gently over the slick tip.

“Babe,” he growled, and she guided him to her entrance. He pushed himself inside her in one fluid movement, and she clenched and tightened rhythmically around him, her pulsating core driving him to utter bliss. He withdrew slightly, and then pushed in deeper. 

“Claire, God …”. He started to move intentionally, his thrusts long and slow and restrained. Her hips rolled up towards his, matching his rhythm and intensity. They reveled in each other, lost in each other’s eyes as he pushed slowly and deeply into her. Every thrust reached parts of her that drew little pants of pleasure. She wrapped her legs up over his hips, and the adjusted angle deepened his thrusts, drawing more groans from both of them. His thrusting became more urgent as she clutched his back and pressed her fingers into his firm flesh, meeting his thrusts with her eager hips. He pushed harder and faster, his breathing becoming increasingly ragged and erratic. 

“Claire …” He froze momentarily, a look of sheer rapture on his face, and then pushed hard into her, spilling himself in powerful, hot spurts, filling her with his heat and surrendering himself to her entirely. She contracted tightly around him in pulsating movements that kept him deep inside her, unwilling to break their union.

He settled slowly, cautious not to crush her; and as their breathing slowed, he rolled back a little, his body pressed against hers, face nuzzled between her neck and shoulder. His hand claimed her breast and cupped it tenderly. Every part of him needed to touch a part of her.

They lay entwined together for long, lazy minutes, content to bask in each other's post-lovemaking languor for as long as possible; fingers exploring each other's faces, getting lost in curls, touching swollen lips, memorizing every tiny detail of each other.

Eventually, a soft growling arose from the depths of the bed.

“Was that your hungry tummy or mine?” Claire smiled. 

“Not sure, but we should probably get up and get some breakfast.”

“Mmmm. Scrambled eggs sound OK?”

“Perfect.” He kissed her lips. “Are we spending the day at the pool? Or do you have other stuff to do?”

“I think we should - it looks like a gorgeous day.”

“Right then,” he said decisively, grasping her butt-cheeks firmly. “Let’s get this beautiful arse out of bed.”

“Cheeky bugger!” she squealed as she retaliated in kind. “Shower, swimsuits, and meet downstairs?”

“Yes - first one in the kitchen starts the lattes.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie was already in the kitchen brewing their lattes, wearing only his swim trunks. He had just started the toast and was about to start scrambling eggs for their very late brunch. She wore a white two-piece swimsuit under an unbuttoned, oversized peach linen shirt that served as her cover-up. He eyed her lustfully, eyebrow raised, as his eyes drifted from her breasts to her groin. 

“Down, boy!” she teased, shaking her head in mock exasperation as she buttoned her blouse from chest to thighs, to his great disappointment. “I’ll finish the lattes while you do the eggs.”

In between frothing milk and scrambling eggs and brewing coffee and making toast, they assembled a satisfying breakfast, and within a few minutes, they were enjoying it on the patio.

“Good team-work!”

“Right? This is perfect, Jamie - I was starving!”

“Me too. Eat up - you’ll need yer energy for later.” He winked at her, and she laughed at his two-eyed attempt.

“I need to teach you to wink properly!”

“Is that part of your curriculum?”

“I can make adjustments to my curriculum to accommodate specific needs.”

“In that case, Dr. Beauchamp, I’d like to sign up for extra lessons after class. I have lots of specific needs.”

“I’ll check my schedule and get back to you.”

“Add me to the waiting list, if necessary.” He teased her with his slow, sexy half smile.

“Uh uh, Jamie. That smile of yours does things to me - starting when you arrived here last Monday. Let’s clean up and head down to the pool. We can catch up on emails and stuff down there.

She had turned the pool heater on a couple days earlier and the water was at the perfect temperature. Jamie helped her inflate a two-person floating island that she retrieved from a small shed hidden among the bushes near the stone patio. 

“I didn’t know this shed was back here,” he said in surprise.

“I’m not sure the homeowner’s association would approve. Hopefully my new neighbor won’t report me.”

“I’ve heard he’s a reasonable guy,” Jamie replied, “I’m sure you can come up with a mutually acceptable arrangement.” 

“James Fraser! Are you suggesting that I trade some … special favors with my new neighbor in order to avoid trouble with the HOA?”

He looked at her in mock horror. “Would I ever suggest such a thing, Sassenach?”

“Yes, you bloody well would,” she replied knowingly.

He finished pumping the pool float and carried it over to the pool. Tossing it in the water, he helped Claire onto the float, before clambering on next to her.

Nestling into the large, comfortable float, they picked up their iPads from the edge of the pool, and floated lazily around the pool, spending the next hour or so catching up on emails and texts.

Claire re-confirmed the catering arrangements with Julio and Alma for Monday's meeting, and replied to some student emails. She also responded to a few unopened texts, including one that had come in earlier that morning from Armando.

**Girl! about last night……?????**

She smiled and tapped out a quick response.

**** **** **_He wore a kilt_ **

**Imma need to lie down. call me later this week. love u.**

_W_ ** _ill do_**

Jamie had a lot more to respond to, so she busied herself reading an ebook, allowing him to text with Jenny, Dougal, and Murtagh, updating them on all matters relating to the winery. 

“Jenny wants to come over and check out the winery soon.”

“That’s great, Jamie! I know you’ll be so proud to show her around.”

“Aye, and I canna wait for her to meet you!” 

“Hmmm. She might not that be that taken with me, since I’m the reason you’ve broken your hiatus agreement with her,” she pointed out.

“We already had a conversation about that - she must have sensed something during our last FaceTime call, because she asked me if I was sticking to it. I told her that she needs to trust me - she still sees me as her baby brother sometimes, ye ken.”

“She just wants what’s best for you, Jamie.”

“I ken that, but she also needs to stop babying me and accept that I make my own decisions. I’m a big boy now.”

“Mmmm… yes. I’m very aware of that.”

He threw her a sideways look. “Is that right? I think ye might need a wee reminder later.”

He gently removed her iPad from her hands, and leaned over the side of the float to place both his and hers on the edge of the pool. 

Snuggling in close to her, he eased her over to face him and they lay there, wrapped in each other, bodies pressed together, floating lazily around the pool. Her face was nuzzled in his neck, and he buried his nose in her curls. 

“You always smell so good, Claire.”

“You do too - drives me to distraction.”

His arms were around her, his hands on her lower back. He slid them under her bikini bottoms and grasped her butt cheeks in his hands, gently squeezing and pressing and basking in the feeling of the soft flesh in his hands. Her arms were wrapped around his neck; one one hand drew gentle, sweeping lines up and down his spine with her fingernails, while the other played with his curls and caressed the back of his neck.

He leaned towards her and kissed her lips. “Claire, last night was … I canna even describe it.”

“It was pretty incredible," she sighed, “everything was just perfect, Jamie. From the limo to the event, to our … our night here at home.” 

“Having you there with me was very special. It was an unforgettable night.”

“It felt so right … being with you there last night. I’m glad we didn’t have to worry about photographers. It was a respectful crowd. Your speech was amazing too - I was so proud of you!” 

“You were?” he seemed touched by her pride in him. 

“Will you read me that poem again sometime?”

“I can recite it now, if ye like.”

“Yes!”

_You’re going to wake up soon, you know that, right? Because right now, this dream has you drifting slowly around the pool in a float with this amazing, ridiculous man, who calls you babe, kisses your fingertips, sneaks a special song into your playlist, and is about to recite a love poem by Robert Burns._

Only, it wasn’t a dream. They lay facing each other, bodies wrapped and limbs tangled together, and in a rich Scottish brogue, Jamie recited his favorite poem.

O my Luve is like a red, red rose

That’s newly sprung in June;

O my Luve is like the melody

That’s sweetly played in tune

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;

I will love thee still, my dear,

While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my luve,

Though it were ten thousand mile

“Thank you Jamie,” she stroked his face tenderly, “that was beautiful. I’m impressed that you have it so well memorized.”

“It’s not a long poem, Claire, and it’s a very special one for me. And ye ken I’m used to memorizing lines in scripts. I guess that makes it a little easier too.”

“It’s a beautiful poem. The last verse makes me sad, though,”

“It used to make me sad too, but it’s taken on a new meaning for me. In English Lit, we were taught that the poem is all about his crazy new love for a woman, a love that will last forever, because the seas will never run dry and the rocks will never melt, but he has to bid her farewell. And that all sounds good to me - I can get behind most of that interpretation. But I’m choosing to reinterpret the last stanza. It’s not a goodbye, in my analysis.”

He sounded so serious and thoughtful as he shared his thoughts about his poem. 

“Okay … what’s your interpretation?”

“He has to travel far from his love now and again - maybe to Scotland, ye ken - and he’s telling his love to take good care of herself, because although he may be far he canna wait to get back to her, even though it’s thousands of miles that he’ll have to travel. He says, ‘ _I_ **_will_** _come again, my luve’_ \- sounds very determined, aye?”

“Yes, he does,” she said, stroking the stubble on his jaw.

“Did you know that it’s almost 9000 miles round-trip between Seattle and Glasgow. Pretty close to Burns’ _ten thousand miles_ , aye?”

She smiled broadly. “I love the poem even more with your interpretation.”

She snuggled her face into his neck and inhaled his scent, content to lie there for the rest of the day, if she could.

They drifted around the pool like that for what seemed like hours, immersed in the pleasure of just being together … touching, kissing, gazing as the mood took them.

“Jamie?”

“Mmm?”

“I really did miss you yesterday.”

“Aye, it was a long time to be without you. I’m going to miss you when I’m in L.A. Don’t even want to think about it.” 

“It’s only a week, and then you’ll come back here. When do you think you’ll have to go back to Scotland?”

“August - just for 2 or 3 weeks. That’s when we get together as a family and hold meetings - annual financial review and planning, marketing and such.”

“ _‘And_ _I will come again’_ …” she started the line from the poem he had recited earlier.

“ _‘My_ _luve_ ’…” he finished, and kissed her softly.

“It’s important that you stay connected with Scotland and your family there.”

“Aye, it is. The Frasers are a tight bunch.”

“Did I tell you how incredibly dashing you looked in your Fraser kilt last night?”

“You did, Sassenach. But I’m doubting your sincerity - seems like you couldn’t wait to get rid of it. Did I tell you how beautiful _you_ looked, leannan?”

“You did. Several times. But you can tell me again, if you like.”

“Christ, Claire, you were beautiful beyond description. Your gorgeous hair, gleaming with beautiful streaks of auburn, so classy and elegant. And your dress was sensational. I hope ye’ll wear that for me again and again. And your shoes! So sexy. They looked even better around my neck.” She swatted his butt, and he chuckled heartily. “Everything about you was perfect, even yer underwear .. oh wait ...” He gave her his double eyebrow waggle.

“Uh ... you’re not in much of a position to comment on my missing underwear.”

“Aye, but that’s our Scottish tradition. Do you think ye might start a wee tradition yourself? A ‘no underwear’ tradition when we’re out on a date?”

“You cheeky bugger! I’m a respectable woman, I’ll have you know.”

“Oh aye, I remember all your respectable behavior on the patio last night.”

“I believe you may have initiated that, Fraser. And exactly how many dates are you planning?”

“If it were up to me, we’d be on a date night every night. But you’re avoiding the question. Will ye start a new tradition for me?”

“No underwear whenever we’re out on a date? Have you lost your mind?”

“Aye - I lost it last Monday night, when I arrived on yer doorstep. But you’re still avoiding the question. How about one more date? No underwear when we're out on our next date, and I’ll not pester you after that.”

“I’ll think about it.”

They gazed at each in an easy silence for a long moment. He was still caressing and squeezing her butt - a blatant display of favoritism when it came to her body.

"Sassenach," his voice was low and lethargic, “did you know that your arse is the 8th Wonder of the World?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she laughed. 

“Aye it is, and I want to stay here like this, holding it in my hands and taking care of it for the rest of the day.”

“Well, you are taking such good care of it that I fear other body parts are starting to get some residual benefits.” 

“It’s your fault, Sassenach. Ye canna expect me not to respond to ye when you’re looking like a mermaid goddess - is there such a thing? - in your wee white bikini, with yer nipples like cherries, and yer arse like ripe peaches in my hands.”

“You are incorrigible. I think it might be time to get in the water and cool off.”

“Spoilsport,” he grumbled as she eased away and slid off the float into the pool.

“C’mon,” she flicked water at him, and he launched himself at her, diving under the water and emerging with her cradled in his arms. Squealing at his unexpected underwater attack, she tried to wriggle free, but he tightened his hold and shook his head.

“Oh no, you don’t!” He bent down to kiss her lips, but she deftly dodged him with a teasing look.

“Uh uh, Fraser, if you want me, you’re gonna have to come and get me.” And before he could react, she had squirmed out of his arms and was halfway across the pool, swimming faster than he had expected.

He sprang into action, swimming with powerful strokes to catch up with her. But while she could not match his physical strength and speed, she could match him tactically. Taking a deep breath, she dived deep under the water, pushed off the wall and glided swiftly back in his direction, close to the floor of the pool, and well out his reach. She emerged on the opposite side, giggling at his look of shock and confusion. 

“You’d better pray I don’t get you, Sassenach!” he called, and plunged back in, gaining on her faster than she would like. Rolling onto her back, so that she could flutter kick and speed up her movement across the pool, she pushed herself to try and bypass him again. She saw his wild splashing out of the corner of her eye as she sneaked past him for a second time, a smile of triumph already on her lips. 

Her victory was short-lived, though. She felt a large hand close around her ankle, and before she could react, she was being dragged strongly against the resistance of the water. A hand grabbed her other ankle and pushed her legs apart. She coasted to a stop, groin-to-groin with her assailant, who was in waist-deep water.

He had a look of sheer triumph all over his face as he clasped her back, and raised her body from the water, positioning her so that she could straddle him, legs wrapped around his hips. He held her butt and pulled her groin tight against him. She wound her arms around his neck and pushed her chest up against his. 

“So you think you’re all that, huh?” She raised an eyebrow, and brought her lips down hard on his, pulling his lower lip fiercely into her mouth and nipping it with her teeth. “Standing here like some goddamn Highland warrior ready to take his wench!” She kissed him again, harder still, pushing into his mouth, her tongue fighting his for dominance. “Took you long enough to capture your woman, soldier.” 

“Aye, but now that I’ve caught her, I’m never going to let her go.” Looking at her with narrowed eyes, he slid a hand up her back and wound his fingers into her wet hair, tugging her head back, exposing her neck. He planted urgent open-mouthed kisses and licks on her neck and throat, and then retraced his path with his teeth, lightly grazing her, leaving her gasping and digging her nails into his shoulder blades. Her rolling hip movements against his hard length drew a deep groan from his throat, and she slowed it way down to prolong his agony. 

“You’re a vixen and a wench,” he breathed, lips still on her throat. Releasing her hair, he cupped both hands over her butt again.

“We should start thinking about heading up to the house soon.” She pressed wet kisses all over his mouth. “I need to feed my warrior ...” her groin was still fused with his and she slowly dragged her slit up and down his length, her legs tightly anchored over his hips, "… he’s a big boy …" she breathed " … with a healthy appetite."

They could feel the heat of their shared arousal through the water and layers of fabric. He caught her lips with his mouth and kissed her deeply and thoroughly. Slowly she eased her legs down his hips and legs, remaining on her tiptoes so she wouldn’t break the kiss. They finally pulled apart, lips swollen and slick. 

“But before I feed him …” she drifted her hands across his shoulders and down his arms and then leaned in to press a firm kiss on his mouth.

“… we have a situation …” 

Another kiss. 

“… that needs some attention.” 

Another kiss. She bit her bottom lip, and his eyes fixed on her mouth.

“What situation?” His voice was deep and raspy and she felt his reaction to her teasing in a slight twitch on her abdomen.

“This one.”

She dropped her hand below the water and cupped his balls, thumbing over the base of his erection.

He gasped slightly, and his eyes narrowed. Her fingers found the string tie at his waist and loosened it in a matter of seconds. She pushed his swimsuit over his hips and down his legs. He stepped out of it and she pushed her foot under the fabric and brought it to the surface of the water. Tossing his swimsuit onto the side of the pool, she reached for his butt and pulled him towards her, smiling playfully. He pushed his thumbs into the sides of her bikini bottoms, ready to push them down over her hips, but she stopped him.

“No, Jamie. You focused on me all last night - and this morning! It’s your turn …"

Her hands were doing things to him below the surface that made coherent thought impossible. She pushed against him through the water, breasts pressed up against his chest, walking him backwards to the side of the pool. 

“I need you to sit up on the edge.”

In a quick motion, he hoisted himself up, and sat on the edge of the pool, legs dangling in the water.

_Sweet Lord! That involved way too many rippling muscles. Stop panting!_

She moved into the space between his knees and pushed his legs a little farther apart. Looking up at him, she smoothed her hands from his knees to his thighs, and stopped when her thumbs reached his patch of red-brown curls. He was very aroused, and she avoided touching the base of his erection, watching as he took in a deep breath.

“Get comfortable,” she said, running the tip of her tongue slowly along her upper lip. He closed his eyes, exhaled, and leaned back slightly, supporting himself with his hands at his side. 

She trailed her hand slowly towards his balls and gently cupped them, massaging with a light and delicate touch. They felt taut already and she wanted to prolong his enjoyment. She dragged her finger slowly along the length of his erection, stopping to gently thumb the ridge at the base of the head. She heard his deep grunt, and looked up. He was watching her, his eyes hooded and heavy. She kept her eyes on his, as the tip of her tongue followed the same path her finger had taken. The tip of her tongue flicked over the ridge, and she licked the head thoroughly. She placed one hand at the base of his erection, and, taking his length in her other hand, slowly dragged her fist along his length, and gently palmed over the entire tip, before bringing her fist back down to the base again. He realized he was holding his breath, and released it slowly. He was in awe of her ability to turn him on and bring him to the edge of release, and then pull back a little, building ever-increasing tension and desire in him. 

She closed her lips around the head and moved slowly down his length, taking as much as she could into the warm, wet depths of her mouth. She drew back up and teased the tip of her tongue over the tip of his erection, feeling him twitch slightly in her hands. Sucking lightly, she continued to gently nibble her way back down his length, to the soft skin between the base of his length and his balls, which were still cupped in her hands. She flicked her tongue over this sensitive area, and, hearing his groan, started to suck gently, moaning softly as she did so. Her low humming vibrations added an extra dimension of pleasure and he clenched his buttocks in response. She felt his balls tighten more, and she knew he was getting close. Moving her lips over his length again, she swirled her tongue over the head, and moved her mouth over his length, moving down, almost painfully slowly, taking in most of him. One hand continued to cup his balls, and the other was lightly fisted around the base of his erection, moving in small up and down movements in tandem with her mouth. 

She moved her mouth back up his length just as slowly, creating suction as she went, her tongue swirling and laving him and adding to the near-painful ecstasy he was feeling as he struggled to control his urge to give himself entirely to her. She released him with a small pop as the suction broke, and looked into his eyes. 

“Ssssassenach,” he breathed, looking at her with brazen desire.

She took him in her mouth again, and started to move up and down his length again, one hand lightly on his balls, and the other fisting him gently in small, pulsing movements. The suction she created with her mouth and lips finally sent him over, as he twitched and clenched, and her mouth took him deeper and faster. He arched up and let out a long, loud groan, releasing himself in strong, pulsating bursts.

He lowered himself onto his back at the edge of the pool and sighed a deep shuddering sigh.

“Babe …” 

Still positioned between his legs, she hoisted herself out of the water and carefully stretched her dripping wet body out on his. Her face found her favorite place in the space between his neck and shoulder, and his arms immediately wrapped around her back. They lay there for a few minutes.

“Sorry - I know I’m dripping cold pool water all over you.”

“Jesus, Claire. You can drip anything over me after that.”

His hands slid down to cup her butt. His fingers ventured under the fabric, and she raised her head to look at him with a raised brow.

“That’s my cue to get you up and back to the house. C’mon, Fraser, time to figure out some dinner.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

After a quick shower they met in the kitchen again to decide on what to make for dinner. They reviewed the available ingredients and decided to collaborate on a shrimp risotto. They still needed to FaceTime the twins and wanted to do so before it got much later. 

“The only drawback to a risotto is that you have to stir _constantly_ ,” Claire grumbled as she spooned more stock into the pan and resumed stirring.

“I’ll do that while ye FaceTime the girls.”

She gave him a grateful kiss and sat at the end of the kitchen island while Jamie worked on the risotto.

“Hi girls!” she smiled at the iPad screen, amid her avalanche of kisses. 

“Hey mom!”

“How was your day?”

“It was good! We all went to Franklin Park so that we could get a nice long walk. Kelly says the fresh air and exercise makes the littles sleep better and longer.” Beth suddenly sounded very knowledgeable about kiddie sleep cycles.

“Beth and I took a ball so that we could shoot some hoops too. We’ve got to keep up our skills so we can flex when we crush Mr. Fraser at basketball.”

Jamie turned and winked at Claire, holding his finger to his lips so that she wouldn’t reveal to the girls that he was in earshot.

“Mom, how was your date with him? We got your selfie - you looked beautiful!”

“Thanks for saying that hon - it was a lovely dinner. It was a lovely evening overall, Ella.”

“What color suit did Mr. Fraser wear? Did you guys match?” Beth was hopelessly sentimental and a romantic at heart. 

“Actually, he wore a kilt, Beth. The event was a Scottish one, after all.”

“For real?” asked Ella. “Is it true that men don’t wear- …oooffff!”

Beth elbowed her hard in the ribs before she could finish her question.

“Mom, the kilt sounds so romantic - just like when Mr. Fraser was in the show you used to watch.”

“Did you guys hold hands?” Ella was whispering in a loud, dramatic whisper.

Jamie grinned at Claire and indicated that they should switch spots. She relieved him at the risotto, and he took Claire’s spot on the kitchen stool.

“Hi girls,” he said with a big smile. 

“Oh, hey Mr. Fraser! How has your day been?”

“It’s been fantastic. Great weather, so I spent some time down at the pool. This evening, I’m going to spend time getting ready for my big meeting tomorrow. Did I hear you say that you’re practicing yer basketball?”

“Yeah! You should too, Mr. Fraser. I mean, it could be super embarrassing if Beth and I take you down. Just sayin’.”

“Hmmmm - that sounds like a challenge, girls. How about we set up a little contest. Most shots in 5 minutes. Loser buys the other two the dinner of their choice.” 

“Sure! You might want to find the nearest Chipotle, Mr. Fraser.” Beth giggled. 

“Ouch! You girls go ahead and keep up the trash-talk - I might just surprise ye!” he laughed with them for a moment. “I’ll get your Mam back on. Good talking to you.” 

“Good night, Mr. Fraser.”

  
  



	23. Chapter 23

* * *

The risotto was a success; creamy and rich and fragrant, and the perfect meal to cap their day. Claire felt almost guilty about how decadently indulgent their day had been. Waking up to Jamie’s slow, sweet love-making had set the tone, and from there it had been a deliciously sensory adventure for both of them. Snuggling for what seemed like hours on the pool float - kissing, touching, inhaling each other. They were so comfortable with each other and around each other, almost from the moment they met - so emotionally, intellectually and physically connected.

Their conversations reflected the very essence of the relationship that was taking shape between them. At times their talks were deeply cerebral as they spoke about poetry or business or socio-political issues that were important to them; at times they were emotional and almost spiritual when they spoke of their connection, and of their losses, and of family; and at times their talks were light-hearted and fun, as they joked and teased and flirted - and Jamie never missed an opening for a ribald reference when he could. She loved that. He was so exuberantly and unabashedly aware of their sexual chemistry, and the many ways he found to remind her of it delighted and thrilled her.

Sated after their meal, they sat at the patio table, talking about Jamie’s ideas for a tasting room at Lallybroch where they could showcase Grotto wines for a European clientele. She was impressed with his acumen and ability to come up with creative and feasible business scenarios.

“I’m so excited to see how many of these ideas you can bring to fruition. There is so much potential for growth in The Grotto. I love that you are rolling in some elements from Lallybroch.” 

“Your opinion matters a lot to me, Claire. Your job exposes you to so many business successes and failures, both theoretical and practical, and I value your thoughts and ideas.” He had her hand in his, and was absently playing with her fingernails, feeling the smooth polished texture that contrasted with the softness of her palm and wrist.

“Should we tidy up and get sun-downers on the wooden deck?” she asked. 

“Aye, I want to run some things past you - related to the meeting tomorrow.”

She nodded. He was torn about which way his decisions should go, and she could see that concerns about the meeting were starting to cloud his eyes.

They settled into the wicker recliners with a chilled rosé that seemed like a good choice after the rich risotto. 

“What’s worrying you most about tomorrow, Jamie?” Thoughts of the meeting were weighing more heavily on him now, and she knew that some parts of the looming meeting were going to be more stressful than others. 

He took her hand in his and she was once again struck by how he rarely missed an opportunity to hold her hand, or kiss it, or explore it with his fingers. It was as though he had an inherent need for that physical connection when they shared their innermost thoughts. Reaching for her hand seemed instinctive for him, and she found it deeply moving and comforting. 

“I think Dougal will be a real handful tomorrow. He has a very specific idea of how he sees my career unfolding over the next 15 or 20 years, and it does not align with mine in any way. We’ve been at loggerheads about it for months now. He and Jenny have had confrontations about it too.”

“How does he see your career progressing?”

“He thinks I’m just starting in this business, and that I have at least 20 years ahead where I’ll be offered 'prime roles in huge movies' - according to him.”

“He’s not wrong, Jamie. Look at leading actors like Clooney, Hugh Jackman, Denzel, Samuel L. Jackson - they are all 50 plus, and still getting amazing roles.”

“Aye, ye’re right, and I have been offered some fantastic stuff that would be rolling out over the next few years. I rejected most of it - the only two I want to discuss tomorrow are Superman and James Bond.”

“Are you thinking of accepting both roles, or will you pick just one.”

“I’m looking at the pros and cons of both roles, and trying to decide which one would be least intrusive in my personal life. Superman has an entirely different fan base. The age range is pretty vast - from kiddies who want to be Superman for Halloween, to granddads and grandmas who were hooked on the comics from the time they were kids. So that makes recognition out in public a certainty almost anywhere you go in the world. For years and years. Despite that, it’s an amazing franchise, and I like that it’s all deeply steeped in fantasy, so even little kids watching it know that all the stuff Superman does is not real life. I like that he’s a good guy, fighting the good fight, mostly. His love interest is a strong, intelligent woman who gives him a run for his money. They are fierce adversaries at times, and she challenges him. The sex isn’t a huge thing - nothing too graphic or intense. Certainly not on the scale of ‘Clan Hearts’, ye ken.” He gave her a knowing look, and she blushed slightly.

_Yessir, I ken very well. There were Hamish scenes that I rewound and watched six times in a row. Hot, hot, hot!_

“Mmhmm,” she mumbled encouragingly.

“Promoting Superman would be intense and busy, but I don’t think DC Comics and their production partner, Panther Entertainment, would interfere as much in my personal life as Stargate has done. I’ll know the terms of the promotion and publicity stuff tomorrow. My agent, Tara Lewis, will have all the contractual information so I can review over the next couple of weeks. But I already know it will be the usual red carpet stuff with some of the cast, including the lead actress. A lot of TV interviews, morning shows and late night, Facebook and Instagram lives, and Comic-Con of course. Comic Con is my favorite of all the promo stuff. Have ye been to a Comic-Con, Sassenach?”

“I haven’t.”

“If I end up doing Superman, I would ask you to consider coming to at least one of the Comic-Cons with me. I think ye’d love it. The fans are a lot of fun. They dress up in the most elaborate and detailed costumes. Halloween on steroids.”

“I’d love that, Jamie. I’ll dress up for sure.”

“Aye - maybe a wee Catwoman costume. Oh God, I can see ye now.” He waggled his eyebrows. “We’d have to think about the costume carefully - I can’t be walking around Comic-Con with my Catwoman on my arm - and a big boner.”

“Jamie! God, you’re shameless!”

He laughed heartily at her reaction. 

“I’m winding you up, babe. But ye ken that every time I think about you, there’s a little movement going on in-”

“I get it!” She was blushing. “Tell me about James Bond and your thoughts on that.”

“James Bond is a different animal altogether. When Daniel Craig hinted that he wanted out, the media went crazy looking at lists of possible replacements. My name was dragged into those lists, and for a few months I was moving between first and second place on various lists and in social media. There was a lot of hype, and before long Tara was being approached by Broccoli family reps. She will bring the terms of their offer and all the publicity and promo that goes with it for me to review tomorrow.”

“How do you feel about it, though? That was a fiercely fought battle - or so it seemed. There were so many great contenders, Jamie Dornan, Richard Madden, Idris Elba. To be offered James Bond is such a huge deal, and to be honest, I am really excited for you, and so proud too.”

“Ye ken it makes me go all gooey inside when you tell me you’re proud of me.”

“I am, Jamie. I know it’s strange saying that, because we haven't known each other that long. But I felt so proud of you during your speech last night, and I’m so proud of you getting the James Bond offer.” 

They leaned towards each other and kissed tenderly before Jamie continued with his thoughts about James Bond. 

“You’re right, it is a huge deal for me, and my team campaigned hard to get me the role. But it will be so much more intrusive on my personal life. Bond has a very different persona, and as much as they have tried to bring him more into ‘21st century man’ mode with plot lines and Daniel Craig’s great portrayal, he still has this iconic image of a smooth, dapper, arrogant womanizer, and that’s not going to go away. A new 007 will bring new twists, and I think they will bring back some of the old playboy vibe to appeal to certain parts of the audience. To be honest, I am really uncomfortable with the Bond franchise approach to women. It’s pretty sexist, despite some adjustments over the years. Women are still overly objectified in the 007 movies. Charlize Theron is on board for the main female role, and I believe hers will be a strong character who pushes back against the over-sexualization of women in the testosterone-heavy world of secret agents, but there will be a big focus on sex.” 

She nodded, but kept her expression neutral. 

“The filming of the sex scenes is one thing - I ken you had a wee taste of that when ye did your butt double work.”

“Oh God, yes - nothing sexy about filming that for hours on end.”

“Sex-scene filming is heavily planned, scripted, blocked - almost like choreographing a dance. It’s technical and tiresome, to be honest. It’s the build-up and publicity for the role that will be hard. And it will start long before the shooting starts. There will be a long parade of starlets and fake girlfriends lined up, photo-ops, pap walks, red carpet events, all the stuff we spoke about the other night.”

“Comes with the territory, Jamie. If Bond is what you really want, you need to scrutinize the contractual obligations and consider everything carefully.”

“Aye, it’s one thing doing the dog and pony show as a single man, but I’m not sure I’m in the right mindset to do that right now. My hiatus has been an eye-opener. And it’s been very healing too.”

“Jamie, technically, you’re a single man. I don’t want to be the reason you-”

“No, Claire!” He leaned forward and closed his other hand over their interlaced fingers. “Look at me please, Claire. I need to see your face when I tell ye this.”

She sat up straighter and looked directly into his eyes. She had never seen him look more serious or earnest.

“We spoke on Saturday night about exploring this connection of ours. We both agreed that we’ve never experienced anything like it. And we both want to see where it takes us.” He paused and brought her hand, still cupped in both of his, up to his lips, and pressed a kiss on the back of her hand. 

“I’m falling for ye, Claire, and I’m not shy to admit it.”

He kissed the back of her fingers and looked into her eyes.

“I’m falling hard, and I want ye by my side, whether it’s Superman or Bond. But I’m terrified of what it might do to ye. When I think of what happened with Natalie, I worry about the impact on you. The extreme fan base of ‘Clan Hearts’ has died down, but there are some crazies out there who might still target ye and I canna allow that to happen. I’m not willing to start doing all of the studio-mandated publicity again, and that's going to influence my decisions now. Jenny’s crazy hiatus has shown me what it’s like to live a normal life. It’s shown me what I’ve been missing.”

Claire’s heart skipped a beat or two, and then resumed with a vengeance. It was now thumping almost painfully. She had grown accustomed to Jamie speaking his mind and sharing his feelings quite openly, but for him to tell her he was falling for her was quite a different story! It pushed this relationship out of ‘exploring their unusual connection’, beyond the frenzied sex and gentle love-making, and into a different realm altogether. It pushed her into a place where she was no longer allowed to think just about Jamie and her, and the fun, and the sex, and the waking up together. It moved them out of ‘fling’ territory. And it meant that she needed to think even more deeply and carefully about where this was going. It meant that she needed to think about Ella and Beth and the impact of their mom having another man in her life. She pushed these thoughts aside for a moment and focused on Jamie’s words.

“What have you been missing, Jamie?”

“Time and space to think about what’s important. Love and family and friends. Time to think about what a normal relationship might look like. One that grows out of love, mutual emotional and physical attraction, and shared values, shared interests; rather than a need to have someone just to meet your physical needs, or to try and convince yourself that you’re in a good relationship because you’re so desperate to find that person. And it takes you months and months to realize that she’s not the one. That song you played while I was making dinner - one of the lines stuck with me - _“I don't wanna just make love, I wanna make love last.”_ He smiled sheepishly. “I added it to my Spotify. It struck a chord with me, because _that_ is what’s been missing for me. Finding a love that will last beyond the excitement of a new relationship. A love that will survive the difficulties and challenges and come out stronger on the other side. I have tried to imagine myself with someone who would be my forever love. Like my own parents, ye ken. I have tried to picture that person, and I have not been able to visualize her. Until now.”

She listened quietly as he unburdened his innermost feelings. His words revealed so much raw emotion and honesty, and for the umpteenth time she marveled at his ability to express himself with unrestrained candor and passion.

“There are still a lot of obstacles ahead. Your decisions … how you move out of the industry - I want you to make those decisions for _you_. I shouldn’t factor in them. And my girls, Jamie, they have to be front and center if we do this. How do you know it won't all become too much for you? Me and two teenagers. It's a lot, Jamie.”

“I know because when I was a kid, I asked my Da how he knew that my Mam was the right one for him. He told me that he just knew, and that I would know too. He said when I met someone and couldn't imagine a life without that person, I would know. So yes, I know, Claire." She was barely breathing, as he continued.

"Ella and Beth need to be our first consideration - I agree with you 100%. I want to get to know them, and I want them to get to know me too. You’re their Mam - I want you to be completely comfortable with how we handle the girls meeting me. It’ll likely be when I get back from L.A. I need you to guide me, tell me what you want me to do.”

“I’ll need to think about that a bit. We can talk about it in a few days. I want you to focus on your meeting now. I know it’s causing you a lot of stress, and I want you to feel like you’re ready and prepared for it.”

“Okay, Claire. But I want ye to know that talking about us and the girls is really important to me too.”

“I know, and I appreciate that,” she leaned across to kiss him. “Can you tell me about your thoughts for withdrawing from the industry? Your career is on an upward trajectory, so I can’t imagine how hard this will be for you. When you opened up to me on Wednesday night, one thing you said almost broke my heart.”

“What was it?”

“You said that the entertainment industry is littered with broken marriages, broken hearts, and broken souls. Please don’t let it break you, Jamie. Whatever you decide - whatever path your choices lead you to, please don’t let the industry steal your soul.”

“That’s the part that finally pushed me into making the decision to ease out of the industry - the reason for Jenny coming up with the hiatus. The broken people I see there every day. The pressures are just too much. I looked at all the actors who were chewed up and spat out by the industry. Big names over the years like Sean Penn and Charlie Sheen. They had their shit together for years, and then it all fell apart. And their children and families suffered right along with them. My wake up call came when the Ben Affleck and Johnny Depp stuff started. I’ve always admired them ye ken. For a long, long time, they seemed to have everything together. When their lives started to spiral out of control, I couldna believe it. I thought if it can happen to them, it could happen to anyone. Jenny and I spoke about it when I was at Lallybroch for Christmas. I told her I was alarmed with how things can turn so fast in the industry, and that's when we started to look at how I could get out of it. I had to convince her that doing it slow and steady would cause less angst in the long run.”

“I have to agree with a slower approach, Jamie. I feel that if you stop suddenly, you will be hounded by the media for years. Journalists are going to be looking for that scoop. ‘What happened to Jamie Fraser?’"

“Exactly what I was thinking, Claire. It’ll also give my team a chance to withdraw slowly from all the things they do to support me, and focus on other clients instead.”

_Yes, it’s just like you to think of others in the midst of some of your toughest decisions. You really are a rare man._

“One of the most important calls I made last week was to Tara. I gave her a heads-up about where my head is right now. She had suspected it because I have been rejecting so many scripts and projects. I did that because rather than spend Monday’s meeting convincing her that it’s the right move for me, I want her to process that ahead of the meeting so that she can start fine-tuning my exit strategy.” 

“So, without knowing all the details of your five-year plan, it sounds like you want to base yourself here in Seattle as you make a select few movies - as part of your exit strategy. And over that time, you’ll slowly withdraw from the industry. Attend fewer events, premiers, panel interviews - apart from the ones you’re contractually bound to. Does that sound right?”

“Yes - those are the broad strokes.”

“And after you’ve withdrawn from the industry? Where do you see yourself then?”

“Ultimately, I’d like to stay here, in the home I’ll build on this property,” he looked out over the large tract of land that he had owned for all of three days. “The Grotto will be my business focus, so I need to be close to that, and this is perfectly located. I hope to build a life here on the Eastside.” They held each other’s gaze for a long moment.

“What about Scotland?” she asked finally.

“It’s less than a 10,000 mile round-trip, Sassenach.” They shared a smile at the reference to the poem. “I’ll go back a couple of times a year, for meetings or quick visits, and I’ve no doubt Jenny will be sending her crew over to spend time with me here every summer."

They sat in pensive silence as they mulled the difficult decisions facing Jamie in the weeks ahead.

“Jamie, you have some very tough decisions ahead. You need people in your corner who are putting your needs above the fame and fortune. I know Jenny is one. Who else do you trust to help guide you?"

“Murtagh, for sure. You havena had a chance to get to know him yet. But he is my biggest supporter, after Jenny. He gives me a lot of gentle guidance, and in a way that I don't even realize he’s doing it until long after the fact. Complete opposite of Dougal.”

“What do you plan to do about Dougal?”

“Oh God,” he groaned, “I’ve been trying to push that out of my head for days, but I canna avoid it any longer. That’s the toughest part of this. This is hard for me to say, but I’ve outgrown my need for Dougal as an adviser and business manager. He started ‘managing me’ when I got the role in ‘Clan Hearts’. I was younger and naive and inexperienced, and he’s a strong personality, and it felt good to have someone to handle the difficult media stuff, and studio execs, and even the PR people at times. He had my interests above all of theirs, and he was exactly what I needed at the time. But he’s someone who likes to be in control, and as my career and profile grew, he started to lose more of that control when the studios and PR teams became more actively involved in all areas of my life. He didn’t like that at all! He tried to regain control by looking for more and more movie opportunities for me - setting up meetings with random studios, directors, and producers to discuss big roles - without consulting me first. He’s bringing Stargate to the meeting against my wishes, because they’re considering a spin-off of ‘Clan Hearts’. That’s not something that I’m interested in, and I need them to hear it from me tomorrow, and more importantly, that’s something my agent does for me. Dougal should not be interfering In Tara’s area - she has a lot of experience and a lot of clout in Hollywood. He’s become a loose cannon. This is going to be one of the most difficult things I’ve done in my life, but I have to terminate our business relationship soon. I can’t have him involved in my decisions any longer now that I’m planning my exit.”

“Oh, Jamie, that is going to be unbelievably hard.”

“Yes, it is. It’s gut-wrenching. He’s my uncle, Claire. My Mam’s brother. He was there for me when Willie died, and when I lost my Mam and Da, too. He’s been there for me and Jenny ever since. He put his whole life on hold to help me grow my career. It tears me apart to have to do this.” 

His voice strained under the emotional weight of his dilemma, and Claire felt a surge of empathy for him. It was an incredibly tough situation, and she wished she could take away some of the many stresses that he faced.

“Jamie, I’m so sorry you have to go through this. What can I do to help you - to support you?”

“Just sitting here talking it through with you is helping. It’s helping me straighten out my thoughts and think through what I have to do tomorrow.” He paused and sipped his wine. 

“Claire, I dinna think I can get a peaceful night’s sleep any more, unless we have watched the darkness deepen around us while we bare our souls to each other. Our conversations in the dark are the highlight of my day.”

“You always say the most beautiful things, Jamie. How can I not love sitting out here every night, sharing my heart with you, and listening as you share yours.”

He brought her hand up to his lips, and pressed gentle kisses on the inside of her wrist and a little way up her arm.

“It’s getting late, and you should get a good night’s sleep before your meeting. Should we head up to bed?”

He stood up and stretched briefly, before helping her to her feet.

“Uh … Claire … “ he began awkwardly, “what were you thinking … for tonight, I mean?”

“Hmmmm?” She looked at him, perplexed, not understanding what he meant.

“Ehm … I don’t want to presume that you’re willing to share your bed with me tonight … I know that’s your space, and I don’t want to impose.”

“Oh! I … uh ... I guess I just assumed that you would be with me. Unless you prefer your own room?”

“No! God, no! There is nowhere I’d rather sleep than in yer bed, with you. And tonight of all nights, I need my Sassenach beside me.”

He pulled her into his arms, and claimed her lips in a deep, lingering kiss.

  
  



	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

* * *

She stretched languorously in her bed, slowly coming around to full wakefulness. Rolling over, she was surprised to see that Jamie was not in bed. She groped for her cell phone to check the time. 

7:17 a.m. 

And there was a text notification from Jamie at 6:33 a.m.

**Good morning babe.**

**I’m working out in gym, bringing u a latte at 7:30** **😘**

His text completely melted her, obliterating the disappointment of not finding him in her bed. With a few minutes still to go before he brought her a latte in bed, she swiped through her social media and news headlines, noting that Washington state had continued to ease some quarantine restrictions. State authorities had been very proactive early on, and the state as a whole was in a better position than many other states - for the moment. Things were so grim in some parts of the country, that she worried about tougher travel restrictions coming into play. She hoped that it wouldn't affect the girls’ return from Boston. She was so looking forward to having them home. 

“Good morning, beautiful.”

Jamie walked in with a latte in each hand and a broad smile. He was shirtless, and, as usual, his workout shorts were slung low on his hips.

_Damn! That V-line!_

He came over to her side of the bed and placed the mugs on the nightstand. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. 

“Did ye sleep well?” He leaned over and kissed her. She reached up to grasp his arm and pull him closer, but he resisted.

"I’m sweaty and sticky, and I need a shower.”

“Mmmmm, I don’t care about the sweat. You look friggin’ hot this morning.”

His eyes widened and one eyebrow shot up.

“Feeling a little frisky, are we?” he teased.

“God, yes! Do you need any help in the shower?”

“Hmmmmm. Now that I think of it, my back could use a good scrub.”

“Happy to take care of that for you.”

He stood up and helped her out of bed, already partially aroused by her sexy banter and the thought of her naked body under the bed covers.

“After you,” he indicated with a sweep of his arm and a dirty little smile. “I’ll protect you from back here.” He grabbed her butt with both hands as she passed.

“Uhhh… it seems that _you’re_ the one I need protection from!” she tried to dodge his hands, but he pulled her towards him, lifted her up and draped her over his shoulder, one arm clasped around the back of her legs. His other hand reclaimed her butt, lightly pinching and squeezing, and making her squeal.

With her body still draped over his shoulder, he ran the water to the right temperature, and placed her down gently to adjust the shower heads to mist setting, and aimed them so the water hit them from shoulder level down. Claire lathered up some shower gel and started to scrub his broad, muscular back, reveling in the feel of his muscles as they rippled under the soapy foam. She traced her nails lightly from his laterals down to his waist, noticing how his muscles moved and flinched when she touched certain parts. Rinsing his back clean, she kissed it all over, relishing the opportunity to become intimately acquainted with every inch of him.

Grabbing more shower gel, she foamed it up between her hands. Sensing what was next, he leaned his hands up on the shower wall and spread his legs a little.

She soaped his butt, slowly and thoroughly attending to his perfect glutes, gently kneading and pinching and raking. She took her sweet time there, aware of the growing response between her legs, and knowing that Jamie was also straining under his own arousal. She reached lower between his legs and gently soaped and massaged his balls. His sharp intake of breath and subsequent moan told her that he, too, was ablaze with desire. She pressed herself up against his back and slid her hands between his chest and the shower wall. The water gently misting down on them added to the sensuality and eroticism of the moment.

“Ready for me to wash your chest too?”

“Mmhmmm,” he turned to face her, and immediately caught her up in his arms to ravage her mouth with hungry, wet kisses. Pulling apart, he looked at her with unabashed yearning, making her agonizingly aware of the slick wetness and subtle pulsing between her legs. She rolled her hips into his.

“Jamie,” she pleaded.

He smiled his devastating half smile, and shook his head. ”No,” he teased, “you have lots more body to wash yet.” 

He squeezed shower gel into her palm and she lathered it between her hands before gently spreading it over his shoulders, neck, and arms. She explored every inch of him as she scrubbed and massaged his toned muscles and every delicious hollow around them, pausing frequently to rinse and lick, and then rinse again. Moving to his chest, she explored with her mouth, her lips, her fingers, her nails, her teeth. A deep groan escaped his throat. She was on her knees, nipping, sucking, licking every possible inch, moving lower and lower past his abs and finally reaching that V-line that was the subject of her fascination. She dragged her nails lightly up each hollow of his V-line and noticed his sharp intake of breath in the movement of his abs. Looking up at him, she saw that his head was back against the shower wall, eyes closed, breathing ragged, as he focused on the sensations she was awakening all over his body. She traced her fingertips back down his V-line towards his straining arousal, and he suddenly clamped his hands down on her wrists. There was an urgency in his manner, and she knew he was going to take her with uncontrolled passion. 

She was ready.

“I need you, Sassenach. Now!” he rasped. He pulled her back up to a standing position and kissed her hungrily. Walking her back a few steps with him, he brought their bodies under the misting water. He released her from his kiss, and turned her to face away from him. Kissing the back of her neck and shoulders, he moved his hands firmly over her breasts, palming her nipples until she pressed her hips back into his again, rubbing up against his erection. He was wild with want for her, and his fingers yearned for her wet, warm softness. She caught her breath in anticipation of the pleasure that she knew his fingers would bring her as they inched their way down her belly. His fingers slipped into the slickness between her legs and explored gently until the pulsing in her core told him he was right where she needed him. Rational thought escaped her, and she focused on the sensations his fingers were generating deep inside her, as he brought her to within moments of complete release. Her hand touched his lightly and he moved his fingertips over her sweet spot, teasing lightly and delicately. Sliding her hands to the back of his legs, she gripped him tightly, almost painfully. Her reaction intensified his own arousal and his fingertips moved with increased urgency and pressure. She buried her nails into the flesh at the back of his legs as he brought her to a full and shattering release in his arms, panting and gasping as she came back down and her breathing slowed again.

His own arousal was still pressed hard against her back, and he moved his hands to her hips again, gently pushing her forward with his body. Intuitively guessing how he wanted her, she bent over and braced her hands on the wall, pressing herself back up against his groin. With a groan, he guided himself into her in one fluid movement. She was slick and ready, and he pushed deep into her, starting a rhythm that had her gasping and moaning all over again. Pushing back against him, she met him thrust for thrust, in perfect harmony with his movements. The water misting over them felt exhilarating and heightened every sensation. His grunts were guttural and low and she sensed that he was now in a visceral and unstoppable rhythm.

He grabbed her hips and pulled her firmly and rhythmically towards him as he pumped deeper still. Her little cries and gasps of pleasure were like a primal chant, filling his ears and pushing him to the edge. Within moments everything fell away around him and when his release came, it was with low, cathartic moans as he grasped her hips tightly, held them still for a moment, and spilled himself deep inside her.

He helped her upright into his arms again and held her for a moment until their breathing regulated, kissing her gently all over her face.

“God, Sassenach!" he breathed, "you are a she-devil. How am I supposed to focus on my meetings with these images of you in my head?”

She leaned in to kiss him. “Discipline, my warrior man, discipline. You’ll need to be disciplined and focused.”

“Let me help you clean up.”

Adjusting the shower-head, he dropped to his knees behind her and lathered her butt, washing slowly and sensuously. Reaching between her thighs, he washed away the evidence of their lovemaking, and rinsed off the suds. He lavished kisses and nibbles all over her butt, taking his time and apparently enjoying it immensely, if his groans were anything to go by.

“If you keep that up you’re going to have to start the clean-up process all over again,” she warned with a mischievous lilt in her voice.

Holding her waist, he turned her around to face him, and still on his knees, he lathered some gel between his palms, and gently reached between her legs to wash away the last traces of their passionate morning. He rinsed her carefully, and then paused - completely still for a moment. Claire looked down, wondering what had caused him to stop so suddenly. He was looking at the thin, faded scar low down on her abdomen, just above her mound. The scar was around five inches long, and even though he had never seen one like it before, he knew immediately what it was. He looked up at her, and saw that she was watching him with a look of discomfort.

A deep frown marred her forehead, “Uh ...' she started hesitantly. "I know it’s not exactly the most attractive-”

“No, Claire!” he interjected firmly.

He touched the scar gently, and pressed two slow, gentle kisses on it. 

He stood up and took her face in his hands. “I hadn't noticed it before now. It shouldn’t cause you embarrassment! You are beautiful in every way, Claire. And your incredible body gave you two precious gifts. Every inch of you is beautiful, Claire. Every inch of you deserves to be loved and adored." 

The tenderness with which he had kissed her scar and the sincerity in his words threatened to bring her to tears for reasons he wasn’t even aware of. 

“Babe, if I caused you any distress, I am so sorry.”

“No,” she kissed him long and slow, “No, you didn’t. You are so sweet. I’ve never …” She took a deep breath and changed the subject altogether. 

“Thank you, Jamie - that was a perfect start to a busy day.”

“Thank _you_ , Claire. God, I’m a lucky man!” He pulled her into a very wet kiss right under the misting water. Her giggles broke the kiss, and she grabbed the shampoo, “Let’s finish up here and get our day started.” 

A half hour later, they were cleaning up from a quick breakfast of re-heated lattes and toast; drizzled with honey for Claire, and lashings of almond butter for Jamie. 

The meeting was scheduled for 12:30 and she quickly made a to-do list for them to work through as they set up the patio. 

Plates, silverware, napkins, glasses - they kept checking off items on the list. They moved some furniture around and brought in additional chairs from a storage shed to ensure that people could sit at a safe distance from each other. Masks and hand sanitizer bottles were placed within handy reach.

“Looks ready to go. Thank you again.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

“I’ll be upstairs again during the meeting. You can call or text if you need anything. I’ll be thinking of you the whole time, Jamie, and hoping that all is well.”

He pulled her in closer. 

“I’ll fill you in as soon as it’s over. We’re getting all the Superman and Stargate stuff done first and they’ll all leave pretty soon after lunch. Tara, PR, legal and I will meet about Bond stuff, and then it’ll be just me, Dougal and Murtagh. That’s when I’ll have to break it to him that his plan and mine are completely different.”

He paused to kiss her temple. “I’m not going to terminate his involvement today, ye ken? But I will tell him my plans. I need him to digest that for a few days, before I let him know that he and I are going to need to pursue our own paths. It feels too brutal and harsh to do it all in one go.”

“I absolutely agree. I think he needs time to process where you are coming from and he needs to think about the impact the industry has had on your personal life. On your soul.”

“Jenny, Murtagh and I have thought about ramping up his involvement at Lallybroch so that he feels needed and useful. Murtagh has drawn up some other plans for him too.”

“You’re doing everything right, Jamie. We still have an hour before Julio and Alma arrive to set things up for the taco bar. Do you want to spend a quiet hour on the terrace with your iPad and some music, or just collecting your thoughts?”

“That’s a great idea. I’ll get my stuff.”

Claire settled into their ‘sunrise’ sofa, catching up on global news on her iPad. Jamie joined her a few minutes later with his iPad and a folder filled with paperwork. He sat next to her, and spent a few minutes going through papers, dog-earing a few before placing the folder on the table. He picked up his iPad and responded to some texts. 

“I never showed you the pictures our limo driver took on Saturday.”

He tapped his pictures app, pulled up the pictures and handed her the iPad. There were 5 in total, and she looked at each one in turn. One was out of focus, but the remaining four were really good. In the first one, she had just emerged from the limo, Jamie had his hand extended to help her, and her hand was in his. They were both smiling broadly. In the next two, they stood side-by-side, bodies angled towards each other, pressed together, arms tightly around each other. They were smiling and looked excited about the evening ahead. In the last shot, they had turned to each other to laugh at Jamie’s little joke about ‘first date pics’. The picture was perfectly captured. It was an image of a beautiful, happy couple, delighted to be in each other’s company, and completely engrossed in each other. 

“This one’s too blurry, but I love all the others. Will you text them to me please?”

She watched as he tapped all four and texted them to ‘Sassenach’.

“Am I doomed to being a Sassenach on your phone forever?” she teased.

“You’ll always be my Sassenach, so yes it’s staying that way. Forever.” 

He leaned in and kissed her.

“Are you getting news updates?” he gestured with his chin towards her iPad, where she was swiping through news articles.

“Yes. The pandemic is front and center. Some parts of the country have really frightening numbers. I was thinking about it this morning - I’m worried that if travel restrictions come into play, it might affect the girls’ return home. But even more worrying than their delayed return is their exposure, with numbers apparently so out of control. As preemies they had severe lung issues, and because Covid-19 attacks the lungs so badly, it just worries me. Of course I have zero medical or scientific data that they would be more susceptible, and the girls are strong and healthy, and very fit athletes, but my mommy heart can’t help worrying.”

“Hmmm, numbers will probably keep worsening, Claire. This must be so stressful for you.” His brow was creased in a worried frown. “I know the girls are everything you, and to have all this uncertainty around their health while they travel must be stressing you out.”

“I’ve spoken with Kelly about all the precautions ahead of the flight - masks, gloves, sanitizer, Clorox wipes - she’s making sure they have all that. Still, it’s a concern. I even thought about road-tripping there and back, so that I could bring them home with no travel exposure. It would be a two-week deal though. I’ll do it if numbers continue to worsen at this rate.” She looked resolute and determined. 

“That’s literally the opposite side of the country! How long is the drive?”

“About 45 hours - one way. I could do it there in six days if I drive around 7 or 8 hours a day. That still gives me time to do some work in my hotel room at night, or at various Starbucks along the way. I could make it a fun trip for the girls on the way back. Stop at important landmarks en route home.”

“It would be exhausting, Claire. Unless you spent a little longer on the return trip. Break it up a little more.”

“Mmmm, yes, that’s an option. A road-trip is just a crazy thought right now, but I’ll be watching the numbers carefully, and listening for hints from the authorities about travel restrictions.”

“Would ye have to try and squeeze in a full day’s work on top of all the driving?”

“I’d say at least 5 hours daily, and I’d make up some time on the weekend. I need to keep up my momentum right now. They’re starting to look at the professorship candidates more closely in the next couple of weeks.”

“I want to know more about the professorship and how they're doing the selection?”

“Let’s do that tonight after the meeting. I want to stay focused on you now. Are you feeling ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

She lay her head on his shoulder and nestled into him. He wrapped a strong arm around her, and kissed the top of her head. 

“Today marks one week since we met, ye ken?”

“Mmhmmm,” she smiled, noticing again how sensitive he was to the timing and little milestones in their growing relationship. 

_Our first sunrise … this is the longest we’ve been apart all week … first date pics._

He was the most romantic man she’d ever known - she knew that without a doubt. And his romantic nature covered the spectrum from sweet, schmaltzy stuff like analyzing song lyrics; to profound, intellectual moments like reciting poetry; to thoughtful, considerate gestures like bringing her a plate of food in the midst of his business negotiations. She loved every sweet, endearing act, but most of all, she loved how he made her _feel_. Noticed, appreciated, protected … loved? Too soon to think along those lines. But there was an intensity in their feelings for each other and she sensed that they were moving towards something all-encompassing and enduring. Something that transcended a fortnight of forced proximity imposed upon them by circumstances well beyond their control. 

As if reading her thoughts, he asked, “Do ye think the stars aligned for us last week, Claire?” 

”What do you mean, exactly?”

“When we spoke in the hot tub last Tuesday, you told me how the stars aligned for you when you met Nonna, and she helped to take care of you and the girls, and you ended up moving in with her - which was exactly what she needed and exactly what you and the girls needed. Do you think the stars aligned for us last week - the pandemic and CHAZ and the hotels? Do you think the stars - or the universe - or something - wanted us to meet?”

“I was just thinking along similar lines, Jamie. Have you ever read _The Alchemist,_ by Paolo Coelho?”

“I have. In fact I have a badly dog-eared copy at Lallybroch with sticky notes and markings all over it. There are so many great quotes in that book!” 

She smiled, not in the least surprised that they shared a love for the novel. 

“I have a copy here if you need it. One of my favorite quotes is ‘So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you’. I don’t know what powers or stars aligned for us, but I do think that our connection is amazing and rare and beautiful. I’ve never felt this way. It’s exhilarating … and a little scary.”

“Why does it scare ye, Claire?”

“Because it makes me so happy, and I worry about whether something might take that happiness away.”

“I won’t let that happen.” He pulled her close and kissed her deeply. 

Her phone pinged to let her know that someone was in the driveway. Checking the video feed, she saw that it was Julio and Alma, arriving to set up for the meeting. 

Claire and Jamie met them at the door and she greeted them warmly. “I so wish I could hug you both. Really grateful that you could do this at short notice.”

“No, Dr. Beauchamp, we are so thankful for the opportunity. It’s been a quiet few months for my business.” Alma was soft-spoken and shy, unlike Julio, who was the very image of the flamboyant, friendly mixologist. 

“Please call me Claire. I absolutely insist. And let me introduce you to Jamie. Jamie meet Alma and Julio.”

“I’m very happy to meet you both, and very thankful that you could help us out. Can I help you carry things inside?”

In a few trips between the truck and the kitchen, they had unloaded totes filled with all manner of produce, ingredients, slow-cookers, and other tools of their trade. Julio and Alma worked quickly and efficiently as they set up in the kitchen and on the patio. Within an hour, the slow cookers were emitting tiny plumes of fragrant steam as chicken, carnitas and barbacoa bubbled gently under Alma’s expert care. Julio had set up a mini bar, and helped Alma prepare the toppings and fixings for the street-tacos. 

Shortly before the meeting attendees started to arrive, Julio took Claire aside.

“Dr. Be …Miss Claire, I wanted to let you know that I recognize Mr. Fraser, of course, and I want to assure you of my and Alma’s complete discretion.”

“Oh, Julio, I didn’t doubt that for a second. I’ve known you at the Club for years now, and I know you’ve seen and heard things that could take down marriages and entire companies. And you’ve both done private work for me so many times - you’re more than acquaintances, you’re friends, Julio. I have total faith in you and Alma, but I appreciate the reassurance.” 

“Miss Claire, I hope you don’t mind my saying, but you seem happier than I have seen in a long time. It makes me and Alma happy to see.” He touched his heart and smiled warmly at her. “I also want to remind you that Wednesdays in June and July are lobster nights at the club. I hope you will join us soon. The patio will be open - all the state regulations are in place.”

“Oh, I almost forgot about those, Julio! They are awesome. Yes! I will definitely stop by soon. Thank you again for everything today.” She placed a hand on his arm, and smiled gratefully. 

Jamie and Claire looked around the patio one more time, and, satisfied that everything was ready, headed towards the front door to greet people as they arrived. Jamie was in a lightweight navy suit with a crisp white shirt and tan shoes. He looked polished and handsome, and he looked like he meant business. 

Claire wore tailored ankle-length white pants, and a white sleeveless crossover top, with tiny navy polka dots. A pair of navy, block-heeled Vince Camuto sandals finished her outfit. 

“I just realized we have coordinated outfits again,” he chuckled. “I told you the stars aligned! We always align.” 

Jamie's phone buzzed, and he checked his texts.

“Murtagh. They’re 15 minutes out. Do we have time for a good luck kiss?”

“Always.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The meeting attendees trickled in over the course of twenty minutes. Jamie greeted everyone as they arrived and introduced them to Claire. He asked them to wash their hands before heading out to the patio, where Julio immediately attended to their beverage needs.

“That was the Superman team and Panther Entertainment,” he indicated with a slight jerk of his head towards the patio. He linked his pinky finger with hers as he explained their role in DC Comics and the Superman movies, and what they would be discussing at the meeting. They were still standing there chatting when Murtagh walked up the front steps with Dougal just behind him. They separated their hands quickly and stepped apart a little to greet the men as they entered.

Murtagh greeted Claire with a hug that caught her slightly off-guard. She hadn’t really had a chance to interact with him much, apart from a brief introduction at last Thursday’s Grotto meeting. But he seemed genuinely happy to see Jamie and Claire, and the warmth of his greeting made her want to get to know him better.

“It’s good to see ye lass! I havena thanked ye yet for taking care of our Jamie here. We’re grateful for yer hospitality with him and with us today.” 

“Please don’t mention it - it’s my pleasure.”

“Hmmh - Jamie’s too, no doubt,” his beady, black eyes looked at her steadily. She flushed slightly, and nodded quickly. Jamie stepped in to greet Murtagh, saving her from that awkward moment. 

Murtagh’s hug set the precedent, and Dougal greeted Claire in similar fashion. He pressed himself up against her and held her with one hand low down on her back, almost on her butt, and the other higher up on her back, hugging her a fraction longer than strictly necessary.

“Thank ye for hosting us again, lass,” he said, as he drew back and let his eyes drift up and down her body. 

“Dougal, good to see you,” she replied, her tone clipped and polite, and her smile just a little tight.

Jamie ushered them out to the patio, and returned with a look of concern.

“I hope Dougal wasn’t offensive in his greeting, Claire! I was not expecting him and Murtagh to hug ye.” 

“No, it’s okay," she laughed. “It’s kind of sweet that Murtagh felt comfortable enough with me to do that. I’m definitely keeping an eye on Dougal though - no offense, Jamie.”

“None taken. He’s a notorious lech.” His eyes narrowed and his jaw muscles clenched, “If he touches you, I swear-” 

He was interrupted by the arrival of his agent, Tara Lewis, who greeted him with a warm hug. 

“You know I had Covid back in March, so I’m assuming I’m safe now," she said, “Although I think the jury’s still out on the immunity issue.” 

Tara was a tiny dynamo - 5’1” and solidly built, she was in her mid-sixties and clearly a no-nonsense type. Her once rich brown curls had greyed, and rather than spend hours coloring and covering the grey, Tara owned it and wore it proudly. She carried a heavy-looking laptop bag that was bulging at the seams. Today, she was dressed for comfort in jeans, a button-down shirt and comfortable looking flats. This was a woman who was always busy, and had no time for frills and fuss.

“Tara, I’d like you to meet Claire Beauchamp. Claire, this is Tara. She takes unbelievably good care of me in the movie business. I wouldn't be able to do any of it without her.”

“Fraser, you’re a dream client! You’re more like a son at times,” she said, brushing off his praise. “Claire, I’m happy to meet you. Jamie’s told me a bit about how he came to be staying at your home. Very kind of you. Thanks for hosting us today.”

“It’s lovely to meet you too, Tara. I’m pleased we could keep Jamie on track with all his meetings despite the craziness that went on last week.”

“Tara, after we’re done with Superman, Stargate and Bond, I’ll need some time with you - just us, one-on-one.” Jamie looked solemn as he addressed Tara.

“Yep - I know, hon. I’m at your disposal all day.”

She had suspected for a few months that Jamie was easing himself out of the industry. He had rejected so many scripts and great roles and had been adamant that he would only talk about Superman and Bond for this meeting. She and Dougal had spoken about it - and even though he stepped on her toes - a lot - they were mostly in sync about wanting Jamie to continue to make great movies. Of course she was disappointed that Jamie wanted to make big changes in his life and his career. He was so talented, and such a sought-after actor. But she had seen him through the pain of the Natalie drama, and subsequent studio-driven crap that plagued him constantly. She was a killer agent, and a force in Hollywood, but she was also human - and a mom. She knew that he had been driven almost to the point of no-return when he had gone home to Lallybroch. Jenny had pulled him from the brink and had stayed in touch with Tara throughout that dark time. So when Jamie called her last week to have a heart-to-heart, she had to step back and think about him and his well-being rather than just his career. 

As much as it crushed her to think of losing him as a client, she wanted him to make the right choices for himself. Today, she would try and head off Dougal’s attempts to lock Jamie into the Stargate ‘Clan Hearts’ spin-off. If she was to be involved in helping Jamie wrap up his career, this spin-off was _not_ the way to go. She wanted him to go out on a high. It would be good for him - and for her. There was already Oscar buzz about his performance in ‘Unauthorized Contact’, and that was still in post production, with a release date sometime in September - if the pandemic had eased by then.

She smiled at Claire before heading out to the patio. “I’ll see you later, Claire.”

Tara had an air of dependability and confidence about her, and Claire immediately got a good feeling about her. Of course, as Jamie’s agent, her job was to keep him gainfully employed and making as many movies as possible, but she got the sense that Tara genuinely liked Jamie and would take care of his interests, no matter which way he wanted his career to go.

“I think that’s everyone. Legal, PR, Superman, Stargate, Dougal and Murtagh, and Tara has all the paperwork for Bond with her.”

"Okay, I’ll check in with Julio and Alma now, but I think they’re on track. I’ll be upstairs if you need me. Good luck, warrior, you’ve got this.” She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips.

He winked at her, and strode off towards the patio. He looked determined and capable, exuding confidence as he stepped onto the patio, ready to reclaim his life.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire finished the last of her student papers and almost squealed with glee. It was always a draining process to thoroughly review their submissions and provide helpful feedback. She confirmed a few appointments for Thursday and Friday as part of her preparations for the professorship process. Jamie would be at The Grotto on those days. She didn't even want to think about that yet, because she knew she would miss him terribly.

_You’re ridiculous Beauchamp. Known him a week and you’re already having a hard time separating for two days. What about when he’s in L.A.? Nope. Not even thinking about that right now._

Her phone buzzed, and a text slid in from Jamie. 

**We’re breaking for lunch. a proper break, not working. please join us**

**_U sure u don’t want to keep it to business associates?_ **

**Totally sure. i really want u to join me. need to see u 😍**

**_On my way 😘_** ****

She joined the team on the patio. Discussions with the Panther Entertainment and DC Comics team had wrapped up, so the Superman folks would be leaving right after lunch, leaving Jamie and Tara to deal with Dougal and Stargate, and their ‘Clan Hearts’ spinoff. Legal and PR would be there as observers and advisers, and Murtagh would be there for moral support. 

Julio and Alma had done a stellar job with the food and beverages, and their service was discreet and flawless. Jamie and Claire waited until everyone had been through the taco bar before they helped themselves.

“Claire, this is amazing. I’m so glad you recommended Julio and Alma. They’re fantastic.”

“They are. And you know I’ll be making leftover tacos for days!”

“I’ll have your tacos any time.” His words were meant only for her, and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, drawing a reproachful look from Claire.

“You are hopeless, Fraser.”

They plated up and sat next to each other on one of the patio sofas, making small talk with the legal and PR representatives. Claire felt Dougal’s eyes on her and Jamie, but every time she looked at him, he looked away quickly. Towards the end of their lunch break, Murtagh came over and asked Claire if she would show him around the outdoor living space. 

“Of course. Will you all excuse me, please?”

“Be sure to show him our favorite spots, Sassenach.”

Murtagh’s eyebrows shot up at that comment, but he recovered quickly.

_Oh my sweet, sweet Jamie. You are so exuberant and impulsive at times. Now to explain that one to Murtagh._

She set off with Murtagh and started a tour of the property, similar to the one she had given Jamie exactly a week earlier. 

“This is truly beautiful, Claire, I can see why Jamie loves it so much. It is lush and green, like the area around Lallybroch where he grew up. And this here is all part of his property?” He waved his arm in a sweeping arc over Jamie’s lot.

“Yes. All of it from the edge of my terrace.”

“Where are the favorite spots that he mentioned?” he asked, looking directly into her eyes.

“Well, we have fallen into a routine of sorts. In the evening after dinner, we pick a spot outside and chat until dark. We’ve … uh … we’ve found that we have lots to talk about, so it’s been rather pleasant.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Claire. I’m not sure how much he’s told you about the stress he’s been under because of the industry and how it takes over his life?”

“Yes, we’ve spoken a lot about that.”

“Aye, and I’m seeing him more relaxed right now - apart from today’s meeting, of course. In our recent FaceTime calls, he seemed more content, somehow. I know he’s making some big decisions that will simplify his life and let him focus on what's important to him. He grew up in a loving family environment ye ken. And even after he lost his parents, extended family stepped in to keep raising him and Jenny with love and care. He misses that family closeness in the bright lights and plastic world of Hollywood, ye ken. There is a change in him lately, and I can’t help wondering if there are other reasons for that contentment - apart from the relief of making changes in his career. I’ve not seen him as self-assured and confident in a long time. I’ve not seen him smile as much as he is smiling now. Jenny has noticed too. Something about being in this area, this … neighborhood … is verra much agreeing with him.” He looked directly into her eyes again, and she felt a blush move from her chest to her cheeks. 

“Let me show you some of his favorite spots, Murtagh.”

She led him through the little path to the stone patio, where she and Jamie had spent hours sitting and chatting in the Adirondack chairs. 

“Oh my, my, my! This is truly spectacular!” Murtagh took in the mountains and majestic trees in amazement. “I can see why ye would want to sit out here and talk all night.”

Just as she had done with Jamie, she told Murtagh what she knew about Washington’s mountain ranges, the nearby peaks, trails, volcanoes - whatever she thought might interest him. He made a series of Scottish grunts and noises like Jamie’s, and she knew he was engaged and interested in what she was telling him. 

Her phone buzzed, and she took it from her pocket.

“There’s a text from Jamie - will you excuse me while I check in case they need anything?”

“Of course.”

She opened the messages app.

**💦 🚿**

**_Huh? did u need something?_ **

**Told u i’d have a hard time focusing after this morning’s shower**

**_OMG - r u crazy! Murtagh is standing right in front of me!_ **

**Tell him i asked how much to tip Julio and Alma**

**_I will deal with u later!_ **

**C** **an’t wait** ****😜🌮

“Everything okay?” Murtagh looked mildly concerned.

“Yes - uh - he’s wondering how much to tip Julio and Alma. Let me show you other areas Jamie likes.”

Claire wanted to show him the wooden deck with wicker chairs that overlooked the area where he would mostly likely build his house. They walked past the court and pool, and Murtagh paused momentarily at the hot tub.

“I bet he likes this - if he’s had an opportunity to get in.”

Claire blushed deeply at this point, and she knew that Murtagh was well aware of her discomfort, but he was gentleman enough not to comment further.

“He hasn't spent a lot of time there, but he does like being on the wooden deck. I’ll show you.”

They wrapped up the tour of Claire’s property after the wooden deck.

“Thank you, Claire. Ye have a lovely home here, lass, and Jamie is lucky to be moving into your neighborhood. I have a feeling he’ll be really happy out here. They’ll be starting the discussions with Stargate shortly, and I need to be there for that. This is the one that will cause the most stress today.” He sighed deeply.

Claire nodded. “I know Jamie is incredibly thankful for your support today.”

“I'll do what I can - see you after the meetings.”

Claire left Murtagh on the patio so that he could join the meeting. She headed indoors to check in with Julio and Alma.

“Thank you both so much. Everything was delicious, Alma, and your bar service is wonderful as always, Julio. I have a few things to do upstairs. Call me if you need anything.”

She glanced over at the patio as she left the kitchen to go upstairs. Dougal seemed agitated and fired up, and she knew that the meeting had run into choppy waters.

She continued to work on the curriculum for her online summer course, making excellent progress, until she heard an increase in activity downstairs. She headed down to the kitchen, and looking around at the faces, she knew that the meeting was clearly over. The Stargate reps looked less than happy, and Dougal was fuming. Jamie looked tense, and Tara was leaning against the kitchen counter, arms folded across her chest, lips pressed together. The legal reps and PR team looked like they wanted to get out of there. 

Jamie looked at the Stargate reps. “Like I said, Tara will be in touch shortly. Please let the exec team know that this is not something I will consider. Thank you for coming out today.” 

He turned to thank the PR and legal representatives, and they all headed out at the same time.

“Claire, Tara and I need to meet in private. We’ll use the study, if that’s okay?”

She nodded. He was serious and his demeanor was all business. He turned to his relatives.

“Dougal and Murtagh, ye can wait on the patio, or in here - whatever yer preference.”

Tara and Jamie retreated to the study, and Claire looked at Murtagh. “I need a few minutes to help Julio and Alma, and then I can sit outside with you. We’ll grab a glass of wine or whisky or something.”

“Aye lass, ye do what ye need to do. Dougal and I will be out here.”

Alma had already packaged up all the leftovers and placed them in containers on the kitchen island. She and Julio did one final walk-through to ensure that everything was clean, and then Claire saw them to the door.

While Dougal and Murtagh caught up on texts and emails on the patio, Claire looked over the leftovers to decide what to freeze and what to refrigerate. As soon as she had put everything away, she would FaceTime the girls. 

As she moved the containers into the fridge, the patio door opened, and Dougal entered. She wasn't surprised to note that he seemed unsteady on his feet - again. 

“Are you looking for the bathroom?”

“No, I’m looking fer you, actually,” he said, his voice thick with aggression. 

“Did you need anything, Dougal? How can I help?”

“Ye can help by staying the fuck away from Jamie.” His voice was low and threatening, and he looked at her with unbridled anger and disdain.

Her heart started pounding in her ears, and she moved away from the fridge and placed her hands on the edge of the kitchen counter to steady herself. 

“I’m not sure I know what you mean, Dougal,” she began.

“Of course ye do! The moment he arrived here last week to look at his property, ye snared him. Lured him in with offers to stay here in yer house. Just the two of ye. How convenient!” His voice was growing louder. “Ye saw the opportunity to snag a couple of weeks of shagging a movie star, and ye were gagging fer it. Gagging fer Jamie. I can see it in yer face now!”

The color drained from her face, and her jaw dropped open in shock. She was stunned into a numb silence at the viciousness of his words.

“I dinna ken what kind of hold ye have over our Jamie, what kind of shite ye’ve been feeding him, but ye canna think for a minute he’s giving up his career for the likes of you!”

“Dougal, I never - "

“SHUT UP, YE HUSSY!” he roared. “Just look at ye! Ye’re a college professor with a boring life. Jamie has the world’s most beautiful women throwing themselves at him all the time. He can have all the pussy he wants -”

“DOUGAL!” Jamie burst into the kitchen and lunged for his uncle. Tara was hot on his heels. “Tara, get Murtagh!”

Jamie grabbed Dougal by the shirt and pushed him against the wall. They were close in height, but Jamie had at least two inches on him. And although Dougal was a solidly built man, Jamie had the advantage of youth and a strong, well-toned physique. He pushed his forearm against Dougal’s upper chest to restrain him, and held him there.

“Claire, are you okay?” he asked frantically, looking at her, eyes wild with concern.

“I .. I’m fine. I’m okay,” she stammered. “Jamie, it’s okay.”

He searched her face for signs of distress, his chest heaving. 

“What the fuck are ye doing with _her_ , Jamie?” Dougal taunted.

“Shut up, Dougal, I’m warning ye.”

“Ye can have anyone ye want…”

“Dougal, I swear if you open yer mouth again ...” Jamie pressed his forehead into Dougal's, their noses barely an inch apart. His voice was low and threatening. Claire had never heard him speak in anger before now.

“Are ye going to let a piece of arse bring yer whole career down, ye fecking idiot?”

Jamie pushed his forearm higher up Dougal’s chest, his fist clenching and unclenching.

Claire stood frozen, unable to properly process what was happening in front of her - in her home, her safe place.

“Jamie! Stop! Let him go!” Murtagh flew in with Tara hot on his heels. Murtagh tugged on Jamie’s arm. “Let him go, Jamie.”

“Murtagh, get him the fuck out of here.” She had never heard Jamie swear in anger either. He lowered his arm, and a furious but unsteady Dougal glowered at everyone in the kitchen. Murtagh collected their belongings from the patio and stopped in front of Claire.

“Claire, I know Dougal’s vicious tongue. Whatever he may have said to ye, know that it came from anger and frustration. None of it is true. I'm sorry about this, lass. I canna thank ye enough for your hospitality today.” He planted a noisy kiss on her forehead, and grabbing Dougal by the elbow, growled angrily, “Get in the car.”

“Tara, you and I can finish this on the phone or via Zoom or FaceTime tomorrow.”

“Of course, hon.” She looked at Claire, who was still drained of color. “I’m sorry, Claire. I don’t know what he said to you, but I can tell you that Jamie needs you and wants you in his life.”

“Thank ... thank you, Tara. I hope we meet again in less stressful times.”

She trembled noticeably as her physical response to the sudden emotional shock set in.


	25. Chapter 25

* * *

Jamie locked the front door and hurried back to the kitchen, immediately gathering a still-trembling Claire in his arms. They were alone now.

“I’m so sorry, mo chridhe. I knew he was angry, but I never thought he would take it out on you. God, I am so sorry!” He held her close for a long, long time. She wrapped her arms around him, and as the shock of the angry outburst dissipated, her body continued to shiver as it released her pent-up tension. Jamie held her tighter still, stroking her hair, and whispering soothing words in Gaelic, as she slowly started to come down from the unexpected and aggressive confrontation.

Holding her tight against his chest, he moved his hand in soothing sweeps over her back, endlessly patient and caring and tender; and as the tautness in her body continued to ease, the trembling seeped out of her and she softened and melted into his strong arms. 

He brought his hands up to hold her face, pressing gentle, soothing butterfly kisses all over. Finally reaching her mouth, he kept his lips softly on hers, until her breathing slowed to match his.

“Mo chridhe,” he whispered, “I should never have let that happen. I should have kept you safe.” His eyes were dark and tormented.

He touched his forehead to hers gently, looking deep into her eyes, desperate to take away the pain and distress he saw there. 

“It’s not on you, Jamie.” Her voice was soft but steadfast. “He’s a grown man, and he should have better control of his drinking and his temper. I’m okay.”

“I only heard what he said when he started to raise his voice, and I came immediately. I have no idea what he said before that, but everything I heard was untrue. And I imagine everything he said before that was a load of bollocks too. He lashes out verbally when he’s angry. He has no idea how I feel about you, and he has no right to make comments about what I should and shouldn't do in my personal life.”

“I know, Jamie. You told me the other night that you know my heart. I know yours too, and I know that Dougal has no idea what we have between us. He’s angry, and anxious, and ultimately, he thinks he’s doing right by you. I’m sorry it brought a crashing end to your meeting with Tara.”

“No, Claire, please don’t be sorry. Tara and I can continue with what we were talking about tomorrow, or the day after.”

She snuggled into him, her face nuzzled in the space between his jaw and his shoulder. He held her tighter, and they stood locked in each other’s arms for a long, quiet moment.

Dougal’s words had stung, no doubt about it, and she hadn't really had time to think about what he’d said. But she knew that he had lashed out in an alcohol-fueled tantrum, and she forced herself to push aside his savage verbal attack to focus on Jamie’s comforting arms and soothing voice. His heartbeat echoed in her ear, strong and rhythmic and reassuring. His chin gently nuzzled her forehead.

Eventually, a slow smile curled her lips, and he could feel it on his neck.

“What’s so amusing, Sassenach?”

“Mmmm, I can feel your stubble and in a few days, it’s going to be back to where it was. And then you’re in trouble!”

“All these promises you keep making. I hope ye’re planning on delivering!”

“Oh, I’ll deliver. But not all at once - you’ll have to work for them, warrior.”

He tipped her chin up and kissed her.

“Let’s get comfortable. We should change and meet back here. I thought that we could go down to the sport court. I really need to work off that huge lunch and work on my basketball skills - can’t be embarrassing myself in front of the girls, can I? Have you FaceTimed them yet?”

“Not yet - I was about to do that, but …” Dougal’s outburst had derailed her plans completely.

“I’m sorry,” he looked pained again. “Let’s talk to them once we’ve changed. You know they’re bound to say something that’ll cheer us up.” They smiled at the thought of the exuberant girls and their tendency to inadvertently embarrass Claire.

Jamie came downstairs in navy workout shorts and a light grey tee, and Claire joined him soon afterwards in dark grey yoga pants and a light grey tee. They looked at each other and laughed. 

“Okay, I give up! I’ve resigned myself to the fact that we will never _not_ wear coordinated outfits!”

“I know! And I bet one of the girls will notice.”

“My money’s on Beth, although they’re both very observant lasses.”

“No - it’ll be Ella! Ella will call us on it at some point during the chat,” Claire insisted. 

The girls were excited to see Claire and Jamie on the call together.

“Hi Mom, hi Mr. Fraser!”

“Hi girls!”

“Uhhh … why are you guys in matching clothes?” Beth asked.

Jamie threw Claire a triumphant little side-eye.

“We’re in work-out gear. I was thinking that after dinner we might head down to your court so I can get some practice before our challenge.” He looked at Claire. “What do you say ba- … Claire? Any chance you want to help me get some practice?” 

Her eyes widened slightly at his near-slip.

_Did Ella just give Beth the smallest elbow nudge?_

“Oh - uh - yes, that’s a great idea. I’m in workout clothes too. I’ll give you girls some inside scoop on his technique so you can strategize and take him down.” She winked at the girls.

“Well, we arrive next Wednesday, and Mr. Fraser gets back from L.A. next Saturday. So we’ll have a few days of solid practice. Mr. Fraser, you are so going down.” Ella held up her fingers in an 'L' on her forehead, and they all laughed. 

“How did your big meeting go?” Beth asked.

“It was a long day and a busy meeting, but it all went as expected.” Jamie was careful not to reveal any of the tensions that surrounded the meeting.

“Julio and Alma catered for us,” Claire added.

“Oh my God, that’s not fair!” Beth playfully put on a pouty face. “Did Alma make her street tacos?”

“Yes, and they were excellent. I’ve frozen the leftovers, so there’ll be plenty for you girls next week. We’ll just need to make fresh toppings.”

“And there’s a ton of her ice-cream too,” Jamie added. 

“Yasss! Her home-made dulce de leche is even better than Häagen-Dazs.” Ella was already salivating in anticipation.

“Mr. Fraser, are you staying with us again when you get back from L.A.?” Beth waited expectantly for his response. 

Jamie and Claire glanced at each other briefly. They had not yet finalized this conversation. They didn’t want to be apart any longer than necessary, and the thought of Jamie not staying at the house was tough, but they had to consider the girls and how they would carefully broach the subject of their relationship with them. And with Beth throwing this at them out of the blue, they had to think on their feet.

“We haven’t really planned that far ahead,” Jamie said casually.

“You should stay with us,” Beth suggested. “Ella and I are pretty quiet, so you would still get your work done.”

“Totally!” agreed Ella, ”And in your down time, we can coach you on basketball.”

"And volleyball - we’re pretty decent at volleyball.”

“You girls are very kind, and it sounds very appealing. We’ll get it all figured out in the next few days.” Jamie was touched at their sincerity and kindness.

“What did you girls do today?” Claire asked.

“We watched Stuart Little with Frankie and Lily. Beth made caramel corn - it was so good!”

“And we made a bunch of TikToks with them,” laughed Beth. “I’ll send you some, Mom. They are so funny!”

“Sounds great! But as always, just be really careful about what you post on your social media.”

“We always are, Mom!”

“I know - you’re both really smart about it. Okay, girls, Mr. Fraser's going to entertain me with his … uh … basketball skills on the court.” She winked at them again and they giggled.

“Goodnight!” The girls waved and blew kisses.

Claire blew kisses back and Jamie waved as they tapped out of the call.

“Shit! I’m sorry!” Jamie immediately apologized for almost calling her ’babe’ on the call. “Do you think they picked it up? They’re smart as whips, those two!”

“It’s okay - not a big deal. At first I thought I saw Ella subtly try to nudge Beth, but I’m not sure. I feel like one of them would have made a big deal of it if they caught it. Either way, we’re going to have to talk about us with them. Sooner rather than later.”

He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’ll let you drive that process. In terms of whether you want it to be just you and the girls - or both of us and the girls - when you have that talk. Either way, I completely respect your decision. Just know that I would be more than happy to be with you when you talk to them.”

“I’m sure they’ll have a lot more questions and thoughts when they’re back next week - about you and your time here so far. I’ll have more time to sit and chat with them. I’ll let you know how that all goes, and we can decide how to approach the subject of us.” She leaned over and kissed him. “In the meanwhile, since they raised the question, are you comfortable staying here when you get back from L.A.? Or would that be … too much? Me and the girls?”

“God, I was hoping you would ask! No! It’s not too much - I don’t even know what you mean by that. Ye ken I’m already so fond of the lasses, and we haven’t even met in person yet. And I’m going to miss you so much next week, there’s no way I would want to stay anywhere else.”

“I’m going to miss you too,” she ran her fingers over his stubble, and leaned in for another kiss. 

As they made their way down to the court, Jamie started to update her on the meeting before it all unraveled. The discussions around Superman with DC Comics and Panther Entertainment were first on the agenda, and they had gone very well. Tara and the PR team repped him fiercely on the promotion and publicity requirements, saying that they would allow their involvement in his tweets and social media, but a hard ‘no’ to appearances with random starlets and fake girlfriends. Of course, there would be appearances with the female lead - as yet uncast - but those were routinely part of practically every movie ever made. DC Comics’ PR and Jamie’s PR agreed to collaborate on his social media presence. Tara also pushed them for a higher percentage in Jamie’s box-office earnings. She was a brutal negotiator and if he accepted Superman, he would be in a very comfortable financial position as he exited the industry. 

“I have a good feeling about Superman after meeting the team. What do you think?”

“Well based on what you’ve said, they seem to be really flexible about accommodating your needs and requests. That seems to be quite a shift from how Stargate does things.”

“Aye, 180 degree shift there!”

“I’m so pleased the Superman part went well. That should be a big help as you move towards a decision. How did the Stargate talks go? Did things get tense with Tara and Dougal.”

“When I first started to reject strong roles and scripts that Tara secured for me, she and Dougal suspected that I was looking for a way out of the industry, so they teamed up to push me to keep going. But ye heard her this morning - she treats me like a son sometimes. I think after my heart-to-heart with her last week, she had to think of me less as a client and more as someone who has been through quite an ordeal due to all the studio-imposed crap. She is slowly coming around to me withdrawing from the industry, but she says it’s going to take her some time to wrap her head around it. She says that if it’s going to happen, then it must happen the right way. ‘I want you to go out on a high,’ she said.”

“It’s going to be hard for her, Jamie. She’s been with you for what? Six, seven years? It’s going to be a big loss for her - personally, I mean. She’s clearly very fond of you. You’ll want to be a little patient with her.”

“I wish Dougal would take her approach. They clashed badly over the spin-off series today. I was going to break it to him gently, but Tara charged right in. Told him that if my plan was to exit the industry, I was not doing it on a spin-off TV series. ‘Over my dead body’, were her exact words.”

Claire chuckled at that - she could almost see Tara in that moment, feisty and defiant and verbally placing herself between Jamie and Dougal. Jamie continued:

“Stargate reps weren’t happy about that. I think that’s what set Dougal on edge. He felt embarrassed and blindsided. And I had to support what Tara said so that Dougal wouldn't go all loose cannon on us again. He pushed the money angle in a big way. I assured them that I understand the huge financial implications of a successful spin-off, but with syndication revenue from ‘Clan Hearts’ still likely to come in for a decade or more, and box office income from recent and current projects, I’m not at all incentivized by the potential earnings of another Stargate project.” 

“Wise move - clearly stating that money is not your motivator. What did Murtagh think about all of this? And what about the Bond stuff?”

"Let’s get some basketballs and I’ll fill you in as we get some practice in.” 

He found them in the shed and, tossing one at Claire, he started working on his aim. Claire watched him, hands on hips, completely baffled about why he was, quite frankly, so hopeless at it. 

_Oh, Jamie, you are 6’3”! And a half! How are you so bad at this?_

At this rate, the girls would eat him alive. She grabbed a ball, bounced it a little, and took aim. It was really close, but rebounded off the rim. She lined up another one - and sank it. She bounced the ball again, and took another shot. It glided beautifully through the net. Two in a row. Then three. Then four. He stopped bouncing his ball, and stared at her, mouth open in surprise. 

“How are you getting them all in like that? What’s your strategy?”

“I really don’t know - I mess around down here with the girls from time to time - I guess it’s just practice. Muscle memory? I don't know.” She shrugged.

“Let me stand behind you while ye take aim.”

He stood behind her and watched carefully as she lined up her shot and sank another great shot.

“Okay - I see you stand at a very slight angle to the basket, and your knees are a little bent. I’ll try that.”

He imitated her stance, but still missed all three of his attempts.

“Oh boy, I’m in trouble if I don’t fix this.” 

Claire giggled - but she was also mildly surprised that he wasn’t in the least bit bothered that a woman was better at this than he was. 

“Let me try and imitate how you set up your shot.”

“Okay, first set up your shot as you’ve been doing, and then I’ll do mine,” she suggested.

He did as she asked, and she stood next to him with her shot lined up. She looked over at his line-up and pointed out some differences.

“You bring your ball a lot closer to your shoulder than I do. Try to raise it more. Okay, now your guiding hand is actually on your ball, and mine is just floating a little to the left here, not actually touching the ball. I feel like if I touch the ball, I’m going to affect the accuracy.”

He set up his ball as similar to hers as he could.

“The only other suggestion I have is that when you release the ball, avoid using your thumb. That affects accuracy too. Try now.”

He set up his shot exactly like hers, bent his knees slightly and released the ball. It bounced off the rim.

“Well, that’s a lot closer than most of my other shots. I’ll try again.”

His next two attempts bounced off the rim too. But the fourth shot sailed in. And the fifth, and the sixth. He looked at her in excitement, then lifted her in his arms, and spun her around.

“I think you missed yer calling! You should have been a basketball coach!”

They continued to practice shooting over the next half hour, even doing a little dribbling. Jamie’s dribbling was way better than his shooting, and he got the better of Claire several times.

“You are way fitter than me! I should do more treadmill work.”

“Why don’t ye come for a run with me tomorrow morning? If you add running into yer fitness plan a few times a week, ye’ll build up stamina in no time. And it gives me an excuse for more time with my Sassenach.”

“You’d adjust your speed to mine - I know you well enough to know that - and I don’t want to hold you back.”

“C’mon, Claire. It’s okay if I adjust my speed the first few times, but you are pretty fit as it is. It won’t take you much time to build up your stamina. We could run together twice a week, maybe?”

He continued to out-dribble her, and she stopped to look at him, hands on hips and puffing slightly.

“Deal! And when I’m fitter, I’ll challenge you to beat me at dribbling!”

They did a little more shooting practice, and, while his aim was improving, it still needed some work. He filled her in on the Bond discussion in between shots and little breaks in their practice. 

There had been no Bond representatives at the meeting, but Tara had all the contracts and paperwork with her, and PR and legal sat with them as they discussed this part of the meeting. Jamie had asked Murtagh to keep Dougal out of the Bond discussion, as he had not handled the Stargate spin-off discussions well. While the break-out Bond meeting took place on one side of the patio, Dougal drank mojitos, margaritas, and anything else he could think of. Julio, always the attentive mixologist, had reduced the amount of alcohol in the drinks, but he was too late. The big Scotsman had definitely started feeling the effects of all the alcohol he’d consumed. 

“What do the Bond contracts stipulate in terms of publicity?” Claire asked, almost dreading the answer. 

“Exactly what I expected. Actually - worse, if I’m completely honest. The campaign to start pushing me as a bad-boy bachelor will start a few weeks before they even make the official announcement about who the new Bond is. It mentions photo ops with actresses, models, cover girls. It will require red carpet appearances, beach vacation pictures - romantic walks along docks and such - and parties on yachts with five girls to every guy. Subtle Instagram hints, tweets. Everything.”

“Oh, Jamie…”

“I told Tara flat out I’m not doing it. I’m not putting myself - or you - through that. Their timeline and roll-out pushes me well past my five-year limit too. There's always a few years between Bond movies, and I want out much sooner than the schedule would allow.” 

“What did she say?”

“Surprisingly, she was okay with it! It’s going to be a little uncomfortable for her to back out of Bond after pushing so hard to get it for me, but she’s had to back out of movie deals plenty of times before - with me and her other clients."

"I must admit, I'm a little surprised she took it so well. As you point out, it will be awkward for her to backpedal now.'

"The reason she’s okay with it is that she’s heard early Oscar buzz about my performance in ‘Unauthorized Contact’.”

“Whoa! What? How are you so casual about that?" He’d been nominated for numerous industry awards and had won a decent number of them, but she knew there were no _Oscar_ nominations in the line-up.

“I may seem casual about it, but I’m really quite pumped. Tara and I spoke about it a lot today, so I’ve had a little time to process it. It’s very early days too, ye ken, and I don’t want to get my hopes up too high.”

“Tell me about the nomination buzz and the movie - I haven't heard about it at all!”

“'Unauthorized Contact' is the movie I shot in Seattle. The one that made me fall in love with this city. It’s still in post production, but a few insiders have seen parts of it, and she says that it has generated talk about a possible Oscar nom for me. I don't know if you know how the Oscar campaigns work, but studios pour millions into promoting actors for their top movies. It’s nothing at all like the general public thinks: actors do a good job, the Academy nominates them, industry people vote, and they’re announced at a splashy ceremony. I think that’s what most people think happens.”

She nodded.

“The reality is different. It’s a money game. There is so much money, schmoozing, and borderline bribery behind the scenes. The goal is to secure the nomination, and then work the voters to secure the votes. The studio behind ‘Unauthorized Contact’ is Millennium Entertainment - the biggest studio after Walt Disney. They are very powerful.” Claire knew the name of course, Millennium was a major force in the industry. 

“Tara says they’re very aware of the early buzz, and they want to promote me for it, so that means big campaign money for them. It also means that I can’t have any kind of scandal or craziness attached to my name. Millennium will not be impressed with a parade of fake girlfriends and lap-dances and girls on yachts. So the Bond approach will be entirely at odds with that. ‘Unauthorized Contact’ is a serious movie, tough content. It’s about a whistle-blower, the role that I play, who’s on a quest to expose the government’s failures in the height of the ISIS conflict. Very painful scenes. In terms of publicity, Millennium will require a global tour of appearances and interviews with the female lead, Anja Baranov, who plays my fiancée. The usual stuff. Breakfast TV, late night, social media.”

Anja Baranov. Claire had seen some of her movies. She was a great actress - and a stunner! And quite the man-eater, if her profile and social media presence were anything to go by.

“So much to process! I’m really excited about your Oscar buzz! And proud! So, so proud.” They smiled at that - his admission that he went ‘gooey’ over her pride in him still fresh in her mind.

“I’ll admit that I am verra excited about it. A nomination would be a great way to cap my career as I ease out. And yes, still a lot to work out and process. Tara and PR warned me that there will be some bumps ahead. There will likely be two big announcements - my acceptance of Superman and my rejection of Bond. There will be a surge of social media craziness, interview requests, morning shows, late night shows, and I’ll have to wear caps, face-masks and sunglasses every time we’re out. It’ll blow over within a few weeks though. Think you can power through that with me?”

“Of course. We’ll get through it, Jamie. I’m so excited for you - it’s a lot more good news than bad.”

They each picked up a ball, ready to toss them back in the shed and head up to the house. 

“Wait, Sassenach, let’s take a selfie for the girls.”

They held up the balls, put on their best bad-ass expressions and snuggled in for the shot. They laughed at the picture, and Claire wondered fleetingly if they just looked too snuggly, too ’coupley’ to send to the girls, but she shrugged it off.

“Love it! Please send it to me.”

He tapped his message app, and selected her name. She noticed immediately that he had edited her contact. She was no longer just ‘Sassenach.’ Her name on his phone was now Sassenach❤️. 

She had to suppress a smile at how comfortable he was expressing his feelings so openly. And his emoji game was very sweet - and entertaining!

They decided to have their night-time conversation on the middle terrace, where they could lie next to each other and snuggle on one of the sofas. By this time, they were ready for a light snack, so Claire threw together a hasty charcuterie platter, while Jamie grabbed a bottle of tawny port and glasses.

“You haven’t told me what Murtagh thought of today’s developments.” They settled into their ‘sunrise’ sofa, and he took her hand in his and leaned back on the cushions, stretching his body across the sofa, pulling her in next to him. 

“Murtagh supported all my decisions today. He had to think long and hard on the Bond thing though. And I’ll admit to ye that it was a gut-wrenching decision, Claire. Murtagh knows how hard everyone worked to get me the role. But he also had to concede that the publicity requirements and image-building around it would take me back to a dark, dark place.”

“Do you think you will end up regretting the Bond decision?”

“I won’t regret it.’ His voice was full of resolve. “All the soul-searching and sleepless nights happened in the process of making that decision. I was 95% of the way there before the meeting started, and when Tara told me about the publicity commitments and the Oscar buzz for ‘Unauthorized Contact’, that sealed it for me. Ye ken no Bond actor has been Oscar nominated for the Bond role? It just doesn’t happen. And at this point in my career, I am more excited by a nomination than making 3 movies that will keep me in the Hollywood mess far longer than I want.”

She couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness for him over the Bond role, but his rationale about the Oscar nomination above the Bond role was reassuring and made perfect sense. Jamie preferred the recognition of his craft over the kudos of winning the Bond role.

"Claire, I would really like to hear about the professorship - before we even enjoy the port. I want to hear everything before we get distracted by alcohol.”

“Okay. It’s a professorship within the MBA program, and our program is recognized as one of the best. A good advanced business degree can enhance career opportunities, income potential, and promotion prospects. The most popular options for people wanting to further their business studies are an MBA or an MS in Communication. Currently Fulton offers an MBA, but I have been pushing for us to offer the Master of Science in Communication too, in order to make us more competitive with schools like Purdue, who offer both. That is still a long way off, but I have been doing a lot of work on it over the past two years. In-depth feasibility studies and a detailed roll-out plan, so it might happen in a few years. It’s a huge deal to offer a whole new degree - it takes planning, money, forethought.”

“What are the major differences between the two degrees? Why would someone pick one over the other?”

“The MBA is a much more popular option - it’s become the gold standard. People who opt for the MBA generally want to boost their knowledge in a wide spread of skills, including business strategy and management. They learn about ethics and basic human resources; marketing is a big part of it, depending on how the curriculum is structured. And of course some business communications. The MS in Communications can have a range of different focuses, depending on the school. Some focus on politics, others on mass communications, or technical or health. Fulton’s MS would focus on strategic business communication, providing the background and skills that help to advance the mission of an organization. It includes PR, marketing, some advertising, social media, online content strategy, even some international business communication. Other elements would be corporate social responsibility campaigns, business-to-business communication, and internal communications as well. Eventually, I’d love to see crisis management rolled in, but that would be a specialization too. One of my dear friends from my time at NYU, Melissa Thornton, is probably the country’s leading expert in crisis management. I may have mentioned to you that she was due to visit me last week.”

“Aye, ye did. She was supposed to go with you to the wineries.”

“Yes! That’s the one. She would be an invaluable resource if Fulton incorporated crisis comms into an MS degree.” 

Jamie nodded as he absorbed all the information she gave him. “So that is your long-term plan, the MS degree, right? And in the meanwhile, a professorship is now on the table in the MBA program?”

“Yes, in the interim, a position opened up for a professor in the MBA program, in business communications. When I was first approached, they told me that they would ideally like to appoint from within, which puts me in a strong position - I know the landscape, the culture, the business environment, and of course they know me and my abilities. However as with all positions, they are required to advertise, and they received applications from some strong candidates. One guy stood out in particular. Like me, he’s an associate professor. He’s a little older - early forties, and he’s from The Wharton School, which as you may know is a very prestigious school. Ivy League. So he is very attractive to the selection committee and to the Fulton Board of Trustees.”

“What do you think sets you apart from him, Claire? What do you have that he doesn’t?”

“I’ve led a few very successful cross-disciplinary research projects using students that I embedded as interns in some of Seattle’s leading companies - Amazon, Costco, Boeing, and Starbucks were the biggest case studies. One study looked at communication strategies for organizational legitimacy in social media. Another looked at corporate social responsibility communication with a focus on involvement strategies. My findings were published in a couple of international business journals, and that brings a lot of recognition and exposure to Fulton. I’ve been published a total of nine times, so that is a plus for me.”

“That is impressive stuff, Claire. Do ye have copies of the business journals? I’d love to read your work. Has the other guy been published?”

“Yes, I have copies, and yes, he’s been published, but only twice. The other big thing in my favor is that I have attracted a lot of money in donations. Henry set up an endowment a few years ago, and when he passed, I gathered some of his associates to put together another endowment in his memory. That garnered attention from other donors who donated independently. Additionally, after the PILF thing, female-run companies donated in my name - companies like Oracle, General Motors, Spanx, UPS - all of them have women as CEOs.”

“I love that they rallied around ye.”

“A significant amount of donor money came in, and that is a huge consideration as they weigh up candidates. The Board of Trustees knows I am well connected, so hopefully that gives me a little edge.”

“You sound like such a strong candidate. What are your concerns? Because I sense that you have some.”

“To be honest, I am worried about the PILF thing raising its ugly head again. Remember I had lunch last week with some of the faculty? It was the night I was super stressed, and you found me in the hot tub.”

“Aye, I remember you were worried about one of your co-worker’s questions.”

“Yes, he’s on the selection committee, and he mentioned PILF, and how it had been ‘somewhat of an embarrassment’, and Fulton didn’t want to be ‘dragged into negative social media again’ if it started trending as a result of my being appointed a professor.” 

“Did ye point out that as a result of the outpouring of female support you got, Fulton also benefited from donations?”

“I did! It shut him up for the rest of the lunch, but it just irked me that he had to bring it up again now, and made me wonder if it’s being discussed again behind my back.”

“Do ye have an ‘insider’ who can dish on that and give ye useful information?”

“I might have. I’ll work on that tomorrow.”

“Claire, I am just blown away by your career success. To achieve all of this at your age is remarkable. Will you let me know how I can support ye? The academic world is so intimidating to me. Too many super-smart people! But if there is any way I can support you, ye need only ask.”

“Thank you, Jamie. I appreciate that so much.”

She nuzzled his scruff for a moment, before sitting up to pour some port. 

“Okay, that’s the professorship story in a nutshell - let’s enjoy some port!”

Jamie sat up too, and while Claire poured a little port in their glasses, he fixed them some cheese on crackers and arranged them on the plate. She sighed softly at the memory of him preparing her cheese and crackers almost a week ago.

“What’s the sigh for, mo chridhe?”

“I’m remembering how you fed me cheese and crackers on the stone patio last week. I’d known you for one day and thought it was the sweetest thing ever. That might have been the moment I started falling for you.” 

He looked at her in surprise and his heart rate kicked up a notch. This was the most forthcoming she’d been about her feelings for him. Sure, she had admitted to feeling their ‘unusual connection’, and she’d shared her favorite Paulo Coelho quote about the universe conspiring to help them find each other. And they both privately acknowledged that their sexual chemistry was unlike any they’d shared with anyone else, but she had not been as open about her feelings for him as he’d been with her. 

_That might have been the moment I started falling for you._

Her words hung in the air and he was almost afraid to say anything in case his words engulfed hers and made them disappear, taking this moment with them.

He abandoned the cheese and crackers and slowly, carefully twined his fingers in the curls at the back of her neck. 

“Babe …” he whispered as his lips met hers in a soft, searching kiss, lips and tongues gently probing and reaching and seeking the warmth and softness of each other’s mouths. They kissed with their eyes fixed on each other, burning this moment into their memories.

They pulled apart, still gazing at each other. Before he could say anything, she pressed her fingers to his lips. “I started falling then, and I’m still falling,” she whispered, as though understanding that he needed corroboration … confirmation that he hadn’t imagined her words.

For a moment they sat there, quietly absorbing the impact of her words. 

He finally arose from the sofa and held his hand out to help her up. Wordlessly, they made their way back to the house.

  
  



	26. Chapter 26

* * *

Tuesday dawned bright and warm. The sun’s rays poured through the windows directly onto the bed and the light crept slowly into Claire’s consciousness. She stirred slightly, and reached for her phone.

6:10 a.m.

She rolled over. Jamie was still asleep. They had made slow, sweet, gentle love deep into the night, prolonging their pleasure with lingering, soulful kisses, and whispering sweet nothings that were really sweet everythings. Whispered words of desire and praise and adoration for each other, coming as close to declarations of love as they dared. They spent hours caught up in learning every inch of each other with their lips and tongues and fingertips. And when both were completely spent, they snuggled, facing each other, whisky eyes locked with ocean eyes in the dim glow of the moonlight that filtered softly through the windows. She didn’t know who succumbed to sleep first, but it didn’t matter. They were so completely in sync, right down to their breathing, that they had drifted off within seconds of each other.

Jamie was on his back now with one arm on the pillow above his head. The bed covers gathered below his belly button afforded her a generous view of his delectable V-line. She raised herself on one arm, and allowed herself the luxury of slowly inspecting the muscled magnificence of his upper body. Her eyes lingered on the faint line of hair that went down the middle of his lower abdomen and disappeared under the bed covers. She moved her gaze up to his pecs and shoulders and biceps - every defined line and hollow bearing testimony to the hours he spent working out. She bit her lip unconsciously as she fought the urge to reach out and caress his skin.

“What are you doing, Sassenach?” His voice was a low, sleepy rumble and his eyes were still adjusting to the light.

Startled, she blushed hotly and hesitated before answering him. “Uh ... okay, I can’t wriggle my way out of this one. I was ogling. You have a magnificent body, Jamie. You know that, because you work hard for it. I … uh … I was being greedy and taking the opportunity to stare at it, uninterrupted. Until you interrupted me.”

He chuckled. “C'mere.” He pulled her down and she lay her head on his chest, his arm wrapped protectively around her back. Still feeling wracked with guilt about the way Dougal had attacked her yesterday, he kissed the top of her head, inhaling her fragrance deeply. They lay there in silence for a while - the only sound she could hear was his strong heartbeat in her ear. It felt comforting and reassuring. She rested her hand on his abdomen, her fingernail gently exploring the grooves of his toned abdominals. 

“We should get up for our run,” she said softly. They both had a busy morning planned. She had a number of personal calls to make and emails to write, and she was also hoping to write a series of letters to potential donors. Jamie had a lot of follow-up calls and emails from the previous day’s meetings. No to mention the Dougal drama! He would need to ramp up the timeline on getting Dougal out of his business - and now out of his personal matters too.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

They completed a 3 mile run and returned home drenched and panting. It was going to be a 90º plus day, and they were already feeling the effects of the heat. It would take her longer to recover from the run because she wasn't accustomed to it, like Jamie was. She usually did twenty strenuous minutes on the step machine after her yoga sessions, so she was fairly fit, but her stamina was not at Jamie’s level.

“I think you’re right! I need to do this at least twice a week to build up stamina.”

“You did great - and yes, let’s do it again this weekend, when I’m back from the Grotto.”

While Jamie did his weights workout, Claire took a shower, using the time to plan out her work day, and prioritize her tasks. She dressed comfortably in soft blue yoga shorts and a navy tank - it was too hot for anything else. She dried her hair as best she could and let it fall in natural curls. A quick application of her light daytime makeup and a spritz of Daisy, and she was ready to face the day. She headed to the kitchen, and started to prepare a light breakfast of bagels, lox, and cream cheese. Jamie was still upstairs in the shower, so she sat at the kitchen island and checked emails while she waited. She deleted the spam, flagged a few of them for priority replies, and there was one that she needed to discuss with Jamie.

He joined her in the kitchen less than ten minutes later - hair still damp, smelling spicy and woodsy, and looking comfortably cool in white shorts and a soft blue tee. He hadn’t shaved, and his scruff was coming along nicely. Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her shoulder. She smiled and tilted her head so he could plant kisses from her shoulder all the way up to her ear. 

“You smell so good, Claire.”

She caressed his face for a moment, and leaned in to kiss him. And what started as a sweet kiss on the lips deepened into a long, sensual kiss that left them both wondering if they would be able to focus on the work they needed to take care of over the next few hours.

“You are too damn sexy for your own good. How am I supposed to focus on my work?”

“I could say the same about you! Good thing we are in separate work spaces.”

Between bites of their breakfast, they coordinated their lunch time, planned to spend the afternoon at the pool, and made tentative plans to DoorDash their dinner.

“Jamie, I know you have a ton of follow-up stuff to do today, but what does your day look like tomorrow?”

“I kept it pretty open because I’m gone on Thursday and Friday, and I wanted to spend tomorrow with you. What did you have in mind?”

“Frank and I bought the girls a car for their 16th, and I just got an email from the dealership. It’s ready for pick-up from this afternoon. I was wondering if you would come with me to pick it up tomorrow - early afternoon?”

“Of course! I’d be happy to.”

“Thank you. Liv comes tomorrow too - my house cleaner. If you have any laundry, she’s still happy to do it.”

“I just threw in a load after my shower, but thank you. I’ll still leave her a note and a little extra money - she has more to do with me here.”

“She'll be very thankful for that. We can grab a bite to eat in Bellevue when we pick up the car, and that gives Liv time and space to do her thing. Have you ever eaten at Din Tai Fung?” 

“No - but I’ll go with any of your recommendations.”

“Oh, you’re in for a treat!”

They headed off to their separate work spaces and spent the next few hours working through their own to-do lists. At around 11, Jamie brought her some ice-cold water and a small bowl of fresh berries to snack on. 

“Thank you! What did I do to deserve this?” He really was almost too good to be true.

“I just needed an excuse to see you.” He bent down to nuzzle her neck with his scruff, and after a quick kiss, he headed back downstairs.

Rather than text, Claire placed a call to Melissa. Mentioning her to Jamie last night had been a good reminder to check in on her friend and she wanted to hear her voice. 

“Mel! I’ve been meaning to call, but it’s been completely crazy. How’s everyone doing? Any Covid spread in your team?”

“It’s great to hear from you - I’m still so bummed I had to cancel last week. One more in my team is down, but the rest of us quarantined fast, so we’re all good. How are things with the professorship?”

“So far so good. It’s ramping up now, so I’ll probably know within a few weeks.”

“They have to give it to you, Claire, there’s no one better qualified.”

“Yeah, not so fast. They really like a guy from Wharton. I’m a little worried about a line of questioning from one of the selection committee. He dragged the PILF thing in.”

“Asshole! I hope you put him in his place.”

"I reminded him of the donations that came from power women who backed me. Shut him up fast. I miss you - still thinking of coming out?”

“Yes! Maybe late July, early August. Does that sound good? Can’t wait to see you and the girls!”

“Of course! Uh … Mel … there may be someone else here at that time.”

“Okay - anyone I know? Nonna?”

“I’m still working on Nonna, actually. No, it’s someone I met ...”

“Claire! You met someone - and you haven’t said anything!”

“It’s so new - I met him just over a week ago. Oh, God that sounds so bad. I’ll start at the beginning.”

She gave Melissa the basic details of the most unlikely sounding story she had ever recounted.

“I’m almost speechless with excitement and happiness for you, my friend. You sound so happy! Are you going to tell me his name?”

“Yes, but only because you’re my closest friend and I trust you not to breathe it to anyone. It’s Jamie Fraser.”

“Sweet mother of pearl! What?”

“I know - I have to pinch myself daily. Multiple times a day.”

“Uhh … he should be the one pinching himself, you know that, right? Claire …” Her voice trailed off, and Claire knew what she was thinking.

“Mel, I know - it’s the Hollywood stereotype thing, right? Hard to move past that. I want you to know that I have done a lot of soul-searching over the past week. We’ve been together in this weird lock-down situation, from morning until night, for over a week now; three meals a day together, talking late into the night, every night. If that time was spread out over the course of a regular, non-quarantine new relationship, it would probably be four to six weeks of dating and getting to know each other. We’ve literally compressed that into a week. He’s an amazing man, Melissa. Not just hot and ... uh ... you know…”

“Yeah - I watched ‘Clan Hearts’, and if that’s anything to go by, you’re not getting much sleep.”

“Well beyond all that, we have an amazing connection. Hard to explain. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. You’ll understand when you see us together.”

“I’m looking forward to that! You really deserve this kind of happiness, hon.”

“Thanks, Mel."

They chatted for a little while longer, and ended the call with promises to stay in touch about Melissa's rescheduled visit to Seattle.

Claire checked her to-do list, and was happy with the progress she was making. A few more important emails, but first she needed to text the girls and call Nonna.

Tapping her message app, she selected the basketball pic from the previous night and texted it to the girls.

**Omg mom, u guys look so cute!**

**Yah! Beth’s still shipping u guys hard, but she’s right. u kinda look like a couple**

**Ur shipping them too Ella!**

**_C’mon girls, don’t get all silly_ **

**How are mr. F's basketball skills?**

**_I had to work with him on his aiming skills. u will need to go easy on him_ **

**No way - we’re ready to crush him**

**** ******_Ella, u are too competitive. good sportsmanship above all else, remember!_ **

**We’ll be nice, mom, don’t worry. Ella, u need to calm down**

******** **_I'll facetime u girls later - still have some emails to send. love u_ **

Claire placed a call to Nonna, who was delighted to hear from her, as usual. She was still hesitant about travel, but had ventured out to play bridge. She had thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her bridge club friends, whom she’d known for many years. Claire was relieved that Nonna sounded more upbeat and positive than she had done during their last call. She had been concerned about the effects of so much social distancing and isolation on her older friend. It would take a little more work, but she was hopeful of convincing Nonna to visit within the next couple of months.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie and Claire met in the kitchen at 12:30, and quickly put together cheese and ham paninis and a salad, which they ate on the covered patio with the ceiling fan turned up high.

Jamie was unusually subdued at lunch, and she wondered if more problems had arisen with Dougal or one of the studios. Eventually, he took her hand and looked at her with some trepidation in his eyes and a little hesitation in his demeanor.

“Claire, I want to bounce something off you. I hope you won’t be angry.”

“Okay,” she nodded encouragingly, a little nervous about what he was going to say. 

“Yesterday, I mentioned to Tara that you were really worried about the girls’ exposure traveling back on a commercial plane and through busy airports and the like.”

“Mm-hmm …” She wondered why he had shared that with Tara.

“I asked her to put out some feelers with the studios to see who had a private jet out on the East Coast.”

Her eyes widened as she realized where he was going with this.

“All studios have multiple jets, and they're all over the country at all times. They fly actors and execs around all the time. If an actor gets a DUI in Miami or New Orleans or anywhere, you can bet a studio will be sending a private plane to pick him up while PR scrambles to spin it. It’s not a big deal for them.”

“Okay?”

“Turns out Stargate and DC Comics will both have jets in the New England area next week. I asked her to look into the DC Comics one - don’t feel comfortable asking Stargate after yesterday’s meeting.”

She nodded, quite dumbfounded by the extent of his thoughtfulness.

“So she got me all the details. It looks like one of the DC execs is heading out to his house in the Hamptons next week, and it’s just about an hour’s flight to Boston. The jet can pick up the girls at a small airport in Boston - there are several to choose from - and fly them home directly. The plane is a 14-seater Embraer Legacy 600 - it’s beautiful, I traveled in it earlier this year. I spent some time looking into the plane this morning - I’ll show you the website. It’s got a great safety record. The range is around 3700 miles, and Boston to Seattle is around 2500 miles, so no refueling stops. They are more than happy to bring the girls home. No other passengers will be on the flight, and they will provide an attendant, who is willing to Zoom or FaceTime with you in case you have questions or requests. Will you think about it, please, Claire? I canna imagine you having to road-trip. You are going to be in the midst of your professorship interviews and meetings.” 

“Jamie …” she started. “I’m speechless, actually.”

“Are you angry? I should have checked with ye first, but I didn’t want to get too excited until I knew there was a plane available.”

“A private jet for the girls! I’m not angry, Jamie. First, I am just beyond touched by your thoughtfulness. But I have questions.”

“Ask away, and I’ll try to answer them, or at least find the answers you need.”

“Will it make things awkward for you in any way? Will the studios expect some sort of ‘you owe us’?”

“Not at all. Like I said, it’s very routine for them to fly all over the county. My name is not even involved. Tara has a lot of influence in Hollywood.”

“I can trust the girls to keep this absolutely confidential, but I’m not quite sure what I would tell Frank. He might want to know who arranged it, how it all happened, etc. And he has a right to ask. How do I explain your involvement?”

“I’m not sure how to navigate that part. I can think a little about how the PR people would spin it. They’re great at getting information across without revealing too much, and not blatantly lying about it.”

“Yes, I’ll have to think about it too. When do you have to confirm with Tara?”

“By tomorrow night.”

“Jamie, thank you so much. I am so grateful.”

He broke into a broad smile, “I think the lasses would get a kick out of it. It’s really comfortable. They can sleep, or use the wi-fi, or enjoy the endless snacks and treats.”

“Are you kidding! They will love it! You are going to be their hero.”

“That’s not what it’s about, Claire. I’m not trying to curry favor with them. I’m concerned for their safety too.”

“I know that, and so will they. But you’ll still be their hero.”

“Full Fraser honesty here - a road trip there and back would take you away from me for three weeks! How do you expect me to survive without ye for that long?”

“I don’t think I could either.” 

He kissed her fingers and released her hand.

“Let’s get this cleaned up, and grab our swimsuits. It’s a great day to float around the pool together.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

They spent the afternoon on the floating island, occasionally diving into the water to cool off. Both attended to a stream of emails and texts. Claire connected her iPad to the hidden blue-tooth speakers, and randomly selected a recommended playlist from Spotify. 

Tapping her message app, she selected ’Armando’, and sent him a quick text. Something had been on her mind since the previous day, and she thought Armando might be the one to help her figure it out.

**_Hey u! can u do lunch on Friday?_ **

He responded almost immediately.

**Of course! where are u thinking?**

**_University Village? i’m on campus in the morning, so it’s a quick walk, and it’s not far from ur salon._ **

**Sounds perfect. 1:00 work for you?**

**_Yes - meet outside Starbucks. also, can u share ur favorite summer playlist on Spotify, i’m not feeling the one i’m listening to right now._ **

**Sure, what are u doing?**

**_Floating around the pool_ **

**With ....?**

**_Yes_ **

**Ok - stand by, i’ll send my playlist in a few.**

Around ten minutes later, she accepted his shared playlist and hit play.

“I’m changing this mid-song,“ she warned Jamie, “my friend just shared his playlist - I needed something more upbeat.”

“Sounds good.” Jamie reached for her hand distractedly, and kissed it before releasing it again. 

“This is going to be one of my favorite pastimes of the summer, ye ken. Floating in the pool with you beside me - for hours and hours.”

“I know - I could do this every afternoon too.” 

Harry Styles’ ‘Watermelon Sugar’ wafted out of the speaker.

_Oh Armando, is that how you’re going to do this - wait until I see you on Friday!_

“Oh, this is more like it! It sounds like beach party music.”

“You know what this song is about, right?”

“Sweet watermelons?” he offered.

“Google it sometime.”

She tapped out an email to Uncle Lamb, filled with general news about her work, the girls’ trip to Boston, and news about her professorship ambitions. She avoided mentioning Jamie, sensing that it would be better as a phone conversation. They emailed a couple of times a month when Lamb was on an archaeological site and more frequently when he was home in Oxfordshire. Currently, he was on site in Egypt, so she knew she might not hear from him for a week or more. Lamb refused to come to grips with smartphone technology, so FaceTiming was a rarity. He considered emails quite cutting edge, and Claire indulged him.

Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” replaced Harry Styles, and Claire suppressed a giggle. Jamie shot her a quick look:

"Who's the friend sending you his sexy song playlist? Should I be worried? Tell me it's not Ashlee's dad."

"Oh God, no! It's one of my dearest friends, Armando, who's also my hairstylist. You have him to thank for my choice of dress last Saturday. And no, you should not be worried. He has been happily married to a wonderful man for a good few years now."

“In that case, I hope to meet him and thank him in person soon. What was the name of the restaurant you mentioned for tomorrow?”

“Din Tai Fung”

Jamie tapped on his iPad and explored the restaurant website. 

“If it tastes as good as it looks, it’ll be an awesome lunch!”

“It’s beyond delicious. It’s a very popular restaurant. I got us a table at 2:00.”

“Sounds great. I see it’s right in the middle of all the Bellevue malls - I’m going to order a few things for in-store pick-up. Is that okay, babe?”

“Of course! I might do the same - and the girls will probably want to order some clothes. We’ll get their car after that.”

“Where are we getting the car?”

“From Tesla in Bellevue - not the Mall, it’s at their main branch a few blocks away.

“You got the girls a Tesla?”

“It’s a pre-owned Model 3. Supposed to be one of the safest cars on the road - that was my biggest consideration. Also, it’s enviro-friendly and they won’t have to pay for gas. Plus, I already have the charging set-up all ready to go in the garage.”

“Lucky lasses! Are they going to share the car happily, or will it become an issue?”

“They know they're getting a car to share, they just don’t know it’s the Model 3, so that will be a surprise. And they’re completely okay with sharing. They might be very different in many ways, but they have mostly the same friends, and they’re both in cheer and volleyball, so driving to practice and hanging out with friends will work well.”

“Frank’s okay with all of it too?”

“Yes. Eventually. We went back and forth a lot. I had to handle it sensitively. He wanted to go fifty-fifty on all the expenses - a matter of pride for him. College professors don’t exactly earn the big bucks you know, and he has another family to take care of. So when I found this screaming deal on the Model 3, I jumped on it. It was less than a thousand dollars more than the next make we were looking at, and the pros out-weighed it. So he agreed. I’m not gonna lie - I was surprised he made the decision so quickly.” She chuckled wryly. “He probably just wanted to get it over with so he wouldn't have to field more phone calls from me.”

Shakira’s distinctive warble was replaced by AC/DC’s gravelly “You Shook Me All Night Long.” Claire could no longer suppress her reaction, and her laughter bubbled up as she looked at Jamie and shrugged, “What can I say - he has eclectic tastes.”

“Nothing wrong with a bit of hard rock. This is a classic. But … English thighs.”

She looked at him, puzzled.

“Keep listening.”

Jamie lay the iPad down on his chest and turned to her attentively. “I’ve avoided asking you about Frank because it made me so angry when you told me what had happened in Boston. Still does! How do you get along now? Are you co-parenting well?”

“Well, I wouldn't call it co-parenting exactly. He allows me to set the terms and limits for visits and such. I let him know if they’re going out of town without me - for family weekends with their friends or on school trips, for example, and he’s always okay with it. When the girls are with him, he’s fairly attentive and engaged with them. They always have a good time in Boston - but I think a lot of that is due to Kelly. When they’re home, they FaceTime him weekly. He’s interested in their grades and their successes at school. But the part he misses out on is them as people - who their friends are, what movies they like, their favorite ice-cream place, the great things they do at the stables for kids with special needs, and all the other volunteering that they do. He wasn't there when they won state at cheer and volleyball, he’s never seen them in the school’s drama productions; he has no clue that Beth will read Emily Bronte poetry and drown in the angst of it all, while Ella will read John Green’s books because they’re more risqué and more relevant to today’s teens. He won’t get a read on their first boyfriends, or help them through their first break-up, or take prom pictures, or go to their homecoming game - all those important milestones. Obviously, I resigned myself to that all when I left Boston years ago. But it stings that Frank doesn’t take more of an interest. He’s never asked for the videos of their cheer competitions or volleyball games. He rarely asks for pictures - I always send him pics on their birthday. It’s just who he is.”

“Makes you wonder what he’s like with the little kids - the girls’ half siblings.” Jamie seemed fascinated by the fact that a man could be so disengaged from the lives of his own children.

“I get the sense that Kelly really pushes him to be more involved. Frank was in a biking accident a couple of years after I moved in with Nonna. He was cycling to work and was hit by a van. Shattered his pelvis, and Kelly was his physical therapist. She’s very caring, but very no-nonsense. He must have had some sort of epiphany during the months of rehab and recovery. I can’t imagine Kelly falling for the man I knew back then. It seems to have worked for them though. I like Kelly a lot - would far rather deal with her than with Frank, to be honest.”

“Have you thought any more about what you might tell Frank about the girls’ flight home?”

“I’ll probably tell him you’re a well-connected neighbor and have access to people who can easily arrange flights. Are you comfortable with that?”

“Aye. None of it is a lie. Just a wee little secret in there.”

“I know - but I do feel a little bad about not being entirely forthcoming. I just hope he doesn’t ask the girls anything about the neighbor. I can’t expect them to lie. I’ll hold off telling all of them until the weekend.”

“The girls really don’t know any more than what you’ll tell him. To the girls and Frank, I am no more than a neighbor with some connections, as you said. You don’t owe him more of an explanation than that.” He got a wicked little glint in his eye. “Unless you really want to share that the guy who arranged the flight is the one making love to you all night, every night. The one who can’t get enough of your kisses and who loses his mind when your hips start to move, because yours definitely don’t lie, and the one who brings out all yer wee noises when he-”

“Yep - I get it, Fraser! You are insufferable and insatiable.” 

“And ye love it!”

“As much as it pains me to admit it, you are correct. I do love it. And now I am confiscating your iPad so we can make out like a couple of horny teens.”

She took the iPad from his chest and rolled towards him as Selena Gomez’ ‘Come and Get It’ drifted from the speakers.

“Oh Sassenach, I like this playlist more with each song! I’ll come and get it any time.”

He rolled towards her and kissed her thoroughly. When the song ended, and ‘Perfect’ came on, they both smiled broadly. 

“Remind me to thank Armando - this is quite the playlist! Maybe now I’ll get to kiss you for this entire song. From start to finish.”

He rolled slowly onto her, and did exactly that.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

By the time they headed up to the house to shower and change, it was almost time to FaceTime the girls. They placed a quick DoorDash order for pizza. It seemed like the perfect meal to end a simple, but productive day.

They sat at the island and started the FaceTime call.

“Hi girls,” Jamie and Claire spoke at the same time, and the girls had a fit of giggles over that.

“You guys are so synced. What’s the deal with that?”

Claire shrugged. “You girls do that too, sometimes. How was your day?”

“It was good, but we’re really missing you mom! This week is dragging. I just miss my mom hugs and our Starbucks outings.” Ella sounded almost tearful, which was unlike her.

“Me too, Mom! I just want to come and watch the sunrise with you and snuggle on the terrace like we do sometimes.”

Claire swallowed hard. Jamie’s hand reached under the counter and squeezed her knee gently. She clutched his fingers and held on tight.

“I miss you both so much too. Just one more week. Try to keep busy and the days will fly by. Do you want me to ship you some craft supplies to work on with the littles?”

“Sure.”

“Okay - text me some links and I’ll order on Prime. Tomorrow, Mr. Fraser and I are going to Bellevue to pick up some things. If you want to order any clothes or stuff from Sephora, I can pick it up for you. Use your allowance money and forward me the order confirmations.”

“Okay. Thanks, Mom.

“Can I order something for you, Mom? Early birthday present?” Beth looked excited about spending some time doing online shopping.

“You don’t need to do that, Beth. There’s plenty of time.”

“Yah, but since you’re going to be there anyway, you can pick it up.”

“Where are you ordering from?” Claire wanted to ensure they kept it to stores within the mall area.

"Uh … I’ll have to tell you in code.” Beth sounded secretive and just a little sassy.

"Oh! I bet I know,” Ella jumped in. “Mom, it’s very special. You know - VS. Very Special.”

“Yes,” Beth confirmed. “VS for verrrry special. Special like my friend _Victoria_ , who is so _secretive_.” 

Jamie made a valiant effort to keep a straight face, and did remarkably well.

“Girls,” she said in a warning tone, “text it to me first.”

She was used to the girls sending her links to hopelessly unsuitable dresses and lingerie. 

“And text me the links or confirmations to anything you want me to pick up tomorrow.”

“Okay, thanks Mom.”

“Mr. Fraser, how are the house plans coming on?”

“Actually, I have another meeting with architects this weekend. We’re going to talk about it generally, so they have an idea of what I want, and then they’ll start planning.”

“That sounds so exciting. And the stables?”

“Yes - I’m giving that more thought too. It’s looking promising.”

“Yeah! Beth and I can help to look after the horses.”

“Ahh, you girls are the best. Thank you!”

“Okay, babies. You go and do your online shopping and text me all the links. Love you both so much.”

“You too.” They blew kisses as she tapped out of the call.

Jamie put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “It’s getting hard for them, isn’t it? They miss their Mam. I’m dreading being away from you for just a week, and they’ve been gone several weeks already.” 

Her phone buzzed a few times as the girls’ links came in. A few craft items from Amazon, and a photo frame - she guessed they were going to take a picture of themselves and their half siblings and gift it to Frank and Kelly. The last link was to a lace baby-doll from Victoria’s Secret.

“I approve,” Jamie said, raising a brow and giving her his killer half smile.

“You stay out of this - you already told me you’d approve all their suggestions, you horny Scot. I’ll text her directly and tell her no. My girls should not be buying me this stuff. Boundaries, you know?” 

They headed down to the stone patio with a bottle of rosé and glasses. Dusk had already fallen, and sunlight was draped over the top of the mountain peaks. It looked beautiful, and as they settled into the Adirondack chairs with their glasses, he unconsciously reached for her hand, as he’d done every time they had spent time chatting into the night. 

“Do you know that you always hold my hand when we sit out in the dark and talk? From the night we met.”

“Aye. I remember that first night. When you told me about that dreadful day with Frank and his student. I was so afraid that I had upset ye by bringing up painful memories, and I felt a need to comfort ye. And it just felt right every night since then. When I was just a lad and I did something naughty or mean, my Da would sit me down and have a long talk. And he always told me that I showed all my feelings and pain on my face, and he couldn't bear it when he reprimanded me and my feelings were hurt. So he always held my hand when he scolded me. He said it was a way to stay connected and a reminder that even though he was disciplining me, he still loved me, and that hand-to-hand touch was physical proof of our unbreakable connection as father and son. And I never forgot that. I never want to stop holding yer hand when we talk, Claire. Our hands will always connect us.”

“I hope you never stop holding my hand when we talk, Jamie. I love to feel your warm hands holding mine. They are so strong and reassuring and comforting, and yet I know how very gentle and loving and nurturing they are too. When our hands are connected, our hearts are too.”

He leaned across and kissed her lips, touched by the emotion in her words and voice. They sat steeped in their thoughts for a moment, until Claire eventually broke the silence.

“Can I ask about Dougal? I haven’t wanted to mention him because I know it was a stressful day for you yesterday. Is it okay to ask?”

“Claire, you should never feel like you canna ask me something. I will always answer you honestly, and if I don’t have the answer, I’ll tell ye that honestly too.”

She nodded thoughtfully.

“You’re right though, it was a very stressful day, and his attack on you was by far the most distressing moment. I so badly wanted to hit him and shut him up, but I didn't want to add more violence or tension to the event - especially right in front of you, in yer home, Claire.”

“I’m glad you maintained that control, Jamie. I was fearful that you’d lose it and hurt him.”

“It was out of respect for you, and for my Mam, Uncle Colum and Aunt Jocasta that I kept myself in check. I Zoomed with Colum and Jocasta this morning. We all agree that it’s time for Dougal to come back to Scotland. He could work in the MacKenzie businesses - probably the distillery. He’s also a shareholder in Lallybroch Farms - a small stake - so he could focus on that too. Murtagh has some ideas on that to share with me on the drive up to The Grotto. There’s a lot to keep him busy in Scotland. We’re going to Zoom with him in a day or two and tell him that he has a month to get his affairs in order in the U.S. I’ve worked out a decent termination package with some residual income for the projects he worked on for me. He did some good work for me in the early years, Claire, and I do owe him that much.”

“Absolutely, Jamie. I completely agree. Just because he said some awful and hateful things to me doesn't mean that I want to see him completely crushed. He put his life on hold for you and Jenny when you needed him, and you’re doing the honorable thing by him.”

“Colum and Jocasta want to protect his pride a little and call it ‘skill-set re-alignment’, rather than a termination. So they want him to use his strengths and management experience in the family business in Scotland, rather than meddling in my life. I really don’t care what they call it, as long as he stays out of my career plans and personal life.”

They watched as the last of the sun’s rays faded from the mountain peaks, content to sit in silence, their fingers entwined, connecting them to each other.

“Claire, can I ask ye something?”

“Of course - you can ask me anything too, Jamie.”

“I don’t want to bring up painful memories, so it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“Jamie, we can talk about anything.”

“Yesterday in the shower, you seemed quite stricken when I noticed yer wee scar, and I saw some pain in yer eyes that you tried to hide by changing the subject. Is it okay to talk about it?” 

“Yes. You’re wondering why I reacted so strongly? I did try to hide my feelings - guess I didn’t do a great job of that.” 

“I think we’ve learned to read each other verra well in a short time.”

“We have,” she smiled, “and it amazes me that you can do that with me. I know I can be hard to read. After I had my babies, I spent six weeks with them in the hospital. During that time, the medical team took care of me too - my incision, you know. They dressed it daily and removed the stitches carefully - they were just awesome. I thought my scar looked pretty good and the team said it would heal well and the scar would start to fade nicely within a few months. I was anxious to get home with my babies, and wanted to try to make the best life for them with Frank. And I knew that we had to work on our relationship - every aspect of it.” She paused and gathered her thoughts. “Doctors always tell new moms to wait about six weeks before resuming sex - sorry, this will be a lot of TMI!”

“It’s okay, mo ghràidh.” His voice was gentle and reassuring, and his thumb caressed the back of her hand.

“So by the time we went home, it was the six-week mark, and I wanted to make an effort to please Frank. A few days after getting home, I had a decent sense of the girls’ sleep routine, and I set up the scene in our bedroom to … uh … reconnect with Frank. I knew I only had a few hours while the babies slept, and I lit candles and put on some silk pajamas, and I thought he would be pretty excited. It started off well, but when he saw my scar, he … uh … completely lost … interest, if you know what I mean. He couldn’t … after that.” 

Jamie’s thumb stopped caressing for a split second and then resumed.

“He was so obviously turned off by my boobs, the scar - my belly wasn’t totally flat yet. And he refused to touch me sexually for months after that. When he did, the room had to be in complete darkness. And it was quick and dutiful.”

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly, not daring to speak, and clenching his jaw muscles hard.

“Of course, back then the scar was nowhere near as faded as it is now! But when I saw that you had noticed it, I wondered if it might be a turn-off for you too.”

“No, Claire. I told you that I find every inch of you beautiful. That was not me trying to make ye feel better. It’s the truth. You are gorgeous and beautiful and sexy - in every way. Your scar does not take away from your beauty, it enhances it. Scars tell stories, and yours tells the story of a beautiful woman with inner strength and drive and determination. An intelligent, capable woman who is also an incredible mother and nurturer.”

“You say the most beautiful things, Jamie. Even though I felt a surge of those painful memories when I realized you were looking at my scar, you instantly made me feel accepted and appreciated. I almost cried when you kissed my scar. In the 16 years since I’ve had it, no one has ever done that. It was such a loving gesture, and I was so touched by your gentle recognition of the fact that the scar gave me my sweet girls. You made me feel that I was still desirable to you in spite of it. I appreciate so much that you made me feel that way.”

“I want you to know that I have never felt like this about anyone. Emotionally or sexually. You ignite all my senses. I can’t imagine an event or a time when I will not desire you or yearn for you. I think of you all the time, Claire, whether you’re with me or not. Your eyes, your lips, your hair, your body, your mind, soul, heart - all of you. And I want you beside me all the time. I don’t know how I will make it through a week without you in L.A.”

“It’s going to be hard for me too, Jamie. I will miss waking up with you. Even with the girls here to keep me busy and distracted, I will miss you.”

"Aye, I'm glad the girls will be back here with you." He seemed deep in thought for a moment.

"Claire ..." he hesitated "... have you thought about the possibility of having more children?" There was a tentative, uncertain quality in his voice, almost as if he was afraid of her response.

She was quiet for a while, and his hand tightened around hers almost imperceptibly as he waited for her answer.

“To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it. Mostly because I haven’t had to. If you’re asking me whether I’ve ruled out the idea of having more children, the answer is no. I have not ruled it out. There’s no physical reason for me not to have children. I’m 34, and in good health. It would mean a lifestyle adjustment, but the joys of motherhood outweigh any challenges by a long, long way.”

He listened intently and processed her answer for a moment.

“How do you think the girls would react?”

“I can tell you that Ella and Beth would love it - and I realize that a lot of teens would be mortified if their mom suddenly became pregnant. The girls are very aware that I’m a lot younger than their friends’ moms, and they know that children are a possibility for me if I was in the right relationship. When Kelly had Frankie and Lily, they were so excited. Of course they were younger then too, but for a while they wanted me to have a baby. Swore up and down to help me look after the baby, right down to getting up in the middle of the night.” She chuckled at the memory.

”What about you, Jamie? Do you see children in your future?”

“I do Claire. I’ve always imagined having a family. I feel very deeply and strongly about raising children in a loving, safe environment. And the Hollywood bubble is not the right space to do that - not for me, anyway.”

He had never felt more at peace about leaving the entertainment industry. Thinking about children and family validated all the difficult decisions he had made recently.

A soft breeze whispered through the trees, immediately reminding him of some lines from an old classic rock song by the Scorpions:

The future's in the air,

I can feel it everywhere,

Blowing with the wind of change

As the rustling of the leaves settled, the distant sounds of coyotes filtered through - a reminder that the night creatures were starting to emerge. Jamie stood up. 

“Why don't we head indoors, Claire.” He held his hand out to her, helping her up with a gentle tug. 

Holding both of her hands in his, he kissed first one, and then the other.

“I verra much appreciate that you opened up to me about deeply personal things, mo ghràidh.”

“That’s a new one for me, Jamie. What does it mean?”

“It means ‘my love’.”

  
  



	27. Chapter 27

* * *

The mall was a lot quieter than either of them expected. Quarantining was still in force, and almost everyone they saw was wearing a mask. This served Jamie well, as it helped hide his identity, and with a baseball cap on in addition to his mask, he was able to move around freely without being approached by fans. Because they had eleven stores to visit between them, they decided to divide and conquer. Jamie would pick up his purchases and Claire would pick up the girls’ things and her own packages.

Jamie navigated the malls of the central Bellevue area with ease, quickly picking up his online purchases and loading them in the car, before texting Claire to find out where she was.

Claire had also moved around the malls with purpose, guided by the string of email confirmations and texts that the girls had sent her.

**Where are u babe? my stuff’s in the car, can i help with yours?**

**Y _es please - girls bought a lot! i’m in Nordstrom, cosmetics, lower level_ **

After loading Claire's shopping bags in the car, they settled down to a delectable meal of Din Tai Fung’s signature pork xiao long bao and a selection of other superb dishes. Over lunch and a crisp sauvignon blanc, they shared some of the plans that would keep them busy over the next couple of days.

“Tomorrow, I’m having lunch with two potentially big donors. On Friday, I have coffee with colleagues. And lunch with Armando after that.”

“Ahhh - the playlist man. Please thank him for me.” He raised an eyebrow suggestively. “And when you remember, please share the playlist with me too. I think I’ll rename it ‘Down and Dirty’. Or maybe ‘Sexy Sassenach.’ I’ll be listening to it all the way to The Grotto.”

He reached across the table to hold her hand, and briefly shared what he and Murtagh would be doing.

“We’re mostly working with the transition team, outlining what Murtagh will be doing over the next six weeks. I’ll be in most of the meetings, but in some of them, I may tune out and work on other areas. Murtagh got a lot of great experience in the import/export side of things when he worked for our cousin years ago. I don’t want to be involved in that for now - Murtagh knows his stuff, and there will be people from the Washington State Wine Commission to advise him on trade and tariffs. He will give me an executive summary when necessary. I want to focus on building a strong team around me.”

“That makes really good sense. You can’t be involved in every area. Find the best people you can to run the major disciplines and areas. Headhunt, if necessary. I can put you in touch with some good headhunters who will find you a few people to augment the existing management structure.”

He nodded thoughtfully. They made such a great team in ways that went beyond their emotional and physical connection. He was new to the American business arena, and she had so much theoretical expertise and a broad network of business leaders to call upon. Her opinions and guidance were becoming more and more important to him as he plotted out his future.

“Lunch is on me today.” Claire handed the server her card, and he looked awkwardly from Jamie to Claire. 

“Uh … your husband gave me his card earlier, and I already entered it.”

They looked at each other awkwardly, and Claire jumped in to ease the tension.

“Okay! Thanks … hubby! Next one will be on me.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure, wifey.”

They smiled at each other, and Jamie continued to play with her hand while they waited for the server to bring the receipt and their packaged leftovers.

“Thanks for bringing me here. It was outstanding - we must come back. Maybe with the girls? I wonder if they have a Din Tai Fung in L.A.?”

“I’m not sure, but I imagine they have one in most big cities.”

Jamie flipped the menu over and looked at the list of locations. “Most of their locations are on the West Coast - and there’s one in Century City. I’ll go there next week - it’ll remind me of you.”

“I’m surprised they don’t have one in New York or London!”

“Those your favorite cities?”

“Definitely in my top five favorite cities.”

“What are the others?”

"Rome, Hong Kong, Berlin.”

“What?” He looked surprised. “I thought for sure Paris would be in the top five.”

“Believe it or not, I’ve never been to Paris. It’s near the top of my bucket list. After the Ultimate Sassenach Highlands Tour.”

Jamie seemed shocked. He was silent for a moment, so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't react to her Highlands tour joke.

“Claire, I’d like to take you to Paris for your birthday. I know it's four months away, and you don’t have to answer me right away, but will you at least think about it? For an extended weekend - maybe four or five days?”

“Yes! Yes! I don’t need to think about it. There’s no one I’d rather discover Paris with, Jamie.”

He broke into a broad smile, and kissed the back of her hand.

The server arrived, and they wrapped up their Paris discussion, promising to talk about it at a later time.

Jamie drove Claire’s car home from the dealership, while she drove the girls’ Model 3. She backed it into the garage, and placed a huge magnetic bow on top - ready to surprise them when they arrived home in a week’s time. Jamie reminded her to video their reaction and send it to him.

“It’ll be loud and there’ll be shrieks of joy,” Claire warned him.

“It’ll be fantastic - I canna wait to see their reactions.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Fearful of slipping up and inadvertently revealing the surprise car for the girls, Jamie and Claire kept their FaceTime with them short and sweet. The girls sounded a little more upbeat, and it seemed that Kelly was keeping them busy with chores like reorganizing the pantry and sorting out the kids’ bookshelves.

After enjoying a light dinner, they were ready to unwind and have their nightly conversation outdoors. It had been a busier day than usual. Both had started the day with a workout - a run and weight training for Jamie, and yoga and step machine for Claire. And between a few work-related tasks, the in-store shopping picks-ups, lunch, and a new car, they hadn’t spent the day as wrapped up in each other as they’d hoped.

Claire finished loading the dishwasher while Jamie put some things back in the fridge. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back against him, and folded her arms over his.

“How does the hot tub sound tonight? Are you in need of a sanity hour?”

“I’m in need of a Jamie and Claire hour - it feels like the day just ran away from us, and you leave tomorrow morning.”

“Mmmmm.” His low deep rumble went right to her core. “Jamie and Claire hour sounds so good right now.”

“Let’s get our swimsuits.” 

“Whisky or wine tonight?”

“Whisky.”

“I’ll bring the bottle and glasses. Meet you down there in a few.”

Claire was already waiting for him in the hot tub, water bubbling around her. He poured them each a generous shot of whisky, tossed his robe over the rack, and eased himself into the water. He slid across to sit next to her, and handed her a glass. They tapped glasses and he toasted.

“To surviving two whole days without you, mo ghràidh.”

“To Saturday morning,” she responded. 

They spent well over an hour entwined in each other in the warm, soothing water. Talking, kissing, caressing - drinking each other in. The awkwardness of accidentally tangled limbs was long gone, and they reveled in touching and holding each other in the sensual environment that the steamy, bubbly water provided. Jamie dragged Claire onto him and they lay locked in a watery embrace, kissing with a combination of gentleness and passion, knowing that the intensity of what they were feeling would have to carry them through two long days without each other.

“Jamie, I think it’s time for bed.”

“To bed, babe, or to sleep?”

In response, she untangled herself from him, emerged slowly from the water and stepped out of the tub. Standing on the stone surround, she locked eyes with him and slid her bikini bottoms slowly and deliberately down her legs. She stepped out of them and turned away from him to step down onto the lawn. He was almost frozen, watching her slow seductive movements and waiting in breathless anticipation for the next move. Turning to face him again, she unfastened her bikini top, letting it fall to the ground too. 

“Christ, Claire.” He finished his whisky in one gulp and stepped out of the tub. 

Before he could wrap her in her robe, she took it from the rack, slid her finger through the hanging loop, and walked slowly away from him, dragging the robe on the ground behind her.

She turned to look at him over her shoulder. He was several steps behind her, taking it all in. Her naked body, the sultry sway of her hips, her bare breasts, and her blatant desire for him all conspired to make him crave her with a ferocity that rocked him.

“To answer your question, there won’t be much sleep tonight, Fraser.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire awoke early to Jamie’s deliciously gentle kisses. She moaned sleepily under him, still feeling the effects of a long and energetic night of whisky-fueled love-making. 

“Sorry to wake you.” He was scattering kisses all over her face and neck, and his hand was between her thighs.

“Don’t apologize,” she replied sleepily, ”you can wake me up like this any time. Lazy morning sex with you is the best way to wake up.” 

“I’m always ready to execute on that,” he murmured, his voice low and husky against her throat, as he lavished kisses on her breasts, up her neck and back to her face. He plied her lips with soft, sensual kisses that made her ache for more. And despite their extended night of pleasure, both were very ready to engage in more erotic pleasure and enjoy more intimacy for as long as possible before Jamie had to leave. 

She placed a hand on his face and he paused to look at her. “I need gentle Jamie this morning. I want to look into your eyes.”

He leaned in for a long soulful kiss, rolling off her slightly so that they lay face to face, arms wrapped around each other, eyes locked together. Hands and fingers explored gently, caressing and grazing and holding, wanting to prolong every moment, but knowing that their time was limited. He slowly pulled her leg up over his hip and eased himself gently inside her. They lay there for a few moments, enjoying the quiet union of their bodies. His lips found hers in a deep, searching kiss as he started to rock her with his strong, gentle hand on her hip. It was slow and deep and tender. The intimacy of looking into his eyes and kissing him as he slowly made love to her was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Their bodies moved together until waves of bliss enveloped them both, leaving them breathless and sated and wrapped in each other’s arms.

An hour later, they had showered and dressed, and Jamie quickly packed his bag for his trip. He insisted on borrowing the business journals with her published articles so he could read them over the next couple of days. Her app pinged, announcing Murtagh's arrival on the driveway, and she walked Jamie to the front door. Murtagh bounded up the steps to help with Jamie’s bags, and wrapped Claire in a tight hug.

“You’ll have him back by Saturday morning. I’ll see you in about six weeks. Unless you swing by the winery for a quick visit?”

“That sounds like a great idea - I might do that with the girls. There’s lots for them to do up there. Hiking, swimming, boating. I’ll let you know, Murtagh.”

There was an awkward pause and silence, and Jamie gave Murtagh a quick eyebrow raise.

“I’ll put this in the trunk.” Murtagh said quickly, picking up Jamie’s roll-on. He winked at Claire as he headed out the front door.

Jamie took Claire's face in his hands and twined his hands in her still-damp curls. They kissed deeply and held each other for as long as they could - aware that Murtagh was waiting in the car. 

“See you in two days, mo chridhe.”

She closed the door behind him and headed to the kitchen for coffee. Her phone buzzed in her pocket - a text from Jamie. He must have forgotten something. She tapped her messages app to read the text. 

**Miss u 😘**

**_Omg - have u even left the neighborhood yet?_ **

**No**

**_U are silly. but i miss u too. so quiet in here._ **

**R u saying i’m noisy?**

**_Maybe_ **

**I’ll call u later babe 😚**

Murtagh drove the beautifully scenic I90 route to The Grotto so that Jamie could read Claire's business articles and work on his phone. The winding interstate was carved into a valley between soaring peaks, completely blanketed in towering, majestic conifers. Traffic was light and it would take a little over 2 hours to get there. They stopped for a drive-thru latte at Starbucks and chatted amiably along the way.

"What are you reading, Jamie?"

"Some of Claire's published articles. She's been published nine times in industry and business journals."

"That's impressive. She's a smart lass fer sure - ye can tell that right away."

"Her accomplishments are ridiculous for someone her age."

Murtagh slid a look at Jamie, a little amused at his obvious pride in Claire and her achievements. Whatever was going on between the two was clearly deeper than he'd been giving them credit for.

“How did things go with Claire on Monday night after Dougal made an arse of himself?”

“It was tough, Murtagh. I did what I could to reassure her, but he said some ugly stuff.”

“He’s obsessed with Hollywood and the celebrity lifestyle. We knew that. We should have anticipated that he would react badly to you backing out of the movie world.”

“We did - we just didn’t anticipate the extent of it. Everyone else - even Tara, who benefits more than Dougal from my movie career - is supporting my move. I thought that as my uncle, he would put my well-being above his own need for the glamorous life.”

“Did you ever sit down with him and tell him how you feel, and why you’re doing this?”

“No. I’m so used to him being a control freak, I've been avoiding that. I'll get together with him in L.A. next week and we'll have a face-to-face talk. It's long overdue, and I think I owe him a chance to explain what he's thinking and feeling.”

"That's a braw idea, Jamie. He'll appreciate it."

"It might just end up in another argument."

“Maybe. His drinking doesn’t help either. I want to bounce some ideas off ye for his future. There are a few options for him to consider now that he is not managing you. The first is to get back into McKenzie Industries - probably in the distillery. Although at the rate he’s going, there might be nothing left to bottle after they let him loose. Another option is to have him do some crossover promotion work for The Grotto and Lallybroch. Colum tells me they’re targeting their tourism business as an area of major growth. Here’s a crazy idea that might interest Dougal - and it’s something that he could do with the blessing of Stargate - maybe even get their endorsement. An official ‘Clan Hearts’ tour. There is still a massive following for the show and huge interest in Scotland generally. No one has put together a tour that covers all the castles and towns in the Highlands that are mentioned in the show. MacKenzie would build period-style stone B&Bs near the castles and locations that don’t have any - guaranteed occupancy. It’s just the kernel of an idea right now, but I think it’s something Dougal could get his teeth into and he could make it a success. He could build a whole team around all the different facets of that in no time. He’s great at managing and delegating.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea, Murtagh - he would be great at the official tour idea. Thank you for working on all of that. Dougal is family, and I want him to feel that he’s still needed and still making a valid contribution. These ideas should appeal to him.”

Jamie took his AirPods out of his pocket. “Murtagh, I don’t mean to be rude here - I’ll put one pod in, and I’ll leave one out so I can still hear ye. I need to find a song for Claire.”

“What song?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll know when I find it.”

“Is it for a playlist or a party or something?”

“No, it’s musical poetry.”

“God, you’re your father’s son, aren’t ye?”

“Nothing wrong with letting her know that I’m thinking of her while I’m away.”

“You’ve got it bad, haven't ye? You’ve only been gone an hour, ye numpty!”

Claire was taming her curls into loose waves ahead of her lunch appointment when her phone buzzed. It was Jamie.

**Babe, tap this link as soon as you have a moment**

**_What is it?_ **

**Musical poetry for you 😘**

She tapped the link, and YouTube opened on a John Legend song.

**_John Legend has a song called_** **_“Conversations_** **_in the Dark?”_**

**Crazy, right? i just found it - i think he wrote it for us. my fav line:** **'I can sleep forever next to you’**

**_I can’t believe u found this_ ❤️** ** _going to play it now while i get ready for my lunch appointment._** **_thank u for your sweetness_**

She tapped play and listened as John Legend’s soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics filled the space around her. So much of the song rang true, and she loved that he had taken the time to find it.

She sent him a quick text.

**_I love the song! thank u ❤️❤️_** ** _will call u after my lunch appointment_ **

“Did ye find the right song, and does she think ye’ve lost yer marbles?” Murtagh shook his head. Jamie was so like his father. Brian was a hopeless romantic, and he and Ellen had loved each other with a fierceness and passion that Murtagh had never seen before … or since.

“Aye, I did, and she loved my song choice.”

“She’s in as deep as you are! The pair of ye are ridiculous.” Murtagh sounded gruff and dismissive, but deep down, he could sense a change in Jamie, and it was a change that he heartily approved of. He wanted his godson to be happy and to feel fulfilled. He had been beside himself with worry when Jamie was on the brink of a breakdown after the Natalie debacle. Seeing him happy again warmed Murtagh's heart. He worried a little about the fact that Claire had two teenage daughters - what if they didn’t like Jamie? Or didn’t approve of their Mam dating him?

“When will you meet her daughters?”

“When I get back from L.A. next Saturday. But I FaceTime them with Claire most nights. They’re fantastic lasses, Murtagh. You’d approve. They have great manners, they are kind, and so, so funny!”

“They think ye’re just a guest in the house. If they knew you and Claire were … involved, they might not like that so much.”

“To be honest, they seem to like me fine, but we’ll see how it goes when we meet in person. I’m very fond of them already, so I really hope it goes well.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire’s lunch had gone really well. The donors were representatives from two Amazon subsidiaries, and both were interested in some of the research studies that Claire had conducted with their head office in Seattle. They wanted to maintain a relationship with her as they refined their corporate communications strategies, with a strong emphasis on social responsibility initiatives. In return they would be approaching Fulton about making some significant donations. 

En route home, she opted for a soft rock radio station as she mentally reviewed parts of her lunch discussions. She was excited to share her news with Jamie. She knew he’d be happy about the donations. An old Savage Garden song came on the radio and she found herself riveted by the lyrics and melody, and the hauntingly beautiful voice of the singer. 

_You need to send a song back to Jamie - but it has to be the right one. This one sounds promising._

She asked Siri to Shazam the song so she could look into it later.

Once home, she checked a few more items off her list. She zoomed with three students on her summer program, and fired off a few thank you emails before sending Jamie a quick text.

**_How’s ur day going? missing u so much_ **

**Still in meeting. miss you babe. more than you can imagine. 😔**

**_Meetings going okay?_ **

**Yes, just a lot of them. how was lunch meeting?**

**_Really good. they’re ready to donate_ **

**Yassss! happy to hear that**

**_Thanks - we can talk later_ 😘 **

**Will call u ASAP. did i tell u i miss u?**

It was almost 5:00 p.m. when she decided to shut down her laptop and pull on a swimsuit. Her plan was to swim some laps and then round off her day in the hot tub. She was in her closet, adjusting the clasp of her swimsuit when a FaceTime call came in from Jamie. She propped her phone up on a shelf and fumbled with her swimsuit strap.

“Is that going on or coming off?” Jamie asked, eyeing her swimsuit appreciatively.

“Going on - but I’ll let you watch when it comes off later, if you’re out of your meeting.”

“Sassenach, don’t make promises-”

“Oh, I fully intend to keep it,” she interjected. “How’s your day going?”

“Good so far. Back-to-back meetings, and we’re about to have dinner with the transition team, but I had to see you quickly before I do that. Your lunch went well, huh?”

“Yes - two Amazon subsidiaries. They both need help with corporate comms, and they both plan to make decent donations.”

“That’s awesome news! You’re killing this, Claire. I'm so proud.”

“Thank you. Are you in a suite or regular room? It looks great!”

“I asked for a regular room - I want to experience all the different levels of accommodation in the resort. Want to see and feel what the guests do. They’re really nice rooms.”

“Yes, they are. Go get dinner - we’ll chat again later.”

“Okay. I won’t call too late. I’m wiped - didn’t get much sleep last night. I’m not complaining, mind you.”

“Mmmm,” she smiled, “I’ll probably have an early night. Call me when you’re ready to say goodnight.”

She touched her fingers to her lips and waved them at him, tapping out of the call to his smile.

Her iPad was in the kitchen, and she preferred the bigger screen when she FaceTimed, so she headed downstairs to make herself a salad and FaceTime with the girls.

“Hi, Mom!” They spoke in unison. 

“Hi girls! You doing okay today?”

“Yah - a little better. But we still miss you.” Claire was pleased to note that Ella sounded less distressed than the previous few days.

“Some of the craft stuff arrived, so we worked on projects with Frankie and Lily.”

“When will Mr. Fraser be back?”

“Saturday morning,” Claire replied.

“Do you miss him?”

“Well, it’s kind of quiet with him gone.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Ella pointed out. “I asked if you missed him.”

“Ella!” Beth sounded annoyed. “Of course she does, I can tell.”

“Do you, mom?” Ella was insistent, and that surprised her, because Beth was usually the one who got dreamy-eyed and mushy about Claire’s dating life - or lack thereof. 

“I do miss him somewhat - we’ve become good friends over the past week-and-a-half.”

The girls looked at each other and Claire knew they were communicating in that special way that only twins can.

“Mom, how’s your thing going at work?” Beth, wise and sensitive beyond her years, changed the subject to ease the tension.

“The professorship? It’s going well, actually. I’ve had a few good meetings recently - and a great lunch meeting today. It’s looking promising.”

“Whoa, Mom, that’s awesome!” Ella sounded proud and impressed all at once.

“What are you doing tomorrow, since Mr. Fraser isn’t around? Do you have things to keep busy with?” Beth was going all 'mom' on her and Claire had to suppress a chuckle. 

“I’m having lunch with Armando tomorrow. Do you girls want me to schedule an appointment for you?”

“Yes, please!” They both nodded enthusiastically. 

“Okay - I’ll set that up for next week when you’re back. I’m going to go swim some laps now. I’ll FaceTime you tomorrow.”

“Ok, Mom. Love you!” 

“Mom,” Ella wanted to squeeze in one more thing before tapping out, “I bet Mr. Fraser misses you too.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire felt a little more energized after twenty minutes of swimming laps, but a few minutes in the hot tub had her feeling relaxed and almost sleepy again. At this rate, she would be asleep by 9:00, and she didn't want to miss Jamie’s goodnight call. She cut the hot tub session short, and headed back to the house, stopping to pick up last night’s discarded bikini - a sweet reminder of the passionate night they had shared.

She curled up on the sofa in the family room and tried to read her ebook for over an hour. Her thoughts kept drifting to Jamie, and she finally gave up on the ebook and pulled up the song she Shazam’ed earlier. She listened intently and thoughtfully analyzed the lyrics as she did so. It conveyed so much of what she wanted Jamie to know. She found it hard to express her feelings in the animated, honest and enthusiastic way that Jamie did. She had opened up to him a little more over the past couple of days, but she still felt that it wasn’t enough to convince him of the depth of her feelings for him. The way he expressed himself to her was pure poetry - whether it was a song lyric, a series of emojis embedded in a text, or just candidly expressing his intense feelings for her. She pondered the irony of his skill at communicating his heart in the most beautiful and profound ways, and she - an expert in communications - found she had to work hard at being more open, creative, and expressive.

She tapped her messages app.

**_Dinner over yet?_ **

**Just wrapping up now**

**_Do you have your earbuds?_ **

**Yes. why?**

**_I’m sending you musical poetry. listen on the way back to your room._ **

**Babe! 😍 you’re sending me musical poetry?**

_Y_ ** _es! I found an awesome one - listen carefully._** **_‘I_** **_Knew I Loved You’ by Savage Garden. Link below._**

**What’s your fav line?**

She started typing ‘I am complete now that I found you’, and then wondered if it was too much. She deleted it and tapped some more.

**_I love all the lines! do i have to pick?_ **

**Yes**

**** ******_'And in your eyes I see the missing pieces I’m searching for’_ 😍 _  
_**

She saw the three dots bounce as he read the lyrics, and then no activity while he listened to the song. The silence from his end dragged on longer than she expected, and she wondered if he may have decided to go to bed. He'd had an exhausting day filled with meetings, and they both needed a solid night’s sleep to function well the next day. After locking up downstairs, she headed up to her room, slipped her swimsuit off and pulled on her lounge pants and a soft tee.

Jamie FaceTimed as she stepped out of her closet.

“Claire, I don’t even have the words to tell you how I feel about your song. I had to listen to it twice.”

“Sometimes it’s hard for me to open up, but when I heard this one, it captured so much of what I feel … for you.” She sounded a little hesitant - shy, almost.

“I know it’s harder for you, mo ghràidh. That’s why I am so blown away by you sending me the song. I canna lie, it got me a little choked up.”

“Jamie …” Her heart squeezed a little at that - she resolved again to be as open and sincere with him as he was with her. “Are you about ready for bed?”

“Yes, you’re already in pajamas?”

“Sorry - I know I promised …”

“It’s okay. For tonight, I'll just close my eyes and fall asleep listening to your song.”

“Okay. Sleep well, Jamie. Sweet dreams.”

“Goodnight, mo chridhe”

“Goodnight, my love.”

She tapped out of the call. Instantly, there was a text from Jamie.

**You called me** **“my** **love”**

**_I did_ ** ****

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to read my comment at the end of each chapter. It's in the "Comments" section below, (click on "Comments" and scroll down) and is generally the first comment posted. It's where I post chapter schedules and adjustments, notes, sneak previews for the next chapter, and links to music and other things mentioned in my fic.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

* * *

She had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head touched her pillow, but the moment she awoke, her head was filled with thoughts of Jamie. Did he sleep well? Did he dream of her? Had he listened to the song she sent him again? Was he awake yet?

Her phone buzzed.

**I’m not going to survive a week without u 😞**

**_I miss u too_ ❤️**

He switched to FaceTime.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“Hey, handsome.” 

“You look gorgeous lying there with your curls all over the place. If I was there right now …”

“If you were here right now, these curls would be somewhere near your belly button.”

“Babe - you’re going to get me all worked up here.”

“I can’t wait for you to get home tomorrow.”

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Yes - flat out as soon as I hit the bed. You?”

“God, yes! It was a good deep sleep though. I woke up early to work out and watch the sunrise. It was stunning, Claire. I watched from the cliff-top as the sun rose over the gorge. Of course it wasn’t the same without you - snuggling under our blanket, ye ken - but it was spectacular nonetheless. I can’t wait to share a sunrise with you here.”

“Ohhhh, I can just imagine. Sunrise has always been my favorite time of the day and I can’t wait to share some with you at the winery. What a great start to your day.”

“Aye, I’m ready to face all my meetings today. I wanted to give you a heads-up that it’s going to be a late night for me. Dinner’s at around 7:00, but earlier this week, the transition team pulled together a small night harvest crew to demo what that looks like for Murtagh. They want me to go too. We’ll go deep into the vineyards as the crew recreates what it’s like when they do the night-time grape picking. It’s a good few weeks early for harvesting, so it took some doing for them to pull this together, and I don’t want to disappoint them. But if you prefer that I stay behind so we can FaceTime tonight, I’m okay doing that too.”

“No way, Jamie. They’ve gone to all the trouble to arrange that, you should go with Murtagh. Where are the vineyards?”

“In Yakima - about an hour away.”

“Oh, it’s going to be a _very_ late night for you.”

“It’s okay. Gives me a chance to see what sort of conditions the laborers work under during the harvest. I won’t get a complete picture, but it will be good to get a general idea of how it all happens.”

“Sounds like a good thing to do - it also shows your team that you’re willing to muck in and get involved at ground level. That’s important. Okay, I’m going for a run and then I’ll get ready for my day. I’ll text you throughout the day and keep you updated.”

“I’ll do the same. Enjoy your run - don’t overdo it.”

She touched her fingers to her lips, waved them at him, and tapped out.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

She took extra care with her hair, curling it into softer, natural looking waves. Pulling on navy slim-fit pants and an ivory sleeveless top, knotted at the waist, she looked professional and cool. Her navy block-heeled Camutos completed the look.

The meeting went very much as she’d hoped. Her colleagues were helpful and posed some tough questions to help prepare her for the big panel interview that was looming. They had been through the process themselves, and knew the areas she should focus on. Claire felt that they genuinely had her best interests at heart, and the pointers they gave her would be invaluable as she fine-tuned her preparation for the panel.

At the end of the meeting, Tonya Markowitz, an admin intern who was one of Claire’s protégés, asked if she could walk Claire back to her office. Tonya was a 2nd year MBA student who had been an intern in several of Claire’s research projects. She had already been approached and offered jobs by Costco and Amazon, and she was particularly loyal to Claire for opening up opportunities for her. During quarantine, Fulton had retained Tonya as an admin intern, and she now helped several professors and associates with filing, paperwork, and a host of random office tasks. She had attended today’s meeting because one of the professors advising Claire had asked her to bring in a stack of research paperwork.

“How has the internship been going?” Claire asked as they started the 20-minute walk back to Claire’s office. 

“It’s been a little quiet, but it’ll probably start ramping up as we get closer to August. Do you have anything I can help you with?”

“I’ve been working on curriculum for my electives and I'd love it if you could find the time to read through parts of it and tell me what you think.”

“Just send it my way.”

Claire sensed that Tonya had something she wanted to talk about, but she didn't want to put her on the spot by asking outright, so she took a broad approach.

“What interesting things have you been working on, Tonya?”

“Strictly between you and me, Dr. B, I just finished re-classifying your preliminary research and feasibility studies for the future MS Communications program from ’Pending’ to ‘Dormant’.”

She knew that would come as a shock to Claire - all her hard work over months and months of researching and writing proposals and submitting reports; and without even notifying Claire, the higher-ups had decided to shelve the degree program indefinitely.

Claire stopped walking and looked at Tonya in shock. She had so many questions, and she knew she had to tread carefully so as not to compromise Tonya or herself.

She resumed walking and said casually: “Hmmm, I wonder why they would do that?”

“The official word is that they want to boost enrollment in the MBA, and a new degree will muddy the waters. International enrollment is down because of the pandemic. So the talk is that they want you to focus on the professorship and build up the department you’ll be heading in the MBA program without distractions. They’re predicting that a better communications component under your professorship will strengthen the MBA and make it more attractive to prospective students. So I guess the good news there is that they’re talking as if you already have the professorship in the bag.”

“And the unofficial word?”

“Not sure.”

They passed an entire building before Tonya spoke again.

“I just get the feeling that it’s a sexist thing rearing its ugly head again. Almost as though they think you can’t focus on two work-related things at once. I mean, why wouldn't you be able to run a great communications component in the MBA, while still doing some work on the MS Comms? And when they take that decision away from you, they don’t bother to tell you in case you have a ‘hissy fit’. Those words are a direct quote. That’s why I feel it’s a sexist thing - they would never say that about a male worker!”

They reached Claire’s building, and she turned to thank Tonya.

“Thank you Tonya. I always appreciate our personal heart-to-heart chats.”

Tonya’s eyes were filled with regret and sadness.

“Dr. B, you work so hard. It’s so disappointing that …” she trailed off, eyes filling with tears. 

“Tonya, you have to trust me when I tell you that it will all work out okay. Gather your thoughts and go finish your duties. I’ll be in touch about the curriculum that I’d like you to look over for me. And … thank you!”

Back in her office, Claire untangled her thoughts. Her knee-jerk reaction on hearing about the MS Comms program was shock and disappointment. She mulled over Tonya’s assertion that the ‘official’ reason was to keep her focus strongly on the MBA component to enhance the overall quality of the MBA and boost enrollment. It was enormously offensive - and borderline unethical - that they took the decision to shelve it without consulting her. She had to admit that there was a sense of relief that they hadn’t completely terminated the project. She really smarted at the idea that the term ‘hissy fit’ entered the discussions at some point.

Rather than try and overthink it all now, she spent some time working on her online summer course until it was time to walk over to University Village to meet Armando.

During the short walk, she texted Jamie.

**_Hey - still missing me?_ ❤️**

**More than you know babe …🥰😘**

**_Missing u too_ **

**Would u be willing to come with me to a meeting with the architects tomorrow - late morning?**

**_They're open on a Saturday?_ **

**Yeah, they know I want to fast-track the house project and agreed to meet on the weekend**

**_Of course I’ll come with u - what are we meeting about?_ **

**They just emailed to say they have some preliminary floor plans - i’d love your opinion**

**_No problem_ **

**Thank u. how was ur meeting?**

**_Some interesting developments - i’ll tell u later_ **

There was no response for a moment, and then a call came through from him.

“Claire, I stepped outside of my meeting. Everything okay? What developments?”

“You stepped out of the meeting to check on me and my meeting?”

“Of course! ‘Interesting developments’ is either great or not so great. Either way, I want to know.”

“Professorship is apparently still on track, but they reclassified all my work on the MS Communications from pending to dormant. Disappointing, but on the plus side, they didn't terminate or cancel it outright.”

“Oh, Claire, I’m so sorry. Why would they do that? You worked so hard on it.”

“We can talk about it when you’re back. I’m pushing it out of my head for now. Lots of positive things to think about instead. Lunch with a good friend. You’re back tomorrow. Girls are back next week.”

“I love your attitude. Wish I was there to hold ye and kiss ye.”

“Your call means everything, Jamie. Thank you for caring. And for supporting me.”

“I’ll call or text again later - enjoy lunch with Armando.”

She was five minutes early, but Armando was already waiting outside Starbucks, dressed all in black, apart from a sparkly purple face mask.

“Girl, you look like you mean business today.” He folded her in his bear hug, and stroked her soft curls. “You did a great job on your hair - it looks fabulous.”

“Thanks, ‘Mando. You look gorgeous as always - love the mask.”

“Gift from a client - she made it for me, so I figured I have to wear it some time.”

He took her by the hand and they made their way through the maze of parking areas, walkways, and stores to Piatti, one of her favorite Italian restaurants.

They ordered a bottle of chianti and a focaccia bread to share, and Armando dived right in with questions.

“I need to know what’s happening, girlfriend. Tell me you are waking up next to that delicious man every morning!”

“Well … I have been, but he is out of town for two days. He’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Ugh - bummer. But before he left - things were going good, right?"

“Yes! It’s been going so well, ‘Mando. He’s … hard to describe. He’s wonderful. Oh, and by the way, he wants me to thank you for the playlist.”

“Squeeee! What? He liked it?”

”Armando, every song was about sex and seduction. Yes, he liked it!”

“Did you like it?”

“Yes! I got such a kick out of it. And a very long and sexy make-out session.”

“TMI! TMI!” Armando held his hands up in mock horror.

“What are you talking about - you’re the one who always wants the details!”

They bantered back and forth through a lunch of ravioli for Claire and rigatoni for Armando. They picked from each other’s plates occasionally, and laughed uproariously at some of Armando’s tales of disastrous hair capers - his own, not his clients’.

“My worst was when I was living in L.A. and doing hair for ‘Hunger Games’. I thought I’d look good with a really tight perm, but I got caught up in watching something on YouTube and left the solution on too long, and my hair broke off in chunks. OMG! It was hideous. I looked like something out of a zombie apocalypse. Jennifer Lawrence walked into hair and makeup the next morning, and said “He’s not touching my hair.” It was mortifying. I had to wear a beanie for about 3 months, until I could actually do something with it again.”

“That’s hilarious! I can’t imagine you in a beanie. Do you miss the Hollywood scene?”

“Hell, no! I’ve been out of it for 7 years, and I wouldn’t want to go back.”

“Do you still have a lot of friends in the game?”

“Oh yeah. I have three friends who visit me here often, and I hang out with them when I go back and visit. They keep me updated on all the scoop. Everyone treats their hair and makeup sessions like they’re free therapy. Those celebs just unload on their stylists and MUAs - that’s makeup artists. It’s cray-cray!”

“Hmmm. So if I had a question about a particular actress, you could probably get me some scoop?”

Armando's eyes narrowed and he looked at her thoughtfully.

“Claire - when we were getting ready for your date night last Saturday, I asked you to take care of your heart.”

“I am, ‘Mando. It’s not Jamie I’m worried about, it’s one of his co-stars. She has quite the reputation in the tabloids and on social media.”

“Who?”

“Anja Baranov.”

“Oh, God!” He rolled his eyes dramatically. “Here’s what I know about her - she tries to get her hooks in every co-star, director, and producer that she’s associated with. Whoever will advance her career. She’s ruthless. But why are you even worried about her - she hasn’t done a movie with Jamie, and she’s been dating Bradley Cooper for like two years.“

“Actually, she made a movie with Jamie last year. It’s in post-production, but will be released soon. They shot it here in Seattle. Jamie was on set here for almost a year - that’s what drew him to the Eastside. The green and the mountains remind him of Scotland. I googled her, and there was a lot about her and Bradley Cooper, but I thought I’d check and see what else you know. She’s been liking and commenting on a lot of Jamie’s Instagram and Twitter posts.”

“Let me send a quick text.” He tapped back and forth on his phone for a minute.

“Ok, I asked my hairstylist friend, Gemma, what she knows about Anja. She knows the MUA from her last movie. She’s calling the MUA and will get back to me.”

They continued to enjoy a relaxed lunch together. Claire insisted on only one glass of wine, as she had to drive all the way home to Snoqualmie, so Armando re-corked the bottle to take with him. 

"Tony and I will enjoy this on our front porch tonight while we watch all the runners go by. And dog-walkers. And stroller-pushers. My God! We've become so boring during quarantine!"

“Hang in there. It can't go on forever! The girls want to come and get their hair done next week. I’ll call you to schedule.”

“Bring them in on Thursday, I kept my morning clear but I’d like nothing more than to hang with you and the twins. Come at 9:30.”

“Thank you, ‘Mando!”

Claire settled the bill, and they headed out of the restaurant.

Armando’s phone buzzed. “It’s Gemma - maybe she’s got Anja scoop. Hold on.” 

“Gemma, what you got?”

He listened intently, and gasped slightly, placing a manicured hand on Claire's arm.

“Nuh-uh, how come it’s not all over social media?”

He listened some more, making big dramatic eyes at Claire.

“Ok, thanks Gem! I’ll call you soon. Mwah!”

“So the MUA told Gemma that Bradley Cooper dumped Anja a couple of weeks ago. Cooper's been hanging out with Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck’s ex.”

Claire’s heart dropped slightly. So Anja was now available. And keen to snag a man, no doubt.

“There’s been nothing in the tabloids or social media.”

"Gemma thinks the PR people will put out a statement soon - the usual crap: ’After much soul-searching they’ve decided to go their separate ways. They remain great friends and appreciate some privacy.’ You know - typical PR spin.”

Claire nodded.

“The MUA also said that one of the TMZ reporters is obsessed with Anja, and she gives him a ton of exclusives, so maybe they’re just waiting for the right time to break the news - on Anja’s terms. Either way, I wouldn't worry about it. She’s a straight-up skank.”

“I’m not going to worry about it, ’Mando. I know Jamie’s heart. It’s good to know all this info, though.”

They hugged goodbye, and Claire headed back home.

She was home by 3:30 p.m., and after the eventful day, she was looking forward to unwinding on the stone patio, where she could relax in the reclining chair and read her ebook, 'The Book of Longings'. She so badly wanted to call Jamie and hear his deep gravelly voice telling her the sweetest things, but she didn’t want to disrupt his focus during his last few meetings.

An unexpected FaceTime call came in from the girls.

“Hi girls, is everything okay?”

“Yes, we wanted to talk earlier tonight because we’re going to a drive-in movie theater. It’s the only one open around here during quarantine.”

“Oh, that sounds like so much fun!”

“Yeah, Dad’s going to back the van into our spot, and we’ll drop all the seats and have pillows and blankets and stuff. Frankie and Lily are super excited.” Ella sounded excited too.

“I made caramel corn and brownies, and Kelly has a bunch of snacks too.” Beth’s baking skills would no doubt be very popular with the family that night.

“What movie are you watching?”

“It’s two movies, actually. The first one is ‘Scoob’ and it’s very kid-friendly. Kelly says Frankie and Lily will fall asleep before that’s even finished, so we can stay and watch the next one.” 

“Yeah, it’s too scary for the littles. ‘Artemis Fowl’. We didn't see it when it was released last year, so it’ll be awesome to see it on a big screen. Watch the trailer, Mom, it’s so creepy!” Beth seemed just as excited as Ella, and Claire was happy that they were doing some fun activities to stay busy and keep their minds off the fact that they were really missing home. 

“Mom, how was your day? Did you get to speak to Mr. Fraser?” Ella tried to sound casual and disinterested, but her eyes gave her away. She was watching Claire’s face intently for any tiny signs that revealed her true feelings. 

“I did, yes. We chatted and we’ve texted too.”

“Is he missing you?”

“Well, you’d have to ask him that. Wait on second thought, don’t do that.”

“Dad’s calling us - we need to go.”

“Bye girls - have a great time. We’ll chat tomorrow.”

By 4:00 p.m., she was enjoying a glass of wine, and was quite engrossed in the novel. Her phone buzzed.

**What r u doing?**

**_I’m reading on the recliner on the deck. You?_ **

**Murtagh talking exports and tariffs. i excused myself. still in the meeting but i told them i needed to attend to other business**

**_How have this afternoon’s meetings been?_ **

**Good - ready to wrap up - maybe another hour. how was lunch?**

**_Awesome. Italian. Armando was a lot of fun. missed u all day tho_ **

**Miss u so dang much! i’m doing a lot of thinking while Murtagh is talking**

**_What are u thinking about_ **

**Your lips 💋**

**_Awww_ **

**And ur boobs, with those luscious cherry nipples 🍒**

**_Uhhh?_ **

**And that perfect arse 🍑**

**_Jamie?_ **

**And ur sweet punany**

**_Omg! have u been drinking?_ 😲**

**There’s no punany emoji! very sexist!**

**_Jamie, ur drunk!_ **

**Not totally**

**_Omg! u are incredibly naughty_ **

**I am?**

**_Yes - how much have you had to drink?_ **

**It’s a winery, babe. they tend to start partying at lunchtime on a Friday. there may have been some wine involved in the last two meetings. i have to do some quality control on my products!**

**** **_You are out of control!_ 🤭**

**I’m only out of control when I think of u**

**_We’re going to need to work on your discipline when u get back_ **

**What kind of discipline?**

**_I'll think about it and let u know tomorrow_ **

**Will it involve 🍆**

_Oh, two can play at that game, Jamie!_

**_It might involve some of this - if ur a good boy_ ↩️ 🐮🤠**

**Really! u sending me reverse cowgirl? i can’t focus on anything else now. but thank you! looking forward to getting home**

**_Not so fast! you’ll have to *earn* reverse cowgirl this weekend_ **

**What? how?**

**_By demonstrating self-control and a lot of discipline_ **

**Pshhh, i can do that!**

**_Don’t be too sure - i’m a strict disciplinarian. call me on ur way to Yakima_ **

Jamie FaceTimed as soon as they set off for Yakima after dinner. He was in the back of the car with Murtagh, and both of them had probably had a glass of wine too many. Claire knew that he and Murtagh were being wined and dined by the transition team. They were sober enough to appreciate the tour, but had enough alcohol in them to be bold and slightly ridiculous. Their driver, who was mercifully completely sober, was an employee of The Grotto.

“Hey, babe. What are you doing?”

“I’m just cleaning up after my dinner. Are you ready for your night harvest tour?”

“En route already. Murtagh wants to say hi.”

Murtagh’s face took over her screen and he planted a noisy kiss on the camera.

"Yer lad has been pining for ye all day. Yesterday too. It’s embarrassing! How are ye doing, lass?”

“I’m doing well, Murtagh, how about you?

“Big learning curve out here, but I’m going to love it. I get to drive one of the winery trucks. Big F-150. Don't see many of those in Scotland!"”

Jamie nudged him out of the way.

“Claire, I’m going to get out of here as soon as I can in the morning. Canna wait to see ye.”

She heard Murtagh groan in disgust in the background.

“Me too. Have a fun night.”

“Goodnight, mo ghràidh.

“Goodnight, Jamie.”

As she tapped out of the call, Claire thought about her promise to discipline him. She wanted to spend a little time thinking about that. It had to be fun and light-hearted, and she needed to show him that their intimacy was as important to her as it was to him. He was as effusive and demonstrative in his naughty references to their sex-life as he was in sharing his heart and the depth of his feelings for her. And while it had taken her some time, and a lot of courage, to finally open herself up to him emotionally, when she finally did, it had felt so right and she knew it meant everything to Jamie.

She had surprised herself with how sexually uninhibited she was with him. He brought out the vixen in her, and as far as she could tell, she was satisfying his physical needs. He was certainly fulfilling hers in every way imaginable. She had borne her ‘Frank scars’ in the bedroom for years and her insecurities had tormented her even during her marriage, despite Henry’s loving and gentle treatment of her.

Her scars continued to fade and her walls continued to crumble as she and Jamie pursued their intimate journey with gusto. Sometimes achingly gentle, sometimes frenzied and desperate, their love-making was always a fervent expression of their emotional relationship. She never wanted him to lose his sense of fun, and she wanted to show him that she appreciated and loved his enthusiastic expression of his passion for her.

She mulled over some ideas on how to make their reunion particularly special. It had to be memorable, and she would have to build it up over the entire day for it to really work. She wondered if she could pull it off - she would be just as anxious as Jamie to get intimate as soon as they could.

_You got this Beauchamp. Make him ache, and make it worth the wait!_

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire awoke to her buzzing phone. She knew instantly that it was Jamie, and answered the call in a sleepy voice. 

It was 7:10 a.m.

“Good morning, babe. Sorry I woke you!”

“Good morning! It's okay. Where are you?”

“I’m an hour away. Can’t wait to see ye.”

“What time did you leave?”

“Just before 6:00.”

“What time did you get back from the night-harvest demo?”

“Around 1:30 a.m.”

“Oh my! Why didn’t you sleep in a little?”

“Couldn't wait to see you.”

“Awww! I’m so glad you’re almost home. See you soon.”

She showered and dressed in skinny white jeans and a soft pink sleeveless top with a plunging, draped neckline. 

With 20 minutes to go before Jamie arrived, she pulled out the makings of a classic English breakfast - plus some non-traditional additions that she liked to add. Bacon, eggs, breakfast sausage, mushrooms, hash browns and ciabatta bread.

The bacon and sausages were sizzling on the griddle when her app pinged. She turned the griddle off, and ran to the door, flung it open, and ran down the stairs. Jamie was on the driveway, about to open the trunk, but he abandoned that as soon as he saw her. He moved towards her and the second she flung her arms around him, he pulled her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. They held each other for a long moment in complete silence, basking in the feeling of being enveloped in each other’s arms again. Claire released her legs, slid down and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. He took her face in his hands and kissed her fiercely.

“You feel and taste and smell so good.”

She reached up and stroked his jawline. “Your scruff is perfect, and I have missed it! I’m going to enjoy it this weekend. A lot.”

He chuckled and his raised eyebrow told her he was ready to deliver on that whenever she wanted. “I’ll grab my stuff from the trunk later.”

They went indoors, and the minute the door was closed, he pulled her into his arms for another searing kiss.

“God, I missed you so much. Next week will be awful.”

“Don’t think about it now, Jamie. I want us to enjoy our weekend together. When you get back, the girls will be here, so we need to make this one all about us.”

“Aye, you’re right.” He kissed her again. “Is that bacon I smell?”

“Yes, I’m making you a full English breakfast.”

“How about I take you upstairs and we have an English breakfast up there first?”

She looked at him sternly.

“Now, now, Jamie! We spoke about your lack of control yesterday, and we’re going to work on your discipline all day. We’ll see how you do by tonight.”

He looked at her in shock. “So I have to wait all the way until tonight?”

“Afraid so.”

“That’s not fair, Sassenach! Look at you. Your boobs are peeking out at me and driving me crazy already. And your arse in those jeans! I’ll never make it until tonight.”

“Yes you will. You just have to be on your best behavior all day.”

She reached around him and placed her hands on his butt and pulled him tight against her, groin to groin, and kissed him. It was a slow, sensual, searching kiss and she knew she was being a tease, but she was having too much fun with this.

Pulling away from him, she took him by the hand and led him to the kitchen.

“Babe, ye canna be teasing me like that all day. I’ll lose my mind.”

“Discipline, Jamie. You can do it.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

After a leisurely breakfast, during which he told her a lot more about his time up at The Grotto, Jamie unloaded the trunk, and brought in two cases of wine.

“A sampling of our best sellers.” 

“I’m so excited to try these with you, Jamie. I love the red blend, and all Grotto whites are outstanding!”

“They are really good. We’ll sample some of the newer stuff over the next few weeks. We should probably get going to the architects. Can we drop off the rental along the way?"

“Sure. I’ll follow you in my car.”

After returning the rental car, they drove to the architects’ office on Mercer Island. Jamie explained how he had selected them after meeting with a few firms that Milo suggested. 

“I like these architects, Claire. Something about them makes me feel really comfortable that they’re the right choice. They’re a husband and wife team, and they both bring great ideas and a family perspective to their designs. I shared all of the ideas that you gave me too, and they’ve incorporated most of them, as far as I can tell.”

“I can’t wait to see it.”

The architects worked from a home office attached to their main house, and walking through the main house, Claire could immediately tell that they were talented and experienced designers. The flow from room to room, and the family-friendly spaces indicated how much thought they had put into building a home that allowed them to enjoy sophisticated modernity, while still creating a comfortable, liveable space for their family.

The office had a huge central work island with 3 large-screen computers, and rolls of blueprints neatly stacked on one side. Blueprints were spread out on the other side of the work island, and there were several stools surrounding the work area.

“Claire, meet Mark and Michelle.” Jamie introduced them to Claire, and thanked them for agreeing to meet on a Saturday.

“We really appreciate it. I want to get moving on building, and this is the first step. Can’t wait to see what you have for us.” Jamie settled onto a stool, while Claire stood next to him, leaning over the worktop to look at the blueprint.

“Before we start, we were about to make coffee, and get our toddler settled in with a movie. Can we get you some coffee?”

“That sounds great, thank you. Black, no sugar - for both of us.”

“We’ll be back in a few minutes.” Mark and Michelle headed to the main house, and Jamie wasted no time in flirting with Claire. As she pored over the printout on the counter, he placed a hand on her butt and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Uh uh! Self-control, warrior.” She gave him a warning look, but he ignored her and pulled her in close. She turned to face him, ready to fix him with another stern look. Seated on the stool, his eyes were level with her cleavage, and he groaned as he saw the swell of her breasts peeking invitingly from her soft, draped neckline, mere inches from his face. He tried hard to hold back, but his impulsivity got the better of him and he buried his face in her breasts, groaning with pleasure at the softness and warmth. His scruff was doing things to her too, and she enjoyed the feeling for a moment, until a crashing sound made them pull apart and turn to the door, startled. A toddler, around 18 months old, had pushed the door open and toppled over a small waste basket in the process. 

"Oh my, who do we have here?" Claire headed over to the toddler, and crouched down to the little one’s eye-level, while Jamie picked up the waste basket and the scattered bits of paper that had fallen out.

Mark and Michelle hurried in with their coffees and very apologetic looks.

“Emily! I am so sorry! She’s used to finding us in here."

Claire was still at eye level with Emily, who had reached out to grab some of her curls. 

“No, Emily.” Michelle chided her gently but firmly.

“It’s okay,” Claire insisted, “she’s not hurting me. Is it okay if I hold her - will she let me?”

“Oh yeah, she loves client attention!” Michelle smiled.

Claire held her arms out and Emily immediately stretched her plump little arms out to her.

Holding Emily on her hip, she headed over to the work table so that they could all review the plans together. Jamie took in the sight of Claire with a baby in her arms with the tiniest smile in his eyes. 

They went over the plans, making suggestions and tweaks as they alternated from looking at the printout to looking at the computer screen, while Michelle made changes.

“Claire, what do you think of the kitchen layout?” Jamie asked.

“I love the double islands! It’s huge and there’s so much storage. I wouldn't change a thing there. One thing I would suggest for the covered outdoor entertainment area is an additional dishwasher out there.”

“Yes! That makes sense,” Michelle agreed, and made some tweaks to the design.

“What about the master bedroom? Or ‘primary bedroom’ as we’re starting to call them nowadays. What do you think of the overall layout?”

“I love it too. You’ve positioned it perfectly to take in all the best views. If I can be a little bold - the closet could be a little bigger. It looks about the same size as the one I have now, and it’s perfectly adequate, but I often wish I had just a couple of extra feet here.” She indicated her suggestions on the blueprint.”

“Jamie?” Michelle looked at Jamie for his thoughts.

“If Claire thinks it needs to be bigger, that’s good with me.”

Michelle looked at Claire with a smile. “We rarely have the husb- … man agree to larger closets! Lucky you!”

Claire turned to Jamie and smiled awkwardly. They hadn't really addressed Claire’s involvement or input in the house design. It was just assumed by Jamie, Mark, and Michelle that her opinion mattered in these discussions. Emily leaned over and buried her plump fingers in Jamie’s russet curls and babbled a few unintelligible words. Claire untangled his hair from Emily’s grasp, and Jamie turned to smile at the baby, touching her plump hand with a fingertip. Emily immediately launched herself at him, taking Claire completely by surprise, but Jamie caught her in his big hands and held her upright on his lap. She smiled broadly at him and bounced up and down a few times, her tiny feet balanced on Jamie’s legs. She babbled a little more, then snuggled her face into his broad shoulder and lay there contentedly, her little nose pressed up against his neck. Jamie placed his hand on her back to keep her securely against him.

“Oh boy, it’s getting close to nap time. I’m sorry guys.” Mark seemed a little rattled by all the baby interruptions, and Jamie was quick to reassure him.

“Please don't worry. We’re designing a family home here, and this is what family’s all about. I have four nieces and nephews, so I’m used to this. Let’s continue, Emily seems quite okay here, if it’s okay with you guys.” 

“Yes!” the relieved parents replied in unison.

The discussion turned to the stables and guest house, and after a few more tweaks, Michael and Michelle declared that they had all the information necessary to work on a second round of floor plans.

Emily had fallen asleep on Jamie’s shoulder, and she held on tighter as Michelle gently took her from him. She had drooled slightly on his shoulder, but that didn't bother him at all.

They said their goodbyes and headed home.

“I need to keep busy until tonight. Seeing you with that baby gave me all sorts of thoughts and all sorts of movements were going on in my -”

“Uh uh,” she interrupted, “remember what we discussed about self-control?”

“You’re killing me, Claire!”

“It’s killing me too, but it will be worth it tonight. Do you want to do a hike this afternoon? Rattlesnake Ledge is pretty close to home, and it’s beautiful and scenic. It takes about two and half hours to complete. That would get us home in time to FaceTime the girls and grab dinner. And start your disciplinary procedure.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The hike was the perfect distraction for both of them. Both were aching with need for each other, but Claire was determined to keep building the sexual tension, knowing that when their bodies finally met later, it would have been well worth the wait.

The cool air in the house was a welcome relief after the heat and mild exertion of the hike, and they had both worked up a decent appetite.

“How about some of Alma’s left-over tacos for dinner? It won’t take long to thaw out the meat, and we can make some fresh guac and salsa.”

“Tacos sound fantastic. I’ll help you make the toppings.”

“We can FaceTime the girls while we do that.”

“Hi Mom, hi Mr. Fraser.” The girls almost squealed their greeting, clearly very excited to see Jamie and Claire together on FaceTime again. 

“Hi girls!”

“Good to see you girls - I missed our FaceTime chats the last couple of days.” 

“Aww, Mr. Fraser! We did too!”

“How did the meetings go at the winery?”

“Really well. It was a busy couple of days.”

Jamie and Claire stood side by side peeling and chopping and dicing.

“How was the drive-in movie outing?” Claire asked.

“It was so fun! We should do that when we get back. You guys would love it!” Ella was bubbling over with excitement.

“What are you guys making for dinner? You look so cute cooking together!” Beth was all heart eyes at the sight of Jamie and her mom working together in the kitchen.

“We’re just making some fresh taco toppings. Defrosting some of Alma’s leftovers. And don't worry, there’s plenty for you next week.”

“What have you been doing since Mr. Fraser got back?”

“We just hiked Rattlesnake Ledge.” Claire knew it was a popular teenage hang-out.

“Uhhh … you know it’s like a make-out spot for teens, right?”

“Good to know, Ella - I’ll remember that next time you girls ask if you can go up there.” 

“Moooommmm!” 

“Mr. Fraser, help us out here.”

“Well, it’s a beautiful place, and I can see why a lot of hikers of all ages would want to go up there. But I know yer Mam has raised you well, and I imagine that you would both make good choices about who you go there with.”

“We always do, and Mom knows that. See, Mom! Mr. Fraser knows we don’t do dumb stuff.”

“I know that too,” Claire reassured them, “I’m just giving you a hard time.”

They chatted a little longer and the girls told Claire they were spending most of Sunday with Nonna. It was their last few days in Boston, and they wanted a chance to say goodbye to their beloved surrogate Grandma. 

“Okay girls. I’ll call at the regular time tomorrow. Love you both so much!”

They blew avalanches of kisses at each other.

“Bye Mom, bye Mr. Fraser. Have a fun night.”

“A fun night? I’m scared of what ye have in store for me now. But kind of excited too.” 

“I won’t hurt you, I promise. It’s not BDSM.”

“I don’t know if I can even control myself tonight. I’ve missed you so much! Can I get a rain check?”

“No rain checks. The discipline starts now. Here’s how it’s going to go down. We’re going to go upstairs - to our _separate_ rooms - and we’re going to shower the sweaty hike away. Just a quick shower. And then we’ll get into our robes. Completely naked under the robe.”

“Hmmmm. The discipline plan is sounding better already.” He growled deep and low and pulled her body against his.

“You will control all your urges, Fraser,” she said sternly. “Then you will meet me down here. We’ll eat on the patio, and we’ll have dessert in the media room. Do we have some of Alma’s ice-cream?”

“Yes,” he breathed into her neck, “lots of it.”

“Good boy. I may be feeding some of it to you, depending on your behavior and manners tonight.”

“Uuuhhhh,” he groaned again.

“Control yourself, Fraser. You are sorely in need of a little behavior modification. Now, head on upstairs, and meet me down here in your robe.”

Ten minutes later, wrapped in her belted robe, she headed back to the kitchen, where Jamie was already waiting in his robe, looking eager to take whatever discipline she was going to mete out.

“First, Fraser, I’d like to address the unfortunate incident with my breasts at the architects. Most inappropriate. To atone for that, you’ll need to make me two small carnitas tacos with all the toppings and extra lime crema. Then plate up some tacos for yourself and join me on the patio. We’ll enjoy our dinner out there tonight. It’s a hot night - low 80’s - so you might find these terry robes a little warm. I know I will.”

She pulled on her knotted belt and let it fall loose. The robe fell slightly open revealing a five-inch strip of her naked body all the way down the middle. She waited while his eyes traveled from the swell of her breasts, past her belly button, lingered on that sweet triangular patch and continued down past her thighs to her feet. He took a deep breath in, and expelled it slowly.

“I’ll be waiting.” She took a few slow steps backwards allowing him to look a little longer, then turned and stepped outside onto the patio.

Jamie had never worked so quickly in a kitchen before. Thankfully, it was merely a matter of assembling four tacos, and plating them up. He cleaned up quickly and carried the two plates out to the patio. She looked up from the sofa, and patted the seat next to her. He noted with disappointment that she had re-belted her robe. She had also poured them each a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc.

“Come sit, Fraser.”

He joined her on the sofa, and handed her the plate with two carnitas tacos. His were barbacoa. 

“No,” she shook her head, and took his plate instead, “we’re feeding each other tonight.”

He fought to control his little half-smile, but she could see the beginnings of it, and it almost made her want to smile back.

He picked up her plate, and gathered the taco carefully in his hand. He held it to her mouth, plate balanced just below to catch the bits that would inevitably fall from the tortilla. He allowed her to take her first bite, and as she chewed, she picked up his barbacoa taco and fed him his first bite.

He gathered up some of the fallen bits from her plate with his fingertips and fed them to her. She took them eagerly, nibbling and licking his fingertips in the process. She fed him his fallen pieces too, enjoying the sensation of his lips and teeth nibbling, licking and sucking her fingers as he took all the bits that she fed him.

“Time for wine,” she said. They each sipped on their wine, and continued to feed each other.

“Did you bring napkins, Fraser?” Her fingers bore remnants of guacamole and lime crema, as did his. 

“Damn! I knew I’d forget something! Would you like me to go get some?”

“Well, that’s a fail, Fraser. You know tacos are messy. No, I would not like you to go get napkins. You may lick my fingers clean. But first, I’ll do yours.”

She took his fingers in her mouth, one by one, licking and sucking each one thoroughly, until all traces of the taco were gone. He barely breathed while she did that - the sight of his fingers disappearing between her lips and the swirling movements of her tongue, and the little suction noises she made were doing things to him that nudged the boundaries of his self-control. She raked her teeth gently along the length of each of his fingers, and returned his hand to him.

“Done,” she said, looking directly into his eyes.

He brought her hand to his mouth, and sucked in two of her fingers at once. His tongue swirled around and between them as he licked them clean. He pulled them out, and then sucked each one individually, before moving to her thumb, and cleaning it as thoroughly as he had her fingers. He slowly licked the sensitive web between her fingers, and grazed his teeth along each finger individually. He knew by the little arch of her back that she was enjoying his attention to her hands. Before returning her hand, he kissed each fingertip.

“Thank you, Fraser. That was nicely done. I think we’re ready for dessert. We’ll have our dessert in the media room, and we may or may not watch ‘Equalizer 2’. Your ability to control yourself will determine that. If you fail, we will watch the movie; if you pass, we will have no time for movies." Her raised eyebrow told him what they would be doing with their time instead. "Please place the plates in the sink, wash your hands, and wait for me at the kitchen island while I scoop some ice cream.”

They got up and returned to the kitchen, where he followed her instructions closely. As much as he loved Denzel Washington, he had no desire to watch a movie tonight. He needed to do everything right, and exactly as she had instructed.

She scooped some of Alma’s heavenly dulce de leche ice cream into a bowl. 

“Please take this bowl and spoon into the media room and place the bowl in the freezer there. I’ll wash my hands and meet you in a minute. Wait for me by the popcorn machine.”

When she stepped into the media room, Jamie was standing at the back of the room near the popcorn machine, feet slightly apart, arms folded over his chest. He had the teeniest hint of a smile in his eyes, but was doing his best to look serious.

“Take off your robe,” she ordered in a low, serious voice, dimming the lights slightly. “I want to look at you.”

His eyes widened, and his eyebrow raised a fraction, but he slowly tugged on the belt, and shrugged the robe off, tossing it onto the floor next to him.

He was naked in front of her. She took in a deep breath. 

_My God, you are truly a magnificent man._

She walked over to him slowly, eyes locked on his, and placed her hand on his chest, feeling the hard muscle under the roughness of the light smattering of hair. She lowered her eyes to his lips and although desperate to kiss him, she held back. There would be time for that soon enough. His eyes were still fixed on her, uncertain about what she had planned for him. Her fingers explored his nipple, gently pulling and squeezing and thumbing. She lowered her mouth over his other nipple, flicking her tongue delicately over it, then sucking gently until she felt his chest rise as he took in a deep breath. She pulled her mouth away and caught his gaze again. Trailing her hand down his chest, over his rippling abdominals, and across his hip, she started to walk a slow circle around his body. Her hand trailed just behind her, and when she reached his butt, she stopped and eyed it appreciatively. Her hand cupped the firm, toned contours of his glutes, and she watched the subtle reaction of the muscles under his skin as her nails scraped gently over his butt. She continued her slow circle around his body, hand still trailing, nails gently grazing a path in their wake. She came to a stop in front of him, her hand paused on his thigh, inches from his erection. She brushed her nails slowly towards it, and saw the involuntary twitch and heard his quick intake of breath. She stopped.

“I don’t think we’ve come quite far enough in your self-control.”

He breathed out in a rasping sigh, disappointment and longing rolled into that long release of his breath.

“What about _your_ robe? Fair’s fair.”

She looked at him sternly, unsmiling. 

_“I’ll_ decide what’s fair. Please go sit in your seat. I’ll get the ice-cream.”

She brought the ice-cold bowl over to his chair. He sat waiting for her, body taut with anticipation and arousal, that tiny smile still gleaming in his eyes. She stood in the space between his legs, facing him.

Reaching for the control panel in his seat, she reclined it a little and scooped up a generous spoonful of ice cream, bringing it to his mouth to feed him his first taste of the creamy dulce de leche treat.

“Mmmmm! Oh my God, that’s so good!” he moaned.

“Uh, uh, uh,” she admonished him, ”it’s bad manners to speak with food in your mouth. That means additional consequences. But first, let me verify that it is indeed as good as you say.”

Setting the bowl down on the wide armrest, she placed her hands on the back of his seat and brought her mouth down towards his, stopping just before making contact. 

“It’s polite to share, Fraser,” she breathed, brushing his lips with hers. 

He parted his lips and she pushed her tongue into his mouth, swirling it around Jamie’s tongue and lapping up every trace of ice cream. He groaned at the unexpected pleasure of her deep and thorough kiss. 

“I’m not sure I got a real sense of the flavor.” She fed him another generous spoonful, and immediately closed in for a deep, sweet kiss that was a sensory exploration of textures, tastes, and temperatures. They continued to kiss well after the spoonful of ice cream had disappeared, ravishing each other with yearning and hunger. She nipped his lower lip delicately, running her tongue lightly across its fullness, before burying her tongue back in his mouth to take in every last hint of ice-cream. He groaned low and deep and slipped his hands under her robe. She broke the kiss immediately and gave him a warning look. He moved his hands away from her body and his look of despair almost broke her resolve, but she forged ahead. 

Standing upright again, she said in her stern voice, "Okay, I’ve verified that your assessment of the ice cream is accurate. It is really good. But … you still haven't had any consequences for your behavior at the architects or your lack of manners."

“If I apologize, will you let me touch ye? Please?” 

She ignored his plea, and dropped to her knees. He froze for a moment and stopped breathing momentarily. She placed her hands on his thighs, pressing her fingers into the solid firmness of his muscles beneath the lightly fuzzed skin. She worked her hands slowly upwards, gently raking with her nails. Still holding his gaze, she pushed his thighs wider apart, and reclined his chair a little more. Moving her body farther into the space between his legs, she trailed her hand slowly towards his balls, and gently cupped them, massaging with a light and delicate touch. They felt taut and she wanted to prolong her exploration of his body. She traced a finger slowly along the length of his erection, gently caressing the head and touching the wetness in the groove at the tip of his shaft. His sharp breath intake drew her eyes back to his face. His head was back against the seat, eyes closed, and fists clenched tightly.

She heard his deep grunt, and leaning forward, took his length in her fist and slowly swirled her tongue around the tip. 

“Sassenach,” he breathed.

“Open your eyes,” she ordered. He did as he was told, and she closed her lips around him, and moved slowly down his length, licking and sucking as he gripped the seat tightly. He was desperate to touch her breasts, her hair, her shoulders - any part of her. Two days away from her had generated a deep longing, and he ached for the feel of her skin on his.

Her mouth and lips and tongue on his length pushed him ever closer to the very limits of his control. She felt him twitch in her hand and pulled back a little. Reaching for the ice-cream, she took a generous spoonful into her mouth and allowed it to melt for a little before swallowing it. Her tongue was ice cold and as she approached his erection again she saw his thighs clench and his eyes widen.

“It’ll be cold, but it won’t hurt,” she assured him.

She licked his length from base to tip, sweeping thoroughly with her cold tongue as he gasped and squirmed at the unexpected sensation of her coldness on his warmth. She took another spoonful of ice-cream, kept it in her mouth until it was almost melted and she knew her mouth was well-chilled. She swallowed the ice-cream, and took him deep into her mouth, swirling her cold tongue around his length. He was panting under the strain of the sensory bliss and the desperate need to control his urge to reach out for her. Her arousal pulsed between her legs and she fought her own battle to control her need to take him inside her and bring them both to a breathless climax. 

But the night was still young, and she had more sensual adventures planned. Licking away all traces of the ice-cream on him, she stood and slowly shrugged off her robe. He devoured her with his eyes, raw desire all over his face. She climbed up and straddled his thighs on the wide seat. 

“Can I touch you yet?” he pleaded. She held out her hand and he placed his hand in hers. She guided his fingers between her legs and drew them through her folds so that he could feel the slick warmth there.

“God, Claire, please …” She shook her head and released his hand.

Reclining his seat further, she maneuvered her body over his so that her slit and his erection were aligned. 

She rolled her hips seductively, and positioned herself to slide her slit all the way along his length, allowing him to feel again how wet and ready she was. His breath came in short gasps as she slid up and down his length over and over again. She felt his hard, throbbing heat against her sweet spot, and bit down on her lip to maintain control of her own desperate yearning.

“Claire, please …” his hands reached up and gripped her breasts hard, almost painfully, and she knew he was forcing himself to control the primal urge to thrust himself hard and deep inside her.

She shook her head and raised her body to position the tip of his length at her entrance. 

“I’m going to do this very, very slowly,” she warned him. “If you move or push, I will have to start over again.”

“God, no, Claire. Please …”

She ignored him and lowered herself an inch down his length. She paused to look at him. He was almost breathless in his attempt to control his desperate urge to push himself hard into her. 

She slid down another inch, and he pressed his lips together, grabbing her breasts harder still. 

She slowly took in another inch, and he jerked his hips upward slightly.

“Oh dear,” she whispered. “We’ll have to start over.”

“No … God, no … please …”

She lifted herself up so that his tip was at her entrance again. 

“Are you going to demonstrate some self-control this time?” she asked.

“Yes! Yes! Please … “

Starting the torturous journey down his length again, she lowered herself an inch, and stopped to look at him. He held her gaze, and gave her a tiny nod. Another slow inch … he continued to fight for control.

Another inch … he released a long, low groan ….

She gave him a warning look and counted five long seconds. She clenched around him, deliberately fluttering and pulsing her muscles, and he closed his eyes and clenched his fists and muttered something in Gaelic. 

“Good boy,” she whispered. He kept his eyes squeezed shut.

She took another inch … and still he controlled his primal need to push up into her. But by now, she was battling for control too. She desperately wanted to push down hard, all the way, and feel his firm length push all the way into her core and fill her. 

“Open your eyes.”

They looked at each other. Both of them frozen, eyes fixed on each other, fighting hard for control.

She caved first.

Pushing hard all the way down, she felt his length fill her completely, and they both let out deep moans. She raised herself up again, and drove down hard in one move. His hands were suddenly on her hips and on her breasts, and she rode him hard, grinding and pushing herself on him, rubbing against him and feeling his rough hair on the delicate, slick skin of her folds. She pushed firmly against him, the friction of her swollen clit against his body bringing her closer and closer to an explosive release. She leaned into him, her breasts pressed up against his chest, as she rolled her hips firmly against him. He was teetering on the edge of his own release, panting breathlessly and grazing her shoulder with his teeth as he fought for control.

“Jamie … Jamie …” she panted, and his strong hands on her hips pulled her even harder against him, as she moved her hips in a rhythmic, rolling motion, the back and forth movement bringing renewed friction and pressure right up against Jamie's groin, exactly where she needed it. She arched her back sharply and cried out his name again as she completely lost herself to the waves of bliss that coursed through her, her core clenching rhythmically around him. Jamie pulled her down firmly, and with his own grunt of release, he spilled himself deep inside her in powerful surges, emptying himself completely and holding her as she slowly subsided onto his chest. They both lay there utterly lost in each other, breathless and panting.

They lay still for a while, and eventually Claire slid off him, and they lay side by side, entangled in each other, coming down from their intense release. Jamie’s lips sought hers in a deep kiss, and she twined her fingers in his, as they savored the intimacy they had missed while apart.

“Do we have to watch the movie?” he asked quietly, as she nestled her face under his jawline.

“No,” she whispered.

“Did I earn the reverse cowgirl?”

“Yes.” He heard the smile in her voice.

  
  



	29. Chapter 29

* * *

Jamie awoke first, and before he’d even opened his eyes, he reached out for Claire and pulled her in close, burying his face in her curls. She grumbled a little, hoping for an extra half hour of sleep after another late night. 

“Wake up, little vixen.” He planted kisses all over the back of her neck, and held her tight against him. 

“Good morning, my love,” she said sleepily. 

“Ye ken it makes me turn to mush when you call me that, right?”

“I’ll have to use it sparingly then,” she teased.

“No, you can say it as often as ye like. Use it all day, if necessary.”

She rolled over to face him and he draped his arm around her, hand resting lightly on the small of her back.

“Are we going for our run?”

“That’s why I’m waking ye so early - we should go before it gets too hot. Or have ye no energy left after last night?” 

A slow smile spread across her face. “Was I too hard on you?”

“God, Claire! You were a right minx! That was an amazing night. You were unbelievable!” 

“Glad you enjoyed it.” She was thrilled with her five-star review.

He kissed her lips, and squeezed her butt gently. “How did I ever get so lucky? I’m going to take images of this sweet arse and that cowgirl of yours all the way through L.A. week.”

“Mmmmm. That’s the goal. Don’t want you getting distracted by all the glamorous Hollywood beauties.”

She meant it light-heartedly, but he turned serious for a moment, looking at her earnestly.

“Claire, you need to know that I would never allow anyone or anything to distract me from you. You know I canna stand the fakeness of Hollywood. There’s no one who could hold a candle to you.”

“Jamie, I may not be a Fraser, but I want to invoke Fraser honesty here. Armando is ex-Hollywood, so he knows a lot about the vibe there. I asked him what he knew about your co-star, Anja. She doesn’t have the best reputation, you know, and I was a teeny bit concerned when you said you’d have to do a lot of interviews and appearances as you start the publicity drive for ‘Unauthorized Contact’.

"Claire, you need never feel that you canna ask me something. You can talk to me about anything, and you can ask me anything. I'll always answer ye honestly."

"Are you mad that I asked Armando?"

"No, not at all. I know that you're close friends, and our friendships are important to help carry us through certain things. But I want you to feel comfortable asking me about things that might be troubling you."

"You always make awkward conversations so much easier, Jamie. Can you tell me more about you and Anja, and the work you did on the movie? And what's in store with the upcoming publicity?"

“Of course. First, there was never anything romantic or sexual between us. Tara and my PR team contacted me about the publicity late last week. They’re looking to release the movie within a few weeks, as theaters start to open up again. We’ll start doing breakfast and late-night shows quite soon. I can understand yer concerns about Anja. She definitely likes to cultivate the femme fatale image. But ye ken she’s been dating Bradley Cooper for a long while, right?”

“Apparently they broke up a few weeks ago.”

Jamie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I did not know that. Normally with a high profile couple, PR teams will work on a joint statement.”

“Why would they not issue one? Would Millennium want that kept a secret? Is it an image thing for them? The female star of their next movie being dumped just before it’s released?”

“Doubt it. She had a fairly minor role in the movie. She’s the love interest - there always has to be one, because sex sells, as we know. And even though she’s my character’s fiancée, she’s not in that many scenes. There is one big sex scene, Claire, and I want to be upfront about it. The producers wanted a balance between a hot and heavy sex scene that will generate buzz and boost viewership, but they also didn’t want the sex to take away from the seriousness of the movie, so they concentrated it all in one big scene. Anja's other scenes are mostly dialogue and plot advancement. The sex scene has lots of nudity, some of it ours, some of it body doubles. But you know how these things tend to go; people will probably make a fuss about the sex scene, like they did with ‘Clan Hearts’.”

She nodded.

“When there’s a lot of buzz about sex scenes, it tends to boost the profile of the female star. Back in the day, movies like ‘Basic Instinct’ and ‘Fatal Attraction’ helped put actresses on the map. More recently ’50 Shades’ made Dakota Johnson a household name for a while. I fear that Anja may use the publicity tour to milk her scenes in ‘Unauthorized Contact’ for all she can.”

“Will Millennium expect you to be flirty and sexy in your appearances and interviews?”

“It would have been easier if she and Cooper were still together, but I’ll have Tara speak to her people and make sure they tell Anja to keep her behavior in check. She can be a little …. uh … forward and flirty. I won’t have her humiliate me - or you - in public.”

He twirled one of her curls around his finger.

“I can’t wait to be out of this industry altogether.”

“Jamie, we will have to be strong and power through the next few months - publicity, film release, Oscars - but we can do it. And then it’s Superman, and then you can look to your future!”

“ _Our_ future, Claire.”

She smiled and nuzzled his jawline. Yesterday's meeting at the architects warranted further discussion with Jamie about their future, but she wanted to wait for the right time to talk about that. It would be a longer conversation.

“I’m serious, Claire. I don’t want concerns about co-stars and such to give you any doubts about us. You are everything I want and need. You fulfill me in ways I never thought possible. Emotionally, intellectually, sexually. You feed my heart and my soul with everything you say and do. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I want you to know that.”

She caressed his face and leaned in for a long kiss.

“I didn't mean to sound insecure. It’s hard not to worry about the Hollywood scene - it seems that so many people leave their morals and decency behind when they enter that world.” She put a hand on his chest. “I know your heart, Jamie. I know I don’t have to worry. I want you to know that I have never felt this way about anyone either. I have never experienced this level of connectedness and happiness. I didn’t think it was possible.”

“The universe conspired so that we could meet.”

She smiled at his use of her favorite quote from ‘The Alchemist’.

“That reminds me, do ye mind if I borrow your copy of ‘The Alchemist’ while I’m in L.A.?”

“Not at all, I’ll find it for you later."

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

They were back from their run before 10:00 a.m., and it was already promising to be another scorcher. She was excited to see that she had shaved almost a minute off her running time, and even more so when Jamie picked her up and whirled her around.

“Nice going, babe. You’ll be passing me soon.”

They showered and dressed and headed downstairs. Claire made a mental note to talk to Jamie later about what the sleeping arrangements might look like when the girls were back. She didn’t want it to become uncomfortable, so it would be good to get that discussion out of the way, as awkward as it may be. Over a breakfast of waffles and fruit, they discussed what to do that day. 

“It’s too hot to be out at the pool all day. I don’t really mind what we do, as long as we do it together.”

“How about heading over to Bainbridge Island? The ferry ride will be cool and breezy, and we can have a late lunch or early dinner at a waterfront restaurant, where it will be a lot cooler.”

“I love that idea! Let’s do it.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge was around 35 minutes. Jamie and Claire spent some time out on one of the decks, taking in the views of the Seattle skyline, and majestic Mount Rainier in the distance.

“I love how Mount Rainier rises out of nowhere, almost like a ghost, all white and shadowy and hazy in this heat.”

“Aye, it’s beautiful. It has an ethereal quality, doesn't it?”

They took a selfie with Mount Rainier in the background, and then headed indoors to sit and chat, away from the blustery deck.

They were required to wear masks on the ferry, and with his mask and sunglasses and a baseball cap, Jamie went completely unrecognized. He took her hand in his, and they leaned in to each other to chat. 

“Jamie, what’s the progress on Dougal? May I ask?”

“Of course you may. Murtagh had some great ideas for him.” He went on to explain the ‘Clan Hearts’ tour and how it would be a great option for Dougal to pursue. 

“That sounds like it has some potential. It might give your Ultimate Sassenach Highlands Tour a run for its money.”

“Never! I have some secret spots to show you and the girls that Dougal doesn’t even know about!”

“Do you think Stargate would give him an official endorsement?”

“There’s a good chance they might. He’ll have his work cut out for him though. And that’s a good thing. It’ll keep him busy. I’m planning on seeing him sometime while I’m in L.A. I think we need to clear the air. I don't in any way condone the way he spoke to you, and in all honesty, I haven't forgiven him yet, but I want to speak with him openly and honestly about our personal relationship going forward.”

“I’m so pleased you’re doing that. It’ll be good for both of you.”

He started to raise her hand to his lips, and she stopped him. “Mask!”

“Ugh,” he groaned, “it takes some getting used to, doesn’t it. I keep wanting to give you wee kisses but the masks are in the way.”

“We can kiss all night, my love.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

She rested her head on his shoulder, and sighed. 

“Five whole days without you!”

“It’s going to be tough for me too, mo ghràidh. But Saturday will be here before ye know it. I canna wait to meet the girls!”

“They are so excited to meet you too! Do you think you’ll be able to tell them apart?”

“If you asked me on the day we first FaceTimed with them, I’d say no. But after almost two weeks, I can tell them apart on our calls by their personalities. I think there’s a chance I can tell them apart when we meet in person.”

“I’m not so sure, Jamie,” she teased. “I’d like to see you try though. It takes a while for new friends and teachers and coaches to know which one’s which.”

“Challenge accepted.” Jamie was not one to shy away from a dare. “Even identical twins have little differences - I’ll figure it out. They’re wonderful lasses. They look so much like ye, Claire, and they have your inner beauty too. I was telling Murtagh all about them.”

She smiled at the thought of him telling his godfather all about the twins.

“You’ve raised them well, Claire. You’re an amazing mother.” He went quiet for a moment, and she knew he was mulling something over. “We should talk about what we’ll do when I’m back with you and the girls next weekend. I canna be waking up in your bed with you when the girls are home. I don’t think it sets the right tone and example, ye ken.”

And there it was again. 

Jamie’s intuitive ability to know what was on her mind was uncanny. She was relieved that he’d also been thinking about it. It didn’t surprise her - he’d been nothing but considerate and respectful from the day he arrived on her driveway. 

“I’ve been thinking about that too,” she said.

“And what are yer thoughts on it?” 

“I agree that it would go against the way I’ve raised them if you were in my bed every morning. They’re 16, and they’re smart and savvy girls. I don’t think it would surprise them, but I agree that it doesn’t set a great example. They have no idea what kind of connection we have, and as much as they are ‘shipping’ us, we’ve only known each other two weeks. That’s what they’ll take away. That it’s okay to be in an intimate relationship within two weeks of knowing someone. As they start to dabble in the dating scene, I don’t want that to be their example. It’s hard for me to say that, because I don’t want to negate what we feel for each other. It is just impossible to explain our connection to anyone.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. What we have is so rare and so special, and it would be hard for anyone else to understand why it feels so right for us to be in this deep after such a short time. I feel like we’ll know instinctively when the girls are at the point when it’s okay for us to wake up with each other. In the meanwhile, Sassenach, we'll have to be sneaky and creative.”

"Challenge accepted." The wicked gleam in her eyes assured him that the vixen in her was not about to disappear.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Their afternoon on Bainbridge Island passed way too quickly. They wandered in and out of the quaint stores and boutiques on Winslow Way, and strolled through some of the side streets, where they found hidden gems, like art galleries, coffee shops, and stores selling hand-crafted items. Claire bought a few tops at one of the tiny boutiques, and some sea-glass earrings in a shade of blue that was a perfect match for Jamie’s eyes. Jamie bought her a leather-bound copy of ‘Love: Selected Quotations’, by Paulo Coelho.

They shared a mid-afternoon meal of Dungeness crabs and cedar-wrapped salmon at Doc’s Marina Grill. It was a lot cooler on Bainbridge, and they sat on the patio overlooking the marina with its yachts and fishing boats bobbing idly in the gently undulating water. They spoke about Claire’s MS Comms degree being shelved, and she shared Tonya’s opinions and the ‘hissy fit’ comment.

“What? That’s a direct quote?” Jamie looked shocked.

“Yes - I didn’t ask who said it, but I trust that Tonya repeated exactly what she heard.”

“How does an offensive term like that enter a professional discussion in the hallowed halls of academia?”

“I‘m going to try and probe a little more after the professorship is out of the way.”

“I’m appalled and angry that they’ve done this after all your hard work. And I agree - ye should go after them after the professorship has been announced.”

On the way back to the ferry they stopped to get ice-cream at Mora - watermelon sorbet for him, pineapple for her. 

“I’m not sure I feel safe around you and ice-cream, Sassenach, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.” He gave her his two eyed wink above his mask, and she giggled her deep belly giggle that he loved so much.

As soon as they arrived home, Claire propped up her iPad, and she and Jamie sat at the kitchen island. They had spoken about the FaceTime call in the car and hoped they had accurately anticipated some of the girls’ questions.

“Hi girls,” she and Jamie spoke in unison again.

“Hi mom, hey Mr. Fraser. Where have you guys been? You're like a half hour later with the call.”

“Mr. Fraser and I went to Bainbridge Island, and that always takes longer because of the ferry ride.”

“Bainbridge Island on the ferry?” Beth crooned. “That is so romantic.”

“Well, it’s not exactly Bora Bora, Beth, but it was a very pleasant day out.” Claire shook her head. Beth was hopelessly starry-eyed at times.

“How was your day with Nonna?”

“It was so awesome! She made homemade gnocchi and shared the recipe with Ella.”

“Mom, she cried so hard when we left. It made us so sad.”

“I know hon, I’m sorry. We’ll try and convince her to come and visit soon. And we’ll FaceTime her when you get back on Wednesday, just to check in with her.”

“Yeah. We don’t want her to get lonely, Mom. She doesn’t see her friends as much as she normally does.”

“I know, sweethearts. You girls are amazing and caring, and she loves you dearly. Uh … Girls, Mr. Fraser and I need to speak to you about something important and quite confidential.” Claire turned serious, and the girls leaned closer to their iPad. 

“Are you guys getting married or something?” Ella asked in a whisper. 

“No, Ella,” Claire was exasperated, and for the umpteenth time on these FaceTime calls, Jamie tried to keep a straight face.

“So you know I have been a little worried about the surge in Covid numbers that’s being reported around the country? I don’t have medical data that justifies my concerns for you girls, but I’m your mom, and I do worry about how it affects the lungs. You girls know that. So, my concern is that you’ll be exposed to a lot of public places. With a stopover in Chicago, that means three busy airports and two flights on big commercial planes.”

“Mom, we promise to use our hand-sani and wear masks.”

“Well, I appreciate that a lot. But I’ve been watching the numbers and listening to what the airlines are doing, and I’m not totally convinced of your safety. Mr. Fraser has very kindly offered to get in touch with some people he knows who have private jets, and his contacts have arranged a jet to bring you home on Wednesday.”

“Whaaaaat?” The girls looked from Claire and Jamie to each other, hands clasped over their mouths.

“Mr. Fraser can tell you more.”

“Okay girls, your flight will leave at 10:30 am from a small local airport in Boston. You need to be there by 10:00 a.m. With these small airports and private flights, there are fewer people, no security lines, and a fraction of the baggage issues, so there’s no need for you to get there super early. The jet will fly you home directly to Boeing Field - no stop-overs. You will be the only passengers, and there will be a flight attendant named Debbie, in case you need anything. A meal will be provided, and unlimited snacks and soda. Free Wi-Fi too.”

“And I will be at Boeing Field to pick you up. Any questions so far?” 

“Mooooommm! Are you guys for real?”

“Yes, we’re very serious.”

“OMG. Will it be like the ones that the Kardashians fly in on their show?”

“Yes. It will be very similar to that.” Jamie replied.

“Mom, this is such a major flex! Can we tell our friends?”

“Not right away. You can take pictures, but don’t post on social media until I tell you it’s okay to do so. And absolutely no mention of Mr. Fraser.”

“No problem, Mom.”

“I’ll be calling your dad and Kelly after this to let them know about the private plane and which airport to take you to.”

“Mom, you told us that we have to protect Mr. Fraser’s confidentiality and privacy. What if Kelly and Dad ask us who arranged the flight?” 

“You’re absolutely right, Beth. And I will do everything possible to protect Mr. Fraser’s privacy too. I’ll be telling your Dad and Kelly about it without mentioning Mr. Fraser’s name. I can’t imagine that your Dad and Kelly will ask you additional questions. If they do, you can suggest that they check with me.”

“I actually can’t believe it!” Ella was still processing this crazy new development.

“Girls …” Claire looked at them with raised eyebrows, and they recognized that look right away.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Fraser!”

“Thank you! It’s so kind of you to arrange this for us!”

“You girls are most welcome. I’m off to L.A. tomorrow, so I won’t get to FaceTime with you until after you arrive home. Safe travels to you both, and enjoy the flight.”

“Girls, I’m going to tap out now so I can call your Dad. Love you both! Goodnight.”

Claire leaned in to kiss Jamie. “Thank you again!”

“No need to thank me. Glad we could pull this off. Are you ready to call Frank? I’ll be super quiet back here.” 

Jamie sat and listened to Claire’s side of the conversation, giving her some moral support as she navigated her always unpredictable interactions with Frank.

“Hi Kelly, Hi Frank. Thank you again for making the last few weeks so special for the girls. They’ve loved being with you and the little ones.”

She was silent for a moment as she listened to their response.

“I’ve been a little concerned about the crazy Covid numbers, and as you know, I’m always fretting about the girls and their health. I’m not crazy about the idea of them spending hours in three major airports and two passenger planes.”

She listened for a moment.

“Yes, Frank, I realize that Kelly has spoken with them about masks and hand-washing, and I absolutely appreciate that. However, an opportunity came up that I was hoping to take advantage of. One of my dearest friends here is also my realtor. He recently introduced a new neighbor who is well connected with people and organizations who have private jets. After a couple of calls, he learned that one of them would be on the East Coast this week, and the timing worked out perfectly to fly the girls home on the jet. They would avoid all the major airports, and it will literally be just the two of them and a female flight attendant on a non-stop flight.”

She listened again.

“No, Frank, there is no cost to us. The jet has to fly back to the West Coast anyway, so to fly the girls to Seattle is not a big deal. And as far as their other flights go, I booked them on frequent flyer miles, so those will be re-credited to their accounts.”

She listened for another few moments.

“I totally agree, Kelly. It’s a great opportunity and it feels safer than public travel right now. And yes, I’ll text you the airport address. I know that it’s a lot closer to you than Logan International, and it’s a lot less hassle than going through the check-in procedure at a major airport. The girls only need to be there a half hour before the flight, so they need to be at the airport by 10:00.”

Another brief silence as she listened.

“No Frank. Again, zero cost to us. Beth will no doubt bake a ton of cookies by way of thanks. Neighbors helping neighbors.” 

Claire listened briefly again.

“Okay, Kelly - and are the girls aware that they'll be saying goodbye to their Dad tonight?”

One more brief silence.

“Yes, I’ll text you and the girls all the details tonight. Thank you both again!”

Claire exhaled long and slow. Jamie went over and hugged her.

“From what I heard, it seemed to go well.”

"Yes,” she replied, relief in her face and her voice. “Frank is off on a small, exclusive four-day conference early tomorrow morning, so he won’t be around to potentially ask the girls awkward questions. I’m just hoping that Kelly feels it’s none of her business, and doesn’t say anything more than absolutely necessary to the girls.”

“It’ll be fine, Claire. You’ll see.”

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***

  
  



	30. Chapter 30

Claire drove Jamie to Boeing Field, a small airport near downtown Seattle. Morning traffic was unusually light, and they arrived with time to spare.

Millennium had sent one of their smaller jets for Jamie, and while the crew and support team prepared the plane for take-off, he sat with Claire in a small private waiting room. 

“Jamie, I’m going to …” she stopped herself.

“I’m going to miss you too, you know that.” They were already starting to complete each other’s thoughts.

She pressed her forehead against his. “We already know we’re going to miss each other - let’s not make it harder on ourselves by always voicing it and texting it. For the next five days, you can’t tell me you miss me, Jamie, because it goes right to my heart every time, and it’s going to kill me slowly. I’ll do the same with you. We can express our feelings any other way - but no ‘I miss you’ messages. That squeezes my heart bit by bit every time.”

He pressed a kiss on her temple. “You’re right - it makes us dwell on it more if we keep telling each other how much we miss each other. We have to find creative ways to express our feelings this week and lift each other up. I think I can do that. In fact, I may have already started - ye’ll find out later today.”

The pilot stepped into the waiting room. “Mr. Fraser, we’re ready for you. Your bag is loaded.”

“Thank you - I’ll be with you in a few.”

The pilot walked the short distance across the tarmac back to the jet, and Jamie pulled Claire to her feet.

“Claire …” he whispered. They held each for a long moment, and their lips met in an achingly tender kiss that spoke the words they hadn’t spoken to each other yet. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The memory of his kiss lingered on her lips and in her heart, and she had to consciously push thoughts of him out of her mind as she drove back. She focused on making a mental list of all the things she needed to do. Her first task was stopping at the grocery store to stock up on things she would need for the girls’ return home. First up would be a crepe breakfast for them on Thursday morning - the belated 16th birthday celebration she’d promised them. As she moved through the store, she filled her cart with all their favorite treats and snacks. She also added a smoked Gouda and triple cream brie - two of Jamie’s favorite cheeses, as she had learned over the past two weeks. 

_I can try to push thoughts of you out of my mind, but they're going to come creeping back anyway._

While she waited in the check-out line, she tapped into her messages app and sent Jamie a quick text.

**_“In case you ever foolishly forget: I am never not thinking of you.”_ **

**_Virginia Woolf_ **

Pulling into her driveway, she noticed a sticker on her front door. A delivery service had either left something on her porch, or it was a note saying they’d try again tomorrow. She brought all her groceries into the kitchen. Her phone buzzed as she was about to head to the front door to read the sticker. It was Jamie.

**Landing soon.** **love the Virginia Woolf quote 😘**

**Check ur dining room and look for delivery from me later**

The formal dining room led off the foyer, and was adjacent to the formal living room. It was rarely used - or even accessed - unless Claire was entertaining more formally, and that didn’t happen very often. She walked into the dining room and gasped. A magnificent tall blue vase stood on the center of the table.

She recognized it instantly as a Daum lead crystal vase, and knew that he must have picked it up in Bellevue last Wednesday. There had been a larger package from Neiman Marcus among all the things he’d hauled up to the guest room. 

She walked around the table and admired the vase from every angle. It was tall and heavy, and beautifully made.

_Is there no end to his awesomeness and thoughtfulness? Thank God for the girls being here from Wednesday - I would never survive otherwise!_

She remembered the rest of his text and the delivery sticker, and pulled open the front door. A huge bouquet of white gladioli had been carefully placed on the front porch. She picked up the bouquet and read the card, immediately recognizing his handwriting.

**_“I looked into your eyes and I’m sure that some divine artist dipped her brush in the same soul and used it to paint us both.”_ ** ****

**** **** **_Cristen Rodgers_ **

Her hand came up to her chest.

_I’ll answer my own question. There is no end to his awesomeness and thoughtfulness._

She tapped out a quick text to him.

**Facetime as soon as you can, my love**

His FaceTime call came in within a half hour. 

“I just landed and got in the car. They sent a driver and we’re heading straight to the voice studio.”

“Jamie! That vase! I am blown away. And the quote - I love it! I read Cristen Rodgers’ blog sometimes - she has a special way with words. And the flowers, my love. You remembered.”

Her words tumbled out of her as she walked over to the dining room to show him the gladioli in the vase.

“I did remember. You should put the vase wherever you want it - I just set it on the dining table so you wouldn’t see it until after I left.”

“I’m going to move it to the coffee table in the family room where I can see it throughout the day. It will be a sweet reminder of you. Thank you so much.”

”My heart almost missed a beat when I saw that you had quoted poetry - I knew my quote was coming today with the flowers. Just another indication of how our souls are so connected.” 

“That struck me too. It really is quite unique, Jamie. Are you just arriving at the studio?”

“Yes,” he groaned.

“FaceTime again later?”

“Every break I get, mo ghràidh.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The rest of Monday went by in a whirl of text exchanges with Jamie, FaceTime calls whenever he could squeeze in a break, curriculum development for her later summer course, and her cherished FaceTime chat with the girls. She took her sanity hour in the hot-tub and relaxed to the point of near somnolence, before calling it a day and heading up to bed.

Jamie’s unique spicy-woodsy scent lingered on his pillow, and she hugged it to her body, sleeping a deep, restful sleep with Jamie filling her heart and her mind. 

Jamie had spent hours in the studio, recording and re-recording voice-overs for ‘Unauthorized Contact’. He Zoomed briefly with Tara and the PR team, who outlined some of the interviews and appearances they were working on for the movie’s publicity drive. His FaceTime calls with Claire kept him going until he collapsed in bed, exhausted. He too slept deeply and restfully.

On Tuesday morning, he awoke to a text from Claire. 

**_“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”_ **

**_Emily Brontë_ **

He texted her right away.

**Couldn't agree more - as you'll see soon 😘**

Before noon, a large bouquet of pink gladioli was delivered. The card was written in Jamie’s hand.

**"** **_The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected."_ ** ****

**** **** **_Nicholas Sparks_ **

She texted him immediately.

**** **** **_Our quotes Jamie! this is insane!_ **

**I know - the universe continues to conspire! keep them coming - they're keeping me sane 😘**

**_Thank you for the glads - pink today. love them, love the quote_ **

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

By the time Wednesday dawned, clear and sunny in both cities, they were both missing each other intensely. The texts and quotes and FaceTimes were a lifeline, but the missing each other went deeper than the physical ache or the expression of the words that they were denying themselves. It was also a longing for the emotional and spiritual connectedness that had grown between them.

She was anxious for lunchtime, when she would finally be reunited with her girls, and that would fill the other aching, empty place in her heart.

For Jamie, being thrust back in the industry was a stark confirmation that he was making the right life choices. The contrast between what he felt for Claire - the profound and sincere feelings they shared - exposed the dichotomy between his former life and the way he imagined his future with her. 

His phone buzzed. It was a text from Claire.

**_“You and I, it’s as though we have been taught to kiss in heaven and sent down to earth together…”_ **

**_Boris Pasternak in Doctor Zhivago_ **

She saw the three dots bouncing as he tapped a response.

**Babe 😘**

**_Two down, three to go_ **

**We got this - and your girls will be there later**

**_Yes! so excited to see them - we’ll facetime you tonight_ **

**Don’t forget to send me the video of the Tesla reveal**

It was Liv’s weekly cleaning day at Claire’s house, and she spent a few hours doing some general cleaning and preparing the girls’ rooms and bathrooms. Claire’s guest’s room was almost spotless - in fact it looked like he hadn’t slept in there since she changed his bedding the previous week, but she did a full clean nonetheless. She knew he was out of town, but he had still left her a thank you note and some cash, and she appreciated his thoughtfulness.

Claire had asked her to stay on for a couple of extra hours to help her with a secret project, and while she headed out to pick up the girls from Boeing Field, Liv busied herself polishing and buffing the kitchen cabinetry.

Claire waited for the girls in the same small waiting lounge as the one she and Jamie had sat in. She stood at the window overlooking the apron and watched the activity going on outside. Airports were fascinating places - multiple disciplines had to work together effectively to ensure safety and efficiency - technology, engineering, ground operations, security, catering, air traffic control. It was a dizzying mix of moving parts, almost daunting in its complexity.

When a sleek jet touched down and taxied towards the waiting area, she recognized the DC Comics logo on the tail. The jet slowed and glided to a stop a few yards from the waiting area, and Claire moved to wait just inside the sliding doors. She snapped a few pictures as the girls descended the steps at the front of the plane, their long curly hair blowing about their faces in the sudden light breeze. The flight attendant, Debbie, was right behind them, and they snapped some selfies with her and individually while they waited for a baggage handler to bring them their bags. She noted with pride that the girls stopped to thank Debbie and the pilots, who were also on the ground, completing their post-flight checklists.

The minute they walked through the doors, Claire enveloped them in her arms. They stood there holding each other for a long while. Claire allowed some tears to roll down her cheeks, and wiped them away quickly so as not to embarrass the girls. She was surprised to notice that they too had shed some tears. They looked at each other and laughed through their tears. 

"Mom, we missed you a ton,” Beth’s tears were still rolling down her cheeks. “I mean we loved visiting Boston, but it was a long time to be away.”

“I know babies. I feel the same way. It’s so good to have you back. Let’s go home.”

Claire parked on the driveway instead of in the garage, and if the girls found it a little unusual, they didn’t mention it. They hadn't stopped chatting since they left the airport. She heard all about the flight and the interior of the plane and Kelly’s mac and cheese and a boy named Chase, who lived a few houses down from Frank’s house. Chase and Ella were back and forth on Snapchat a whole lot, according to Beth. 

Claire sent a text as she parked her SUV, but the girls were too busy talking to notice. 

“Let’s get out here, I’ll pop the trunk for you.” 

With the trunk open, they busied themselves getting the bags out. Claire had parked her car at the perfect angle, and the girls failed to notice that the garage door on the far right was opening. Liv slowly drove the Tesla out, and then retreated into the garage, out of sight and ready to video the reveal from a different angle.

Claire tapped her camera app, and started to video the girls.

“What are you doing, Mom?” Ella asked.

“Just welcoming you home with a little gift. Come and see.” 

The girls stepped out from behind Claire’s SUV and froze in shock and surprise. 

They took in the gleaming white Model 3 with a huge red bow on its hood. They turned to look at Claire and she smiled broadly and nodded. Their hands flew to their mouths as they gasped, and then all hell broke loose. Amid shrieks and squeals, the girls grabbed each other in an embrace and hopped around in a perfect 360º circle, clasped tightly to each other. Then they separated, and still squealing and shrieking, they ran towards the car. Ella flung herself over the bow on the hood in an attempt to hug the car, and Beth collapsed to her knees sobbing. 

Claire walked over to them, still capturing all of it on video. 

“Mom, I’m so sorry, I didn't mean to ugly cry! Thank you so much - I love it!” Beth stood up and flung her arms around Claire, almost launching the phone out of her hands. Ella left her spot on the hood of the car, and joined in the group hug.

“Oh my God, Mom! We love it - thank you so much. Can we drive it?”

“Let’s go inside the house and get settled down. We can go for a drive later this afternoon. Your Dad and I shared the cost for the car, so I’d like you girls to text or call him. Maybe text first, in case he’s in his conference.”

Liv texted Claire her videos and pictures, and Claire thanked her for helping with the car surprise.

“My pleasure, Claire. Thank you for letting me be a part of it. That was so much fun to see. They’re such sweet girls. Oh … there was a flower delivery for you. They’re in the kitchen sink.”

The girls had dragged their bags inside, and were in the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking for treats in the pantry.

“I’ll DoorDash some Thai food later, so don’t have too many snacks now.”

“Mom, who are all the flowers from?” Ella was circling the coffee table now, admiring the blue vase in the family room. “They’re beautiful. Aren’t they the ones you can never grow properly?”

Beth answered for Claire. “Yes they’re gladioli and I bet they’re from Mr. Fraser. Is the vase from him too?”

Claire flushed slightly and answered their questions. “Yes, they’re from Mr. Fraser, and the vase too. I told him how awful I was at growing glads, and it’s really sweet of him to send these.”

“There are more in the sink.” The gladioli were a rich coral color.

“Yes, those arrived while I was out. Liv brought them in.”

“There’s a card. Can we see it?”

“Ella!” Beth pounced on that immediately. “It might be private. We don’t need to see it, Mom.”

“Girls, I’d love some help with these.” She pocketed the card. “Please remove the plastic wrap and cut an inch off the bottom of each stem. Then arrange them in the vase so that the colors are all mixed up nicely. I need to text Kelly to let them know you arrived safely - and send a few other texts.”

She stepped out to the patio and opened the card. It was also in Jamie’s writing. He had planned this all so well. He had clearly written out the cards and dropped them off at the florist in Bellevue, with strict instructions on which one was to be delivered on which day. And what struck her most about all of it is that it dovetailed perfectly with her impulsive request at the airport to not send ‘I miss you’ messages, and to find other ways to express their feelings. She read the card.

**_“It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together ...”_ **

**** ******_Tom Hanks, Sleepless In Seattle_ **

She smiled at how perfect the quote was for them and tapped her messages app.

**_Your quote today! so special and written just for us!_ ** ****

**I thought so too. your quote has kept me going all day 😘**

**_And thank u for the glads - gorgeous coral color!_ **

**How was the car reveal? don’t forget to send me the video - can’t wait to see it**

**_It was fantastic - they were so excited! facetime us when u have a gap - we’re going to hang out on the patio_ ** . **_happy to wait for ur call when u can_ **

**Sounds good - it’ll be a couple of hours**

**\- - - - - - - - - - - -**

The FaceTime call came in minutes before the DoorDash delivery arrived.

“Hi Girls! And Claire!” 

“Hi Mr. Fraser!”

“I just saw the video and pictures of your reaction to your new car! Awesome video. You girls were clearly very excited! Congratulations on the new car - I wish you lots of safe driving.”

“Thanks, Mr. Fraser! Also - thanks for the private jet flight too! That was soooooooo awesome!”

“Oh my God, Mr. Fraser, it was the best flight ever! Thank you so, so much!”

“I’m so glad you enjoyed it. You’ll have to tell me all about it this weekend.”

“How is your voice-work going? What other stuff are you doing in L.A.?”

“Voice-work is going okay - I have to work with an accent coach, and it’s a little repetitive, but we’re getting there. I should be done with it by tomorrow. And then on Friday, I’m working with a personal trainer to start preparing for Superman. But that’s a secret too.”

“We’ll keep it to ourselves.”

“Just so you know, the personal trainer is giving me some basketball tips. I hope you’ll be ready for our challenge on Sunday.”

“Oh, we’re ready!” Ella was all sass. “Question is - are you?”

“Ahhh, keep up that trash-talk, Ella! I might shock you with my impressive new skills.”

“Mr. Fraser, we love the flowers you sent Mom. They’re so beautiful.”

“I’m very happy you like them too, Beth. I know they’re her favorites.”

“Jamie, dinner was just delivered. Girls, can you grab the stuff from the front door?”

As soon as they were out of earshot, she blew kisses at Jamie, and whispered “I’ll call you when I’m in bed.”

He held up heart hands and blew her a kiss as they tapped out of the call.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

After dinner, Claire accompanied the girls on a drive around the neighborhood. They drove slowly and somewhat nervously through the quiet streets. They had an appointment with the dealership the next day. One of the technicians would be taking them through all the controls and settings, and ensuring that they were comfortable with all the features.

Claire and the girls sat out on the patio chatting and getting caught up on news and happenings in Seattle during the girls’ absence. They had caught up on emails and group texts from their cheer and volleyball teams, and would be starting limited practices soon. Schedules would be out by the weekend.

Claire reminded them of their driver license road tests the following week. It would be a huge plus when the girls could drive themselves to volleyball and cheer practice, and to meet with friends for their quarantine-friendly Starbucks hang-outs at a park or parking lot.

Still used to Eastern Time, the girls tired quickly that night, and after they went to bed, Claire tidied up a little, ran a load of the twins’ laundry, and FaceTimed with Jamie. As she drifted off to sleep it occurred to her that Frank hadn't asked for pictures or a video of the girls seeing their car for the first time.

Jamie had reminded her to send him the video. Twice.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Thursday was a busy day for Claire and Jamie. The girls awoke early, as she thought they might, their bodies still on a three-hour time difference. The twins made a latte for Claire and chai lattes for themselves, and they all headed outside to watch the sunrise.

“This is so unusual, girls, to have you up watching the sunrise with me. When you’ve adjusted back to Seattle time, I won’t see you before 10 every morning.”

“It’s kinda fun watching the sunrise. The colors are so pretty.”

While the girls took selfies and posted on Instagram and Snapchat, Claire tapped out a text to Jamie.

**_“You’re everywhere except right here and it hurts.”_ **

**_Rupi Kaur_ **

Jamie was up early too- she watched the three dots bounce as he tapped.

**Good morning babe. that quote!**

**_I know - watching the sunrise with girls, seeing your flowers, making crepes - so many reminders of u_ **

**Pls send me a selfie with u and the girls**

“Girls, Mr. Fraser asked for a picture.”

“I got this.” Ella held Claire’s phone up, they all scooted in together, and she captured a couple of pictures.

Claire selected her favorite and texted it to Jamie.

**Love it - that just made my morning 😘**

**\- - - - - - - - - - - -**

Jamie met Dougal for a quick breakfast before heading to the voice studio. Their meeting was a little strained, but Dougal had the decency to apologize for his outburst at Claire.

“It’s not me you need to apologize to, Dougal.”

“Aye, ye’re right. I do feel badly about that. I’d like to apologize to Claire in person, but if ye think I should send a note, I can let ye have it before ye head back to Seattle.”

“Maybe do both. You don’t know when you’ll see her next, and you should apologize before that anyway.”

“I’ve spent some time thinking about the decisions you’re making in your career.”

“Dougal -”

“Jamie, I’m not going to interfere. I still think ye should take more time to think it over, though.”

“I’ve done plenty of thinking, Dougal. I think my career plans and recent decisions align well with how I want my life to unfold from here. I’m sorry it affects you too - I appreciate very much the work ye’ve done for me. Colum and Murtagh have spoken to me about some things they’d like ye to look at.” 

“Aye. Colum spoke to me already. I must admit, I like the tourism idea, but I’ve asked for a little more time to wrap things up here. Sorry, Jamie - I know that after my … uh … incident last week, you wanted me out of here and back in Scotland right away. But I really need a little time here to think and get my business matters sorted out.”

“I can understand that. I ask only that ye stay out of trouble, and in particular stay out of my affairs.” Dougal nodded. 

“I have to get going now - working with my accent coach all morning. Tara and PR will have me coming back within the next couple of weeks for the Jimmy Kimmel Show. We can grab dinner, and you can tell me what you’re planning then.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

After their crepe breakfast, Claire and the girls headed downtown for their appointments with Armando. He refreshed their very subtle balayage, and while the color developed, he and Claire stepped aside and spoke quietly.

“Any developments I need to know about, Girlfriend?”

“Jamie and I had a good talk about it. He was very upfront - says that Anja can be a little over-the-top, but he will be on alert for any inappropriate comments and behavior from her. It goes with the job, as you probably remember from being in that world. The schmoozy red carpet scene is crazy. I’m not too worried about it after speaking to Jamie, to be honest.”

“Ok, but if anything ever comes up, I got you.”

“Thanks hon. I love you for it.”

After their hair appointment, Claire drove the girls to Bellevue to meet with the Tesla tech. They spent about a half hour acquainting themselves with the features and technology in their car. Their favorite feature by far was Caraoke on the audio system. It was an in-car karaoke system that played the backing track and displayed the lyrics on the big touchscreen, so that passengers could enjoy some fun. 

“Okay girls, that sounds like way too much fun in the car! It’s fine to do that once in a while, but don’t get carried away and lose focus on your driving!” She felt a little guilty telling them that, because just two weeks earlier, she and Jamie had done their own riotous version of karaoke on the way back from Woodinville.

“Remind me to check if the Model S has that feature too - it might be just a quick software upgrade.”

The gladioli awaiting Claire after her busy morning were a rich lavender color. While the girls trimmed the stems and added them to the blue vase, she stepped outside and opened a fourth handwritten card. 

**_“The silence isn’t so bad, till I look at my hands and feel sad. Because the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly.”_ **

**_Owl City, from their song Vanilla Twilight._ **

She found the song on Spotify and listened to it while she texted Jamie.

**_Thank u for my beautiful lavender glads, and that quote is making my heart burst_ **

**Did u listen to the song?**

**_Yes! i love your musical poetry. it’s the sweetest song_ **

**One more day 😘**

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire awoke early on Friday, feeling the heaviness of almost five days without Jamie. She was feeling quite introspective, and her quote reflected her thoughts.

**_“It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; - it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.”_ **

**Jane Austen**

She saw the three dots bounce as he tapped his reply.

**Awesome quote - i can attest to the fact that our disposition towards each other 100% supports Austen’s theory - BTW - less than seven days for me**

**_Me too - as you well know_** **😍** **_one. more. sleep._**

**I’ll call you after meeting with personal trainer. sending u 1000 kisses 💋**

**_Sending u 1000 more 😚_ **

**_\- - - - - - - - - - - -_ **

“Mom, are we doing anything special tomorrow? Since it’s the day Mr. Fraser gets back, and also 4th of July, Beth and I can help with the food and stuff.” 

“Well, he’ll be home late morning, so I figured we could make burgers with all the fixings, and then we can drive to Snoqualmie Ridge to watch some fireworks from the park. I can’t think of a good dessert though. Any ideas, Beth? Something American-themed?”

“Mom, since we’ll all be wearing red, white and blue, and the burgers and everything else will be American, I should make him something Scottish so that he feels more welcome. I’m going to google some Scottish desserts.”

A bouquet of beautiful yellow gladioli arrived soon after lunch, and the girls quickly assumed control of the trimming and arranging. The vase was now completely filled with tall, richly colored gladiolus stems.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many flowers, Mom! The vase looks amazing!” Ella was fascinated by how the design of the vase allowed the stems to fan out and fill the space around it dramatically. 

“I can’t believe he sent you a bouquet for every day that he’s been gone.” Beth sighed. “I mean, that’s goals, right there.”

While the girls stood in the family room adjusting the stems, Claire opened the last hand-written card. Her breath hitched slightly when she read it.

**“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."**

**_Nora Ephron_ **

She tapped back a message.

**_Your quote today literally stopped my heart_ ** ****

**That’s what happened to mine when I first saw you on the driveway almost three weeks ago**

**_I'll call u tonight after the girls have gone to bed 😍_ **

Ella started making a list of things they needed to do to get ready for Saturday's meal and for Jamie’s return. Claire had already ordered everything for the burgers, so they wouldn’t need to go back to the store for food. The girls really wanted to decorate the patio in 4th of July decor “to make it more festive for Mr. Fraser.”

“Okay, we’ll go buy some supplies after dinner. Beth, you drive us to the store, Ella you drive us home.”

Beth was still researching suitable desserts, and when she gasped dramatically, Claire guessed she had found a winner.

“Mom, I think I found something! It’s a layered Scottish dessert that looks a bit like the 4th of July trifle we always make, with layers of berries. It’s called cranachan. We need steel-cut oats.”

“We have that in the pantry,” confirmed Claire.

“Okay, I have to toast them and soak them overnight in whisky.”

“Well, you girls can’t have whisky, so you might want to toast two batches of oats and soak yours in a simple syrup instead.”

“Sure. We have all the other ingredients. Cream, berries, honey, and sugar. I can toast the oats after dinner, and I'll assemble everything else tomorrow morning.”

After their trip to the store and the FaceTime call with Jamie, the girls set about decorating the patio for their small Independence Day celebration. 

By bedtime, the oats were toasted and soaking, the patio looked festive, and all three were ready for a good night’s sleep.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Saturday was cloudless and sunny, and Ella and Beth were in the kitchen even before Claire. Claire had showered and dressed in skinny blue jeans and a slim fit blue tee with vintage-looking American flag print. She had curled her hair into soft waves, and applied her make-up with a little extra care.

Both girls wore denim shorts, and Ella had a red tee with large, bold USA lettering on the front, while Beth wore a white tee with a wavy American flag print and the occasional sparkly bead scattered through the stars.

While Claire headed out to Boeing Field, the girls inflated and hung at least two dozen balloons. On a whim, Beth decided to bake some shortbread, so that Jamie would have "something Scottish" to enjoy with his morning lattes.

Claire recognized the jet as it taxied towards the terminal. She held her breath as the door swung downwards and the steps were secured in place. Jamie stepped out in jeans and a navy tee, ducking his tall frame through the doorway. He looked straight towards the waiting area but couldn't see into the lounge because of the glare off the windows. The baggage handler brought him his bags, and with a quick final wave at the pilots, he strode towards the sliding doors. Claire was standing just on the other side of the glass, and as soon as the doors opened, he abandoned his bags, and took her in his arms. The airport was almost deserted because of the holiday, and they stood there completely wrapped in each other. Her face was against his neck, inhaling his familiar scent deeply. His nose was in her curls, taking in the unique fragrance he knew so well. They stood there soaking each other in, and then he tipped her head back and kissed her.

When they pulled apart, he pressed his forehead to hers and said in his deep, low rumble, ”Take me home, babe.”

En route to the house, they filled each other in on some of the details of their week that they hadn't already covered in multiple daily texts, FaceTimes, and phone calls.

“Claire, some full Fraser honesty here - I’m a little nervous to meet the girls.”

“What? Why? You’ve been FaceTiming for almost 3 weeks now! They think you’re awesome!”

“They might not like me in person. What if they think I’m not good enough for you, Claire? That’s what scares me the most. It’s one thing playing around and teasing us on FaceTime, but if they don’t like me … I can’t even think about what that would do to us!”

She brought her car to a stop on the driveway.

“Jamie, listen to me. They have spent most of yesterday and all of today preparing for your return. They cooked and decorated and cleaned. They are super excited to meet you. Just be yourself. You felt the same way when you met them on FaceTime for the first time, and look how well that worked out. Also, you’re wearing a Seahawks-themed 4th of July shirt. They like you already!”

“Do I shake hands with them? Wave? Fist bump?”

“Let them decide - they’ll probably guide that.”

They walked through the kitchen and stopped at the door to the covered patio. Before they stepped out, Claire kissed him quickly on the lips. “I’ll be right here, you’ve got this.”

They stepped out, and Jamie’s eyes swept over the streamers, mini flags, balloons and red, white, and blue fairy lights that twinkled everywhere. The girls were engrossed in their phones.

“Girls …” Claire called out.

They turned their heads and both of them gasped and stood up immediately, dropping their phones on the sofa.

“Mr. Fraser!” Beth sprinted the short distance to where Jamie stood and flung her arms around his waist. Jamie hugged her back awkwardly, patting her back a few times.

“It’s so good to meet you, Beth!”

She released him, and Ella stood a few steps away, somewhat awkwardly. She smiled and held her hand out to shake hands, and at the last minute, she changed her mind and gave him an awkward, one-armed side hug.

He gave her a one-armed little squeeze, and said “It’s great to meet you, Ella.”

She pulled away, and looked up at him, smiling broadly. “Welcome home, Mr. Fraser.”

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	31. Chapter 31

* * *

“Mr. Fraser! You got our names right! No one ever does that until they’ve known us for, like, ages.” Beth was genuinely impressed.

“Well, we’ve been chatting on FaceTime for a while now, and I feel like I’m starting to get to know you both a little through that.”

“You’re taller than I expected.” Ella was looking at him steadily, and Jamie knew instinctively that he would have to work a little harder to win and keep her trust.

“And you’re probably wondering how I can be so bad at basketball?” he said, with a self-deprecating grimace.

“Uhhh … I wasn’t going to be that blunt, but yeah…” Ella's face broke into a wide smile.

“Well, I’m hoping that after you take me down tomorrow, you girls will give me all your pointers.”

The girls laughed at that, and Claire broke the ice a little more by suggesting that they all sit and chat over a pitcher of lemonade that Ella had made earlier. 

By the time Claire emerged from the kitchen with a tray of cups and the lemonade, Jamie and the girls were seated on the patio sofas, in a back and forth discussion about their flights on the private jets. 

“You girls got burrito bowls for lunch on your flight? All I got was a breakfast sandwich.” Jamie feigned an air of indignation. “Okay - it was a pretty decent breakfast sandwich, I canna lie.”

“We even got our favorite candy on our plane. There was a giant bag of Swedish Fish for me, and Hi-Chews for Ella.”

“You can thank Mr. Fraser for that! He asked me what your favorite candy was when he arranged the flight.”

“Awww, that was so nice of you, Mr. Fraser. Thank you!”

“Don’t mention it, lasses - it was my pleasure. I heard we’re having burgers today. What can I do to help? I’m not the best at grilling, but I can help ye prepare the other stuff.”

“Mr. Fraser, your accent is so cool!” Ella was starting to warm up a little more, and Jamie was doing a great job of engaging both of them with his humor.

“Actually - you’re the ones with accents. To my ears anyway!”

“But yours is waaaaay cooler!”

“My accent has actually diminished over the years, as I spend more time out of Scotland than in it. It flares up again when I speak to my sister, or Dougal and Murtagh - my relatives. And definitely after I’ve been to Scotland - it’s all ‘aye’ and ‘ken’ and ‘ye’. If it gets too much, just remind me.”

“No - we love it. Everyone loves accents! Our friends think that Mom’s accent is the coolest.”

Claire rolled her eyes slightly. “Yes, I’m not sure how flattered I felt when your friends all told me I’m just like Mary Poppins. After lemonade, we should probably head back to the kitchen to start prepping the burgers. It’ll be a mid-afternoon meal. And then fireworks tonight - we can pack some snacks to take with us, in case anyone’s hungry by then.”

Ella took charge in the kitchen, assigning everyone jobs as they prepared toppings and fixings for the burgers. Jamie was in charge of slicing tomatoes and caramelizing onions, and Claire was given the task of sautéing mushrooms and putting the final touches to the potato salad that they had worked on last night. Beth cut watermelon slices and assembled all the condiments and toppings, and refrigerated items like cheese and pickles. Ella did everything else, and insisted on doing the bacon herself because she wanted the perfect amount of crispness. 

Jamie and Claire stood together at the range as they watched over their skillets. 

“My onions look way more appetizing than your mushrooms,” he teased.

“Oh, excuse me!” she replied haughtily. “We can’t all be sous-chefs at Lallybroch!”

“I don’t know if I’d call myself a sous-chef exactly.”

“Let me see what you’re roasting each other about,” Ella intervened. “Mom, I’m sorry to say that Mr. Fraser is right. His onions are perfectly soft and golden brown.” And she flounced out of the kitchen to help Beth set the patio table.

“They’re not really - she’s just being nice," Jamie winked at her. "Claire, I’d love it if you’d consider letting them drop 'Mr. Fraser' and just call me Jamie.”

“I’m okay with that as long as you are. I think now that you’ve met in person, there’s a different level of comfort and ease between you and the girls.”

“It would feel more appropriate to me. 'Mr. Fraser' adds formality to my relationship with them, and that’s not how I want it to be.” He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you. I’ll find the right time to let them know.”

Within an hour, they had all the fixings and toppings ready, and Ella and Beth made several trips in and out of the kitchen as they set things up outdoors. While the girls arranged platters and condiments on the patio table, Claire and Jamie were in the kitchen putting the finishing touches to a green salad. Claire reached into the fridge for the burger patties. 

“I think we’re about ready to go with these burgers, Jamie. I don’t mind grilling them - our grill is idiot-proof.” 

“Trust me, it’s not Fraser-proof. I’ll help you, but ye’ll have to take the lead.”

“No problem. Would you mind grabbing the buns?” She set the patties down on the counter and reached for a tray.

“I don’t mind grabbing the buns at all.” Jamie came up behind her and pressed his body against her back. His hands clasped her butt and squeezed gently. She leaned back against him and he bent down to kiss the sensitive area behind her ear. 

“Not those, Jamie.” He heard the smile in her voice and in response, he smiled against her neck, nibbling her soft skin. 

“When can we sneak a quick kiss?” He ran the tip of his tongue from her ear lobe to her shoulder.

“Jamie … “ she sighed.

He pulled away from her suddenly and busied himself helping Claire load up the tray just as the girls stepped back into the kitchen.

“I think we’re all set up out there,“ Ella announced. “We can start the burgers.”

Claire and Jamie worked the grill together, producing perfect patties. They all assembled their unique burgers and sat around the patio table to eat. The girls’ 4th of July playlist drifted through their space, and their mealtime conversation flowed comfortably. It eventually turned to Jamie’s ownership of The Grotto.

“You girls haven't met Murtagh Fraser yet, that’s Jamie’s godfather. He’s going to help run the winery, and he suggested that we go up for a brief visit. Would you girls want to go spend a couple of days up there before you start your cheer and volleyball training?"

“Yeah - that would be awesome. Will we get to do some jet-skiing?” Beth loved water-sports.

“And hiking?” Ella was all about the challenging hikes.

Jamie answered their questions.

“There are some great hiking trails for beginners and advanced hikers. I checked that out because I love to hike and climb mountains too. I’ll find out what water equipment we own up there. There’s a couple of boats in the asset register but I'm not sure about jet-skis. Do you girls have life jackets?”

“They’ve probably outgrown them. I’ll order some new ones. They need them anyway. A few of their friends live on the lake and they’re always down there doing water-sports.”

“Claire, will you let me take care of getting a separate set of life jackets for all of us - to keep at the winery for whenever we visit? We can keep them in the owner’s suite.”

Ella and Beth threw each other a quick look, but said nothing.

“Of course - thanks, Jamie.”

“It’s a bummer that they’re not doing Watershed this year. Can we go next year, Mom?”

“Sure, Beth. I’ll ask Mr. Fraser to reserve a room for us right away, and I’ll pay upfront to secure one close to the amphitheater. They’ll know the dates up at The Grotto.”

The girls looked at Jamie.

“Oh, not this Mr. Fraser. Jamie’s godfather, Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, the one I mentioned earlier,” Claire explained.

“But that brings up a good point,” Jamie said. “How do you girls feel about calling me Jamie, rather than 'Mr. Fraser'?”

There was a brief silence, as the girls pretended to mull it over. They were just as keen to drop 'Mr. Fraser'.

“I’m okay with it. Mom, is that okay?” Ella spoke up first.

“I’m okay with it too, if Mom says it’s fine,” Beth agreed.

“Jamie asked me if it was okay, and I said yes, so it’s perfectly fine with me.”

“Ok, that’s settled. I’ll let the other Mr. Fraser know - my godfather - so that he can confirm a room for you as soon as possible.”

“Mom, I think it’s probably time for dessert.” Beth was excited to share her Scottish treat with Jamie.

“Of course, sweetheart. Is it in the patio fridge?” Beth nodded. “Why don’t you and Ella get it ready, and Jamie and I will clean up in the kitchen.”

While the girls decorated the cranachan with fresh berries, Jamie and Claire loaded the dishwasher and cleared up. 

“I think we have some unfinished business, babe.”

He walked over to her and took her hand. “I need to kiss you. I want to feel your tongue on my lips and in my mouth. I need to kiss you right now.” 

She leaned back against the counter and pulled him towards her.

“I need you too, but we can’t do it here.”

“It’s okay, I can see the patio from here. We’re good.” He pressed himself up against her. She stood on her tiptoes and dropped sweet kisses along his jawline. She grazed his jaw gently with her teeth, and nibbled her way back along his jaw towards his ear.

“God, Claire, I really, really need … uh … here comes Beth.”

He stepped away from Claire.

Beth poked her head around the corner. “Dessert’s ready!”

“On our way,” Claire called back. “Jamie, she’s super excited about her dessert. We’ll pick up from here later.”

He smiled. “Of course. We knew we’d be sneaking around a little. It just adds to the fun.”

Beth and Ella were already seated at the table, and when Jamie and Claire joined them, Jamie’s eyes went immediately to the cranachan in whisky glasses.

“Ye’re kidding me! You guys made cranachan?”

Beth was beaming with pride and excitement.

Ella explained: “It was Beth’s idea - to make you feel more at home on a very American day.”

“Ella helped a ton too! Try it Mr. Fra - Jamie!”

Jamie swallowed hard and looked at Claire. She smiled at him, knowing how much the girls’ efforts meant to him. She was desperate to take his hand, but held back for now.

“Girls, I am so touched by your thoughtfulness. I can’t wait to tuck in.”

They all tried their first spoonful and Beth basked in their lavish praise as they enjoyed the dessert.

“Mine and Ella’s don’t have whisky, but it’s still really good.”

“Mine’s outstanding! You girls did a great job. This is better than my sister’s, and she’s been making it for years!”

“For real?” asked Beth.

“For real,” he confirmed.

At the end of the meal, Jamie thanked the girls again for all the effort they had put into making the day so special and memorable. 

“Beth, Ella, I canna thank you enough for making me feel so welcome. I’ve spent a few 4th of July holidays in America, but this is by far the best. Your decorations, your food prep, the cranachan. It’s all been amazing. I even like your playlist. I appreciate all of it very much!”

“You’re very welcome, Jamie,” Ella responded. “It's a small way to thank you for arranging our flight.” 

“I have to agree with Jamie, girls. You’ve done an amazing job of preparing for today. Why don’t you take it easy for a while. Connect with your friends so you can meet up at fireworks tonight. Jamie and I will finish cleaning up, and I’m going to help him figure out how to scan some documents in the study, and then we’ll hang out here with you until the fireworks.”

Jamie looked at her in surprise. Scanning documents? She fixed him with a steady gaze, silently daring him to say anything. Realization dawned a second later, and he stood up to clear the table with her.

As soon as they were in the kitchen, they abandoned the plates and glassware in the sink and hurried to the study. Claire shut the door, and Jamie pushed her up against the wall with his body, hands pressed on the wall on either side of her head.

He dropped sweet, gentle kisses all over her face. 

“Claire, I’ve had to wait almost six long days for this!”

“Let me kiss you, my love. I've ached for you too.” 

She held his face in her hands and her tongue teased his lips, and her teeth nipped and grazed him gently. He groaned in pleasure and brought his arms around her to wrap her in an embrace, pulling her in close. She pulled and sucked gently on his bottom lip until she could stand it no more and pushed her tongue into his mouth. He responded with all the passion and longing of their five excruciating days apart. Both of them were aware of their own and each other’s bodily responses. Their kiss intensified in its urgency and when they finally pulled apart, their breath came in soft gasps. They pressed their foreheads together, and as their breathing steadied, she wound her hands in the curls at the base of his neck and pressed one more kiss to his lips.

“Welcome home, Mr. Fraser.”

He smiled his wide, sweet smile. “I have never been happier to be home, mo ghràidh.”

“We should get back to the kitchen.”

“Go on back, Claire. I’ll join you in a moment.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The fireworks display was somewhat different to previous years. Attendees were required to stay in their groups, either in their cars or gathered in clusters on the lawn. Most of the revelers wore masks, and Claire and Jamie kept theirs on, concealing Jamie’s identity and allowing them to enjoy the display undisturbed. The parking lot had turned into a large tailgate party. Dozens of cars were parked with trunks wide open, their occupants gathered in the back of their vans or SUVs, or in lawn chairs next to their trunks. Jamie and Claire settled into their lawn chairs, and the girls took a picnic blanket and set off towards the park to find Ashlee and a small group of friends. 

Jamie reached for her hand and they sat in silence watching the surrounding festivities with amusement. Many people drank from travel mugs filled with everything but coffee. Some had snacks set out. A few even had tiny camping grills set up where they grilled hot dogs or made s’mores. Playlists clashed as music thumped out of car sound systems and portable speakers.

“I love how patriotic Americans are, and how much they embrace this holiday. I bet in normal, non-quarantine years, this fireworks party is even more crazy.”

“Oh, it is,” replied Claire. “It’s a lot of fun. Next year’s will look a lot different.”

“I canna wait to spend that one with you and the girls too.”

She looked at him, eyes smiling above the mask. “We need to talk to the girls soon. I’d like to do that with you, if that’s okay?” 

“Of course. When do you think would be a good time?”

“I don’t know. I’d like it to happen naturally - almost organically. I’d prefer that to calling them into some sort of ‘we need to talk’ meeting. That always seems forced and awkward. I don’t think it’ll come as a huge surprise to them, but I do want it to be comfortable for them when we do it.”

“Suits me. We’ll wait for the right moment, and I’ll be there with you, Claire.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The girls were exhausted by the time they arrived home from the fireworks display. They had almost adjusted to Seattle time, but the last vestiges of jet-lag lingered, and they’d both been up early that morning.

Claire knew they were ready to call it a night. “Okay - it’s time for everyone to head to bed. It’s been a long and exciting day. I’ll be up to say goodnight to you girls in a minute.” 

“Goodnight, girls.” Jamie assumed they would respond with a simple ‘goodnight’ too, but they both came over and gave him a quick group hug and headed upstairs.

Claire chuckled at his look of surprise. “That’ll likely be a nightly thing.”

“That’s great, Claire. My niece and nephews do the same thing when I’m at Lallybroch. It’s very sweet.”

“Should we head up too? I’ll kiss the girls goodnight. I’ll text you when …” She trailed off and he nodded.

“There’s a little something for you under your bed, babe.” His slight eyebrow raise hinted at something worth looking forward to.

Both girls were already teetering on the edge of sleep when she kissed them goodnight. She pushed her bedroom door closed behind her and went to her side of the bed. Reaching down, she pulled out a silver Nordstrom gift box tied with a silver satin ribbon. She tugged the ribbon and lifted the lid. Carefully moving aside layers of silver and white tissue, she reached in and held up a delicate La Perla babydoll and thong in black lace. She smiled slowly.

Tapping her messages app, she sent him a quick text.

💋 

He responded right away. 

**U like?**

**_I love_ **

She sent him another message.

**_Give me 10 minutes. i’ll text u again_ **

She grabbed a few candles from her closet and placed them on the nightstands. After a quick shower, she applied Philosophy’s delicately fragranced Amazing Grace lotion all over her body. It had the subtlest of shimmers without being glittery, and she knew her body would gleam enticingly in the soft candlelight. She removed the stickers and tags from the lingerie and stepped into the lacy black thong before slipping the baby doll over her head. A perfect fit, as she knew it would be. It hugged her breasts, and a slit up the front opened to reveal her toned abdomen and provide a tantalizing peek at the thong.

She lit the candles and sent another text.

**Je suis …**

She watched the three dots bounce and waited near the door. 

Seconds later, Jamie pushed the door open quietly and froze. 

“Oh my God, Claire … “ he whispered, as he took in the sight of her in the babydoll, her soft waves tumbling over her shoulders, skin glowing in the soft flickering light.

She held her hand out to him. “Lock the door, my love.”

They spent long hours slowly and sensuously re-discovering each other, their bodies perfectly attuned to each other’s needs and desires. And when they finally fell asleep, it was pressed up against each other, chest to chest, hearts beating together, arms and legs locking them in a tight embrace that loosened slightly as deep sleep overcame them.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

When Jamie awoke, they were still lying face to face, arms draped over each other. He smiled slightly at the memory of their hours of gentle lovemaking and kissed her softly. He carefully untangled himself from her embrace and paused as she stirred slightly. She continued sleeping, and he soundlessly let himself out of the bedroom. 

After his weights workout, Jamie showered and dressed in navy shorts and a soft blue tee that emphasized the vivid blue of his eyes. He headed down to the kitchen and found Ella and Beth already there.

“Good morning, girls!”

They both responded enthusiastically, and he noted with relief that they had both inherited Claire’s sunny morning disposition. 

Ella was sitting at the kitchen counter, tapping away on her phone, and Beth was gathering ingredients for a baking project.

“I’ll make you a latte,” Ella offered. ”Beth baked you some shortbread yesterday.”

“Aww, you girls are truly the best! I’d love a latte, thank you! And a piece of shortbread would be great with that.”

Ella busied herself with the latte, and Jamie looked at Beth’s assembled ingredients.

“What are you baking, Beth?”

“Blueberry muffins.”

“Do you need any help? I’m pretty useful around the kitchen. My sister runs our family business in Scotland. It’s a B&B - bed and breakfast - and she ropes me into helping her cook and bake every time I'm there.”

“Sure - could you please cream the butter and sugar until they’re light and a little fluffy. You can use the handheld electric mixer. I’ll get you an apron.”

She disappeared into the pantry. “It’s a bit frilly, but it’s the biggest one we have, and you’re so tall. Sorry!”

“It’s okay, lass,” he smiled as he set his phone down on the counter next to his latte, and donned the pink floral apron.

Ella was back on her phone at the kitchen island and looked up quickly at the spectacle of Jamie and his clearly too small, pink, frilly apron.

“That’s an interesting look, Jamie,” she teased.

While he creamed together the butter and sugar, Beth rinsed the blueberries. His phone buzzed on the counter near Ella, but the mixer was too loud for him to hear it. Ella caught sight of the notification as it lit up his phone.

“You have a text, Jamie,” she said loudly, so he could hear over the noise. 

He turned the mixer off and peered over at his phone.

Ella helpfully tried to read it upside down.

“It’s from … uh … Sassy snack …or something. And ... it has a heart emoji.” She looked at him pointedly, her eyes narrowed slightly and there was a sudden tightness around her mouth.

Jamie’s heart lurched a little. Beth stopped what she was doing and looked up. Ella watched him closely as he picked up his phone. As he’d guessed, the notification was from Sassenach❤️. 

He tapped his messages app and read Claire’s text.

**_Good morning - thanks for letting me sleep in 😍_** **_Just got out of shower - did u make it out of here before the girls woke up?_ **

He tapped a quick reply.

**Yes, in kitchen with them now. it may be time for that talk 😳**

Claire quickly gathered up the previous night’s evidence and stuffed the candles and lingerie in her closet. She took the swiftest of showers, pulled on her blue yoga pants and a soft white tee, and headed downstairs. The girls had resumed what they were doing, and Jamie had started mixing the butter and sugar again. No one heard Claire as she padded to the kitchen. She leaned up against the wall and her heart tightened at the sweetness of the scene in front of her. Jamie was engrossed in his mixing duties, a slightly worried frown creasing his brow. She wondered about that, but would ask him later. She was too distracted by the sight of his big muscular frame in her frilly apron. Beth was sifting together flour and baking powder. Ella was on her phone, her forehead also creased in a tiny frown. Jamie saw her first, and stopped the mixer.

“Good morning!” he smiled broadly and the frown disappeared.

“Hi mom,” Beth called out, “Jamie’s helping me bake blueberry muffins.”

“Hey Mom.” Ella sounded flat and looked tense. Claire looked at her and Jamie quizzically.

“Everything okay here?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Ella replied, fixing her mom with a worried look.

“Claire, Ella saw your text come in a few minutes ago. My phone was on the counter near her. And she saw ‘Sassenach’ with the heart emoji.”

“Who is that? What kind of dumb name is that?” Ella’s emotions were getting the better of her and she sounded angry.

"Okay,” Claire intervened, “I’m going to guess that you saw the unfamiliar name and heart emoji, and you’re wondering who is texting Jamie this early in the day. With a heart next to her name.”

Ella nodded. “Something like that.”

“Beth, come sit here next to Ella for a moment. We can get back to the muffins in a little bit.”

Jamie walked around the island and sat next to Claire. He scooted his stool so that his shoulder was touching hers. If he couldn’t hold her hand just yet, he needed some physical contact with her - a reassuring and comforting closeness for both of them.

“Girls, Sassenach is a nickname that Jamie uses for me. He added me to his phone as Sassenach, and yes, he added a heart emoji.”

Beth tried really hard to suppress a smile, but failed dismally.

Ella was tougher to crack. “Why Sassenach? What does that mean?”

Jamie explained. “It’s an old Scottish word for an English person. Historically, it wasn’t always the most flattering term for the English, but you need to know that I mean it as an endearment. I use it only with great … affection.” 

“Okay,” Ella nodded slowly.

“I have some other endearments that I use with your mom, and you may hear me use them ...”

“Like ‘babe’,” Beth offered.

Jamie looked at Claire and they both smiled sheepishly.

“That’s one of them, yes. ‘Leannan’ is one I use too - even with my niece and nephews. It’s similar to ‘sweetheart’ or ‘darling’. Another is ‘mo chridhe’, which means ‘my heart’.”

Claire prompted “And ‘mo ghràidh’.”

“Yes,” Jamie smiled, “that means ‘my love’.”

Ella looked at Beth, and then at Jamie and Claire, and said seriously. “Will you give us a minute, please? Don’t move from here.”

Ella led Beth out to the patio, closing the door behind her. Jamie and Claire heard a squealing sound, and Claire leaned over to look out of the window. She giggled.

“They’re hugging and jumping up and down. I guess they’re very okay with all this. Here they come …”

The girls had their serious faces back on as they reclaimed their seats at the counter. Ella started.

“Jamie, I’m sorry about my attitude. When I saw a strange name and the heart - I knew you must have added the emoji in your contacts. I thought maybe it could be your sister, then I thought nope, no way. The heart was a bit much. And it's exactly what happened when Ashlee and Tate broke up. He was texting with a girl from another school for weeks, and it was heart emojis and kissy faces that busted him. So I was worried about Mom and …”

Beth jumped in. “Can you please tell us what’s going on? Are you dating for real, or just crushing, or what? I feel like we should know.”

“You’re right. You should know. I guess _you_ would call it dating, but yes, Jamie and I are in a relationship. I know it probably seems weird or strange to you, because we met so recently and it happened so fast.”

“I don’t think it’s weird at all.” Beth was going into dreamy mode. “It’s like one of my favorite quotes from Anaïs Nin. ‘ _You don’t find love, it finds you_ ’.”

“I know the rest of that quote, Beth,” Jamie said. “' _It’s got a little bit to do with destiny, fate and what’s written in the stars_ ’.” 

“Yes! I can’t believe you know that!” Beth’s eyes were wide in disbelief.

“I don’t think it’s weird either,” said Ella. “I feel like right from when we first started to FaceTime you, it was pretty obvious that there was something going on.” 

“Yeah. We knew something was happening. You guys weren’t very good at hiding it.” Beth smiled impishly. “I mean, who sends someone so many flowers in one week! And knows that they’re her favorite flowers.” 

"And mom always blushed when we mentioned your name."

"And you always wear matching clothes."

Ella looked at both of them pensively. “It’s more than just crushing, right?”

“Yes,” Claire nodded.

“It’s a lot more than that, Ella.” Jamie said carefully. “I know that you girls are savvy and smart and you know that in the movie world and the music world, the entertainment industry in general, people don’t always make good choices in their personal lives. Some impulsive decisions and questionable choices can destroy relationships, and it really taints the industry and paints everyone in it with the same brush. But we’re not all that way. I was raised to value love and family and fidelity. In particular, I was taught to cherish the beauty and sanctity of a relationship with a partner who is your forever love.”

"What do you mean by the 'sanctity of your relationship with your forever love'?"

"I mean sanctity in the sense that the single most important relationship in your life - the one that becomes your forever - should be cherished and treated as sacred. There's almost a holiness to it, and nothing should violate it. And I want you both to know that I would never do anything to damage my relationship with your mom, or to hurt her. I treasure and value what we have together."

They both mulled this over for a moment, and Ella finally asked: “Do you feel like Mom is your forever love?” 

“Yes. I do, Ella. I have very deep feelings for your mom.”

Claire reached over and took his hand.

“And you, Mom?” Beth looked at Claire.

“I feel the same way about Jamie. He is my forever love. I’m one hundred percent sure of that.” He squeezed her hand gently in acknowledgement. “It’s hard to explain in words the type of instant connection that we felt, but now that we’ve shared it with you, you might notice it in little ways. Don’t worry, we won’t embarrass you with constant PDAs.” Claire lightened the mood a little. “We promise not to be too cringey. But we sometimes think the same things, or complete each other’s sentences. And, yes, we often end up wearing matching clothes. We are very, very in sync with each other.” 

Beth sighed deeply. “This makes me so happy. I just want Mom to be happy.”

“Me too,” said Ella. “You deserve to have a forever love, Mom. We want you to be happy.”

“I am, sweet girls. I’m very happy.”

Jamie looked at the girls earnestly. “I want you to know that I will always strive to make your mom feel happy and loved and safe. Do you have any questions for me? I know how important your mom’s happiness is to you, and if you have any concerns, I’m more than comfortable addressing them.”

"Me too girls. We’re still navigating our relationship, and we’re all going to be getting to know each other better in the months ahead. Over the next few days, we'll talk a little more about Jamie's plans for the future, and how some of that might play out publicly. But if you have any immediate questions, we're happy to answer them."

The girls were silent for a moment, then Beth spoke. “Not right now. But is it okay to ask later if we think of anything?”

“Of course,” Jamie replied. “Don't ever hesitate to ask us anything. We'll always answer you honestly. Should we get these muffins done?”

Jamie and Beth stood up, and he planted a kiss on the top of Claire’s head.

“Don’t get up, babe. I’ll make you a latte.”

Beth and Ella gave each other their secret twins look. 

They couldn't remember the last time they had seen their mom so happy.

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	32. Chapter 32

* * *

The weekend ended on a high note for Ella and Beth. They were beyond excited that their mom and Jamie had opened up about their relationship. After spending most of Sunday day at the pool, they had trounced Jamie in the basketball challenge, and were looking forward to their Chipotle dinner. Jamie had accepted their teasing and ribbing in his usual good-natured manner, pointing out that he only lost by a margin of three.

Monday kicked off what was to become a more complicated week. Jamie and Claire woke up together for the first time since the morning he’d left for L.A. They had set an alarm for their run at 6:00 a.m. - well before the girls would surface. Despite the long talk with the twins about their relationship, and the explanations about the depth of their connection, neither felt it was the right time to openly share Claire's room. Ella and Beth needed to get used to Jamie’s presence in their home and in their lives. They needed to see first-hand the intensity and authenticity of the relationship. Jamie and Claire knew there would be lots of questions to answer in the days ahead, as the girls’ initial excitement dissipated a little, and they would know when the time was right to start sharing a bedroom.

“Good morning, babe,” he nuzzled her neck gently.

“Mmmmm. There is no better way to wake up, my love.”

“Is that right? I beg to differ. Allow me to demonstrate …”

They finally set off for their run an hour later, after Jamie had convincingly demonstrated that there were, in fact, better ways to wake up. Claire’s running time had improved again, and they decided to add a little more distance on their next run. She was getting closer to reaching Jamie's distance, and that would make her feel a whole lot better. Her competitive spirit drove her to keep improving and match his distance, if not quite his pace.

"You're doing great, Claire," Jamie complimented her as they stretched against the garage wall and allowed themselves some cool-down time before entering the house. "We'll be running marathons before you know it."

"Just let me know when your next charity run is - I'm in! Let's head inside and grab some coffee."

They walked into the kitchen to find Beth and Ella preparing four acai bowls.

“Good morning, girls! Jamie and I went for a run. I didn’t think you’d wake up this early, so I didn’t even leave a note.”

“We checked the front-door video history and saw you guys head out in your running gear, so we figured it out.” Ella shrugged.

“Okay, so for future reference, Jamie and I run together two mornings a week. Sometimes I go on my own too - you girls are welcome to join me.”

“That’s awesome mom - we might do that! We have to get our fitness back up for volleyball and cheer.” 

“Don’t forget your driver’s tests at noon today. When does cheer and volleyball training start?” Claire asked.

“Mandatory training starts in a couple of weeks. Parent showcase for cheer is in August. It'll be mostly tumbling because we can't stunt yet, until Washington Athletics gives schools the all-clear," Ella explained.

Every year, after summer training camps and choreography boot-camp, the cheer team held a series of parent showcases for parents and families to watch the team demonstrate their new routines, cheers and dances for the upcoming season. Their school team was particularly good at tumbling, and it was always a highlight of the showcase. As with so many things that had been affected by the pandemic, this year's showcase would be different. Claire knew the school would send a list of guidelines about where they could and couldn't sit during the performance, rules about mask use, and all the other things that had become a part of everyday life, and would likely continue for several more months.

"Well, I'll look forward to it anyway. You and your team are always so polished and impressive really early in the season, and it's a joy to watch. What about volleyball? How are you feeling about that this season? You lost three good players when they graduated in June - that's half of your State Champ team. How are the incoming freshmen and sophomores?"

"There are two really good sophomores, mom! Like, really good. One's a setter and one's an outside. And we have a new junior student whose family just moved to Seattle from Montana. Her team won state there too, so she's good and experienced at top level."

"That sounds promising," Claire responded. "It'll be a great season all around. You'll just have to get used to doing things a little differently for the first semester."

"Do you think we'll need masks for the road test? I'm kinda nervous for it."

"Yes, you will need masks."

“If you lasses would like some last minute practice this morning, I’ll go with you so your Mam can get some of her work done. I had to get a WA state license last year, so I should be okay to accompany a permitted driver.” 

“Thanks, Jamie. Can we go right after breakfast?” Beth was anxious to get her last practice in.

“Me too,” Ella echoed. “I need to practice how to back up around a corner.”

“Of course. And if ye both pass, we’ll have a celebration dinner at your favorite restaurant tonight. My treat - and not Chipotle. That’s a separate thing.”

“Can we go to Montalcino? It’s really awesome. Mom?”

“Sure, if you pass your road test. I’ll make a reservation. I’m going to shower and dress and I’ll be back soon for those amazing-looking acai bowls. Thanks for working on those this morning.”

“Aye, they look fantastic. I’ll be down as soon as I’ve showered too.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

After breakfast, Jamie took the girls out in their car to get a little practice. Claire busied herself responding to emails, and was grateful to have Jamie's help with the girls' driving. She asked him to accompany her to the twins’ road test, and he agreed readily.

“I’ll be a nervous wreck waiting at Starbucks on my own. If one passes and the other doesn’t, I don’t even know …”

“They’ll both pass. They had a last-minute practice and they’re both competent and confident. I had to remind Ella to keep an eye on the speed limit, and Beth was a little close to the curb, but if they manage to avoid those issues, they’ll do just fine.”

“Thanks for doing that with them.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

While the twins went out on the road with the examiners from the licensing center, Claire and Jamie sat at the outdoor tables at a Starbucks around the corner. 

“Jenny wants to come over for a few days next week. She really wants to see the winery. And meet her baby brother’s hiatus-breaker, I suspect.” He raised his eyebrows teasingly at her. “She has a lull in events and reservations at the B&B, and Ian can handle the ones they do have. They have two sous-chefs now, so it’ll be easier for him.”

“That sounds awesome. I’m looking forward to meeting her. Hopefully she doesn't hate me too much. She’ll stay with us, right?”

“She was planning on finding a hotel in Bellevue. She wouldn't want to put you out.”

“No, Jamie. Please tell her I have another guest room. It makes more sense. Would it be okay to schedule The Grotto trip I promised the girls for the same time as Jenny’s visit?”

“Of course. I asked Murtagh to order two jet-skis for the winery. All our life-jackets too. The jet-skis will be primarily for the girls’ use - and my niece and nephews when they visit.”

“Jamie! Are you kidding?”

“No. I reckon if I’ll be spending some weekend time at The Grotto, I really want you with me. And I also reckon we would want the girls with us as much as possible before they go off to college. So if we keep them excited about going up there, they’re more likely to want to keep coming.”

“Your reckoning is excellent, and very much appreciated.” She leaned over and pressed a lingering kiss on his lips.

“Ummm …. heeeeyyyy,” Ella’s sing-song greeting broke their kiss. She and Beth were standing next to their table with paperwork in their hands.

“We passed!” They waved their paper licenses around excitedly. 

Jamie and Claire stood up immediately and wrapped their arms around both girls and each other. 

“Whoop, whoop!” Claire shouted exuberantly. “Awesome news, girls. I’m so proud of you!”

Jamie joined in the celebrations. “Congratulations, girls. You did it! I’m proud of the pair of you.” 

“Thanks!” they replied in stereo.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Ella and Beth were almost as excited about dinner at Montalcino as they were about passing their road test. Jamie drove them in Claire’s SUV, and everyone had dressed up a little for the occasion. 

“You’re going to love it, Jamie. It’s our ‘special occasion’ restaurant,” Beth enthused.

“The food is amazing! It’s authentic Italian. Nonna has been there and she said she couldn't fault it.” Ella was just as enthusiastic.

“It’s really tiny,” Claire described it to Jamie. “It probably seats only 30 people. And fewer now.” 

It was a popular, award-winning restaurant, and at 50% quarantine capacity, even with a reservation, they had to wait at least ten minutes to be seated. They stood outside the restaurant with a few other diners, chatting amiably until the host finally emerged and called out, “Fraser, party of four.”

Jamie leaned down close to Claire’s ear and said, “I love how that sounds.”

“Me too,” she whispered back, smiling softly at him.

Over dinner, the twins asked Jamie if he would be willing to answer some questions that they had thought of since their discussion the previous day.

“Of course ye can. Go on, what’s on your mind?”

“Will you carry on acting for a while?” Ella asked.

“And before you answer, we know that most of what you tell us is very confidential. We have always been good at keeping secrets.” Beth looked at him earnestly.

“Yeah, Beth’s being totally honest. We have each other to talk to about stuff, so we don’t feel the need to unload on our friends about everything.”

“I appreciate your willingness to maintain confidentiality,” Jamie looked at them seriously. “My career plan is to withdraw from the industry and to focus all my energies into my family life and the winery. It started out as a five-year plan, but it will likely be shorter than that. I’m ready to be done. My most recent movie is now in post-production. All the voice and dialogue work I did in L.A. last week? That’s for a movie titled ‘Unauthorized Contact’. Pretty soon, I’ll start work on publicizing it with my co-stars. That means appearances on morning TV, late night shows, Instagram and Facebook lives, and other appearances. There’ll be lots of press and social media.”

“Is that part of your job fun, or more of a chore?” Beth seemed quite intrigued.

“It depends on the movie and the co-stars. I really love this movie and its story. Most of my co-stars are great, and the PR tour should be fun. One of my co-stars is very publicity-conscious, so that could get interesting. I recently signed on to do ‘Superman’, and that will be my swan song.”

“Superman is the last one? Whoa! Talk about going out on a high!” 

“Yes, it is pretty exciting, I have to say. We’ll start shooting that quite soon. A lot of Superman will be done in a CGI studio, so we’re lucky that we can work within quarantine restrictions. The last thing I want is for it to drag out.”

“Why has your plan dropped from five years to less than that?” Ella asked.

“Well the main reason is meeting this amazing woman - the one I want to share my life with.” He reached over and took Claire’s hand and kissed the back of her wrist and then turned it over and kissed the underside of her wrist. Beth smiled with delight and Ella took a quick look around to see if any of the other diners had noticed. “Once I met your Mam, I was done for. My original five-year plan had some wiggle room in it in case I landed a 007 movie. When I was offered 007, it was a three-picture deal that would extend well beyond the five years. A movie typically takes about two to two-and-a-half years from the time it’s announced to the time it hits the theaters. It depends on the genre and complexity. Within that time, principal photography for an action movie - the actual time shooting - is around 120 days. All the other time is pre-production, planning and post-production. So you can see how three movies would just drag on and on. Because of that and a few other reasons, I rejected 007 and opted for Superman.”

“So after Superman, you’ll be done? In like two-and-a-half years, maybe? Do you think you’ll miss that whole vibe? The fame and the fans?” 

“I won’t miss it, Beth. I’m very grateful to the fans for always supporting my work and my charitable events, but the lifestyle is not for me. It invades every area of my life, and can be soul-destroying. I grew up in a very family-focused home, and I miss that quiet, private life. Hollywood is not the environment I’d like to raise a family in.”

The girls threw a fleeting look at each other, and Ella commented, “Some of it sounds like a lot of fun - like the red carpets and the parties and awards shows. But yeah, we can see how sometimes it can make people do crazy stuff. Like Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. They both went through some really bad times.”

“And they were chased by photographers and TMZ all the time. That seemed really invasive. They literally couldn't go get coffee or boba without it being all over social media. Zero privacy.” Beth added.

”That’s it exactly. I just want to reclaim a normal life.”

Claire listened to the conversation carefully, noticing how astute her girls were about celebrity lifestyles. Like most teens, they were captivated by social media, and they were very interested in the comings and goings of the celebrities they followed. But they also seemed to understand how the lifestyle negatively impacted so many in the entertainment world.

“Beth, Ella, as soon as Jamie starts to promote his new movie, there will be a lot of coverage on mainstream media and social media. Social media, in particular, may put out information that is completely untrue or exaggerated. Jamie has some fans who are obsessive, and they get pretty vocal. You need to disregard all of that. Or just don’t read it. I certainly won’t be.” 

“And always feel free to ask us if you read or hear things that worry you.” Jamie added.

It turned out that the first worrying thing would happen the next day.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The twins left the house mid-morning to work out with their volleyball team at their school’s field and running track. They would do a few weeks of optional cardio and strength training before mandatory skills training started. Like many active, achievement-oriented teens, they found that summer break started to get busier and less relaxing as August approached.

Claire was on the patio, video conferencing with Tonya, as they reviewed parts of Claire’s online summer course. Tonya had made a few suggestions and Claire had noted them as she put the final touches to the course before its launch in a few weeks. Before signing out of the Zoom call, Tonya had a quick update for Claire.

“So Dean Abernathy is backing you up. I wanted you to know that. I was filing some stuff for his assistant, and I heard him on his phone. He said something about if the sexist bullshit with Beauchamp continues he’s going to call a meeting of the Board. And that Fulton can’t afford more accusations of sexism and negative publicity.”

“Oh, wow! That’s really good to know, Tonya! He and I have always got along really well, and he was a good friend of my late husband. He’s such a forward-thinking, progressive leader. It makes me happy to hear that he’s aware of the sexist issue that’s emerging again. Thanks for that update.”

As she ended the Zoom call, Jamie stepped out of the kitchen and walked over to her, a worried frown marring his otherwise smooth forehead. 

“What’s up?” she asked.

He sat next to her and took her hand. “Just got off a Zoom call with Tara and the PR team. They're tracking a trending Jamie Fraser hashtag. The PR team does that for its clients so that they are prepared to handle issues as they arise.”

“What’s it about?”

“TMZ is running a segment about me later today. Just a snippet - not a headline. Someone tweeted a photo of you and me at Din Tai Fung. It captures me from the front, and you from the back, so it’s impossible to identify you. It’s blurry, but definitely looks like me.”

“Can you show me?”

“Sure.” He tapped through a few screens on his phone and showed her the tweet. It read ‘Jamie Fraser at Bellevue Din Tai Fung!’ It had been retweeted over a hundred times and had several thousand likes. From the user’s profile, it was clearly just a random Seattle resident who happened to spot a celebrity and tweeted about it. 

“You’re right. It is pretty blurry, but your fans will know it’s you, and it’s clear that we’re holding hands. Shoot! Jamie, will this be a problem for you?”

“Claire! I’m more worried about it being a problem for you!”

“There’s no way you can tell it’s me. It’s just a dark-haired female. Why are you worried?”

“The tweet is pretty basic, but TMZ’s angle is along these lines, according to my PR: ’Jamie Fraser spotted with mystery woman in Seattle’. And the story goes on to feature the tweet and photo.” 

“So that means some of your ardent fans might go on a quest for more info about the 'mystery woman'?”

“Possibly. PR is not that worried - it’s only got 100 or so retweets, so it’s not trending at a rate that concerns them. TMZ called Tara and my PR to ask for a statement, but they declined. It’s always better to do that than to have viewers trying to minutely analyze any statement put out by PR. I’m just worried that they identify you, and the whole PILF thing comes up again.”

Claire nodded pensively.

“My PR will probably prepare a statement and bounce it off me later, but their sense is that by tomorrow or Thursday some other story will overshadow it. I’m not that worried, but I wanted to give you a heads-up.”

“Eyes on the prize, my love. We knew there would be a few bumps in the road. We’ll get through it. It doesn’t sound like it will be a big deal. We may have to give the girls a heads-up.”

“Definitely - I’d rather they were ready for it too.”

“On the plus side, I got some good news from Tonya! It seems that the head of Fulton Business School, Dean Joe Abernathy, is quite supportive of me. He was a professor and department head during PILF, but even at the time, he backed me. Now that he’s Dean, it’s a huge deal for me.”

“That is great news, Claire!” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Around mid-afternoon, Jamie got an alert on his phone that the segment had posted on TMZ’s website, and he and Claire watched it together.

_‘Scottish heartthrob and actor, Jamie Fraser, has been spotted wining and dining a mystery woman in Seattle. A Twitter user posted this picture of Fraser at Din Tai Fung in the greater Seattle area. It’s uncertain when the picture was taken, but sources tell us that much of Fraser’s latest movie was filmed in the Emerald City last year. The movie, ‘Unauthorized_ _Contact’ is slated for release within the next two months, as authorities allow movie theaters to open again, with limited attendance. Fraser has also been the top contender to replace Daniel Craig as the next 007. No announcements have been made on that yet.’_

When the twins arrived home after practice, Jamie and Claire filled them in on the Twitter and TMZ situation. They listened carefully.

“TMZ is Ashlee’s favorite app. She’s always checking out celebrity gossip.” Ella commented with a slight eye roll.

Jamie and Claire glanced at each other briefly. Knowing that Ashlee's father, Jeff, was aware that there was something between Claire and Jamie was slightly disconcerting. They knew that he had been drinking at the gala dinner, and there was no telling what he remembered, but it was still a concern, and both of them filed it away in the back of their minds. For now, they would just have to hope that Ashlee didn't mention the TMZ story in Jeff's presence.

“Can we see the TMZ story?” asked Beth.

They all watched it together, and Ella remarked.

“Doesn’t seem that bad. It’s hard to even see Jamie in the picture, and no one’s going to recognize Mom from that.”

“Until it all blows over, it means that Jamie will have to protect his identity more. Sunglasses, cap, definitely a mask - that’s a huge help.”

“I’m used to it, girls. It’s one of a hundred little reasons that I’m getting out of this craziness.”

They nodded solemnly.

“We totally get it. I can’t imagine going for lunch and always worrying about people taking a stealth photo and tweeting it.” Beth shook her head.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

After dinner, the twins stayed on the covered patio to binge watch episodes of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, while Jamie and Claire took what was left of their wine and headed to the stone patio. They settled into the Adirondack chairs, and Jamie quickly checked his texts.

“PR says that after the TMZ story, #next007 started to trend too. I just hope it takes the attention off the ‘mystery woman’ thing.”

Jamie reached for her hand, and sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, babe. The last thing I want is to complicate your life with this crap.”

“Please don’t think that. We knew we’d hit some turbulence along the way. This does not complicate my life. We're in it together, my love.”

“Thank you, mo ghràidh. You are so patient and tolerant. I’m the luckiest man alive.”

“I think we could easily argue until it gets dark about who’s the luckiest.”

“Aye, we could, but we need to talk about some important things, Claire. I’m pretty sure I can predict the twins’ next few questions to us.”

“Yes, I felt like they had some more questions for us at dinner last night, but they held back a little.”

“They’re going to ask us about the house that I’m building for sure. They must be wondering how it all fits together with them and you and me. I’d like to reassure them, but you and I need to talk about that first.”

“I agree. We went to the architect appointment together, and you asked for my input, but I’m still not sure how you see it all fitting together. How it all works for us.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I should have been more upfront about it, rather than throwing you in the deep end and hoping you’d figure it out. I guess I was a little nervous that you would think I was moving too fast. I didn’t want you to feel pressured, and I was worried I’d scare you off a little with thoughts about leaving this home for another.”

“I’m not feeling pressured or scared, Jamie. Tell me what it is that you envisage.”

“I picture you and me and the girls here.” He looked over at his property. “I picture us making a life together here. All four of us … and possibly more.” He looked into her eyes, trying to gauge her response to that. Her eyes and gentle smile told him what he wanted to know, and he leaned over to kiss her.

“But ye ken, it’s very nerve-wracking for me to talk about this because it means asking you and the girls to leave this beautiful home you’ve created here. It’s the only home that the girls have known in Seattle. I want to make the new home as comfortable as possible for you and for them. I will include everything that they want in our new home, Claire. A pool, court, hot tub - whatever they want, and whatever you want -”

“Jamie stop,” Claire interjected. “It’s not about all the material things and the amenities and all the bells and whistles. I can assure you of that. This is the only home they’ve known in Seattle. But before we moved here, they had to leave their home in Boston. I thought they would never forgive me for ripping them away from Nonna and all the friends they'd made there. And they were mad at me at first, they really were. But they settled in, made new friends, and they’ll be the first to tell you that home is where family is. They’re not attached to material things. They will want to be where we are. Another thing we need to bear in mind is that they are entering their Junior year. They have two years of school left before they head to college. I don’t want to think a whole lot about what that means just yet, but my point is that they know their lives will change a lot and family support and love will mean much more to them than whether they still have a pool or a court.”

“I want them to know that they will always have a home with us. You saw that the house plans included 5 bedrooms in the main house, and a guesthouse with 2 additional bedrooms? Two of the bedrooms in the main house are theirs. For as long as they need them or want them. During their college years and beyond.”

“And the other three bedrooms?” she teased.

“Well, one is the primary bedroom, for us, of course. With a new, improved and enlarged closet.”

“And the last two?” 

“Sassenach,” he pleaded, “don’t torment me. Do you have any idea how much I want you to have my babies.”

“I know. And I do too,” she said softly.

“Do you think two more rooms aren’t enough?”

She sputtered and coughed out a little wine.

“No, I think two more are plenty!”

They both chuckled at her reaction, and after a moment, Jamie turned serious again.

“How do _you_ feel about it, Claire? About leaving the home you built with Henry?”

“Jamie, you know that I had a wonderful life with Henry, and that he loved me dearly. And I loved him. He loved my girls too, and he was a great father figure to them." She stroked her thumb absently on the back of his hand. "When Henry was diagnosed and we knew that the outlook wasn't good, he told me that he wanted me to find love and happiness again - I mentioned some of this to you at our picnic on your property."

Jamie nodded.

"There's a quote that really resonates with me: 'People come into our life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime'. About two months before he passed, Henry gave me a small, framed copy of the quote and I keep it on my desk at work. He told me that he came into my life for a season, and as much as he would have wanted it to be so much more than that, we needed to accept that it wasn't in the universe's plan for me." She smiled wistfully. "He was very tolerant about my obsession with 'The Alchemist' and Coelho's quotes. So he indulged my belief that the universe had a master plan for me, and he told me that our season was special and wonderful, but the universe had other plans for me. He promised me that other seasons would follow, and that eventually I would find my 'lifetime'."

She swallowed and took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly.

"I didn't believe him Jamie. I didn't believe that other seasons would follow, and that I would eventually have someone come into my life as my 'lifetime'. I thought I wouldn't love again. But I was wrong. You are my reason and my lifetime. You are the reason I'm able to love so deeply and openly. You are my forever love and my lifetime. My home is where you are, Jamie."

"Claire ... I'm so grateful to Henry for coming into your life when he did. I know he will always be in your heart. In his wisdom, he knew that the universe would connect you with your lifetime. And I am eternally grateful that the universe conspired for us, mo ghràidh. I cannot imagine a life without you. You are my home.”

Their lips met in a deep kiss that sealed a lifetime of hopes and promises in their shared future.

A rustling in the rugged pathway interrupted their kiss, and the girls appeared from the bushes.

“Hey guys!” Beth greeted them cheerfully. “We wanted to ask you something.”

They sat in the chairs on either side of Jamie and Claire. 

“So, you’re probably going to want to stay out of restaurants for a while because of the TMZ story, right?” Ella asked.

“Just until it blows over,” Claire confirmed.

“Well, we want to organize a date night for you - right here at home.” 

Beth looked at them expectantly.

“A date night?”

“Sure,” said Ella, “Beth and I will make dinner and dessert. We'll serve you guys like they do at a real restaurant - it will be out on the covered patio."

Jamie and Claire melted into smiles. The girls were so excited about their idea, there was no way they’d decline.

“Aww, girls, we would love that!” Claire enthused.

“Way to spoil us! What time and what’s the dress code?” Jamie was touched by their gesture and wanted to show his enthusiasm too.

“Well,” said Beth, “it’s a date night, so you have to dress up a little. And dinner will be at 7:00 p.m.”

“That sounds wonderful, sweethearts! It’s the day of my big interview, so I will be ready for a great night after what will probably be a stressful day.”

“It’s going to be a great interview, Mom.” Ella said firmly. “You’ve totally got this. And we’ll make it super special on Friday. Date night plus a celebration of Mom’s awesomeness.” 

“We’re going to Pike Market on Friday morning to get some fresh ingredients and bread.”

Claire raised her eyebrows at that. “Girls, can we order your ingredients online? I’m not comfortable with you driving all the way into downtown Seattle. You need a little more driving experience before you tackle the Interstate and the nightmare of Seattle traffic and parking.”

The girls’ shoulders slumped and they tried not to look too disappointed. 

“I mean, we can try and find the stuff online.” 

“I’ll take you lasses into Seattle on Friday, if you like. I’ll clear my morning, and it will keep my mind off your mom’s interview.”

“For real?” The girls spoke at the same time, eyes wide with excitement.

“Of course - I love the market, and you can show me all your favorite stores and stalls.”

“Oh my God, thank you so much! Ella, let’s go finish planning the menu.”

The girls left them to continue their chat, and when darkness surrounded them, they headed indoors to find the girls at the kitchen counter still planning their date night dinner. They were watching YouTube cooking videos, making notes, and checking the fridge and pantry. Jamie and Claire smiled at each other, beyond touched at the thoughtfulness of the twins, and headed for the media room to watch a movie and stay out of the girls' way.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The TMZ story continued to trend on Wednesday, and Jamie stayed in touch with his PR team about whether or not to issue a statement. In the end, it was decided that an official comment would merely prolong interest in the story, so they remained silent.

Tara called Jamie to let him know that he would have to fly out to L.A. next Tuesday morning to appear on James Corden’s Late Late Show.

“I love James - his show is always fun! No Carpool Karaoke, I’m guessing?”

“Nope. Anja will be there too.” Tara knew he wouldn’t love that news.

Jamie groaned audibly.

“I know, hon. Here we go, right? The publicity tour will start in earnest now, so brace yourself. Have you prepared Claire for all of this?”

“As much as I can. I mean, how do you prepare for all the shit that comes out of left field? We’ll weather it together. Tell me more about the Corden show.”

“Here’s what I know. Corden has been doing the show from home since quarantine started, but they just revealed their new set. No sofas, only individual armchairs. Their plan is to do remote interviews on large screens with their guests, but Millennium asked if they would do an in-person with you. They know that viewers are keen to see an actual in-studio guest on late night shows, and you would be the first in a long time. So the viewership will be insane, and of course that means a ton of buzz for the movie. And for Corden’s show.”

“How long is the interview?”

“You’ll go on first, and Corden will interview you for about 20 minutes on your own. Anja will join you for the last 10 minutes. Again - it’s individual chairs, so there won’t be unexpected handsy stuff and typical, showy Anja behavior.”

“Thank God for small mercies! Thanks, Tara!”

“Millennium is sending the jet for you - someone will text you all the details. You’ll fly in on Tuesday morning, and the show records in the afternoon. You and I can meet afterwards - we have other stuff to talk about. You’ll be back with Claire by lunchtime the next day.”

“Sounds great! My sister flies in from Scotland on Tuesday - I might make adjustments to her schedule so she can meet me in L.A.”

“I bet Millennium will gladly help you with that.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie updated Claire on the Corden interview scheduled for the following Tuesday. 

“Isn't that when Jenny flies in?" asked Claire.

“Yes, but I’m going to have her fly into L.A. instead. Dougal will pick her up at the airport. It’ll be good for her to spend some time with him and update him on things in Scotland. They’ll come with me to the Corden show taping. Jenny and I will fly back here on the Millennium jet the next morning, and then we’re all off to The Grotto for the weekend.”

By Thursday, a new trending story had completely overshadowed TMZ’s story on Jamie, as they focused on a new, much bigger issue about a beloved and popular daytime talk show host who was under fire for the supposed toxic work environment on her show. As one of the biggest names in showbiz, the Ellen story dominated social media and celebrity news outlets for days.

Jamie and Claire felt a sense of relief as they were finally able to push the TMZ story out of their minds and breathe more easily.

For now.

  
  



	33. Chapter 33

* * *

Claire and Jamie had set the alarm for 5:00 a.m. on Friday morning so she could do an hour-long yoga session before getting ready for her interview. She yawned and stretched as Jamie wrapped an arm around her. She turned to face him, and they lay in silence for a moment, contemplating the big day ahead for Claire. 

“You’re going to blow them away, babe,” his voice was still morning-sleepy and husky.

“I hope so, my love. Thank you for being so supportive - it means everything knowing that you’re thinking about me while I’m in there facing a tough panel of interviewers.”

“Just as it meant so much to me knowing that you were here thinking of me during my recent stressful meetings. You’ll wow them with your intelligence, experience, and potential. I know you will.” 

“That’s my plan,” she smiled. “Do you want to do your weights workout while I do my yoga?”

“You go ahead. I’ll make you some breakfast. How about a cheese, tomato and ham omelette? Lots of protein to keep you going. And some fruit and a latte?

“Where did I find you?" she sighed. "And are you always this amazing? An omelette sounds awesome.”

The girls joined them for breakfast, and sensing that Claire was anxious about the interview, they chatted about a wide range of subjects to keep her mind on other things. They spoke about everything from their training schedules and fashion trends, to makeup videos and new favorite songs. After breakfast, Beth and Ella hugged Claire goodbye, bombarding her with good luck wishes. She looked the consummate professional in her grey pantsuit, white shirt and Coach pumps. 

“You look amazing, Mom. Like you could run the whole place,” Ella complimented her as she walked out of the kitchen.

"You got this, Mom!" Beth called after her.

Jamie walked her to the car, and kissed her tenderly on the forehead before opening the driver side door for her.

“I know you won’t be able to text in between interviews, but know that we’ll be waiting here for you when you get home. Crossing fingers for you, mo chridhe.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Her series of interviews started at 9:00 a.m. They were hour-long interviews with a half-hour break in between. The first one was with Dean Abernathy and his academic council. It went very smoothly, and she answered all of their questions competently and with the confidence that came from her expertise, experience, and familiarity with her subject. She sensed no hostility from the group, and they seemed genuinely interested in her experience and her plans for the department, as well as her ability to secure donations and funding for the program.

When it ended and the interviewers dispersed, Claire stepped out into the hallway and walked towards the large atrium in the middle of the building. She wanted to clear her head before the next interview. It would likely be the toughest of the day, as she went before Dean Abernathy and the Board of Trustees.

As she looked out of the atrium windows at the perfect lawns and manicured flower beds, Joe Abernathy walked up and stood next to her. 

“Claire, that went very well indeed.”

“Thank you, Dean Abernathy.” In a professional setting, she always addressed him by his title, but in the social events they attended it was always ‘Joe’.”

“I want you to know - off the record - that I fought hard against shelving the MS Comms degree. Unfortunately, I’m up against some old-guard folks who need to move into the 21st Century. The MS Comms notwithstanding, I know that the MBA program would be enriched by your professorship, and I wish you well in today's interviews. Be prepared for some tough questioning in the next interview. I’ll be there too, along with 17 members of the Board.”

“Thanks, Dean Abernathy. I have a fairly good idea of what I’m up against, and I believe I’ve prepared well. I appreciate your support very much.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie and the twins set off for Seattle at around 10:00 a.m. Jamie drove the girls' car, and Beth sat in the front passenger seat adjusting air-con, setting the GPS, and selecting a playlist.

“Jamie, have you seen this cool feature? It’s called Caraoke, and it’s basically karaoke for the car. The screen shows you the lyrics of the song while the track plays in the background.”

“No way!” said Jamie. “Let’s try it.”

“Yassss!” they both exclaimed eagerly.

“What song do you want?” Beth was scrolling through options.

“Pick a classic rock, I think. I might not know all your music.”

“The first one in that genre is ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’,” Beth said.

“Yes! I love that one. We saw the movie last year, did you see it, Jamie?” Ella asked from the back.

“I did, Ella. It was amazing. I love Queen - so this is a perfect choice.”

The three of them launched into an exuberant and very loud rendition of the song, amid giggles, timing and pitch issues, and occasional raucous laughter.

Beth paused the song, “What does ‘Scaramouch’ even mean?”

“Who knows,” replied Ella. “Unpause it, Beth!” 

Moments later, she paused again. “And fandango! What is that?”

“Isn’t it a dance of some sort? We’ll have to google it later,” laughed Jamie.

“Unpause it and let’s sing!” Ella exclaimed from the back seat.

They continued singing to the end of the song, breathless with laughter, and then started it from the beginning again. By the time they had also sung ‘Summer Nights’ and ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’, they were almost at the market.

They all put on their face-masks as they exited the car. Jamie’s was larger than the one he usually wore, offering a bit more coverage. He wore a Seahawks cap and kept his sunglasses on, even in the indoor market. Claire had reminded the girls to avoid calling Jamie by name while out in public, and the trio did not draw any unusual attention as the girls went from stall to stall, buying ingredients and produce. 

“We need to grab some bread and some really good olive oil - but that’s in the outdoor section.”

“No problem - lead the way,” said Jamie. “Do you girls know what color your Mam’s wearing tonight?”

“She’s wearing a red dress,” replied Beth. “We helped her pick it.”

Jamie smiled at that. “I need to get something for her. It’ll take me twenty minutes. Where should I meet you?”

“After we get some things here, we’ll go to the fish place to get fresh scallops. We can meet there - it’s the one where the guys throw the fish.”

“Ah, yes. The famous one - by the brass pig. I’ll see you there in about twenty.”

Jamie set off for a store a few blocks away, and by the time he had concluded his transaction and pocketed his purchase, twenty five minutes had gone by, and he hurried back to their meeting place. The girls were standing near the brass pig statue, holding several bags filled with their purchases. There were four young men standing with them, a little closer than pandemic restrictions recommended, and way too close for Jamie’s comfort. He took in the scene. The boys looked like they might be nineteen or twenty, and all four were holding their phones. They all wore t-shirts from different colleges, and he guessed they were kids who had grown up together in the Seattle area and reunited over the summer. The girls were looking uncomfortable, and Ella looked around her, probably trying to find Jamie among the masked shoppers. Jamie’s stride lengthened and quickened, and when one of the boys reached out to touch Beth’s curls, he closed in, just in time to hear one of them say:

“Come on, just give us your Instagram or your Snapchat…” 

Jamie swooped down, extending a strong protective arm around each of the girls’ shoulders. He topped the tallest of the boys by at least three inches, and they all looked up at him, visibly daunted by the sight of this tall, muscled stranger who did not seem in the least bit happy to meet them.

“Everything okay here? Something I can help you boys with?”

“Uhhh … no, it’s okay. Our bad. Sorry girls.” They took off at speed, and Jamie looked at the girls with a worried frown.

“Are you lasses okay? I saw one of them touch your hair. Did they do anything else?”

“No, we’re fine. They weren’t scary, really. Just a bunch of boys home from college. But they wouldn’t take no for an answer when we refused to give them our Snaps or Instagrams.”

“Thanks for helping us out, Jamie. I didn’t think they could move so fast,” Ella giggled.

“No problem. But next time, don’t assume they’re harmless. I’d prefer to see you girls find help if you feel threatened like that again. These guys seemed friendly enough, but a different group might not have had such innocent intentions."

“Yeah, next time we’ll be more careful and maybe just move away to where more people are standing.” Ella seemed contrite and Beth nodded in agreement.

"That would be much better. I’m sorry I took longer than expected.”

"It's okay. Did you get what you needed?" Beth asked.

"I did. And I think it’s lunchtime. I saw a Chipotle a block away. How does that sound?”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

By the time Claire returned home, it was mid-afternoon, and the girls were busy preparing dinner. They stopped working to ask her how the interview had gone, and were relieved when she reassured them that it had gone really well.

“How did it go at the market? Did you guys have a fun time with Jamie?”

“Yes! He’s so fun, Mom. We sang Caraoke all the way there and back.”

“Oh, Lord,” groaned Claire. “Did he make you pause it every few minutes?”

“No, but Beth did.”

“I was questioning some of the words and lyrics, that’s all. Also, Jamie had to save us from some guys at the market who were low-key bugging us.”

“Oh?” Claire’s eyebrows shot up.

“Yeah, Jamie went to get you something, and by the time he got back, there were four guys trying to get our Intsa and Snap. We weren’t scared or anything, they were just annoying. And then one of them touched Beth’s hair, and Jamie was there in a flash, with his arms on our shoulders, giving them the stink eye.”

“He was way bigger than the guys, and they left pretty fast after Jamie asked what they wanted.”

“Well, I’m happy that Jamie was there to help out. If that happens when you’re out with friends, or just the two of you, don’t ever assume that the boys are being friendly. Even if these guys were. Try to find a security person or store owner.”

“Yeah, Jamie had that talk with us too. That would have been our next move for sure,” Beth said. 

“Mom, after we’ve served you dinner, can we head over to Ashlee’s for a sleepover. It’s Hannah’s Birthday, and she’ll be there too. It’s just the four of us. We’ll probably be done here by 9:30.”

“Is Ashlee with her mom or her dad this weekend?”

“Her mom. So it’s literally seven or eight minute’s drive.”

“Okay. Yes, you can go.”

“Mom, we banned Jamie from the kitchen, and we’re banning you too. You should change into something comfortable and go and join him - he’s on the terrace."

A few minutes later, she joined Jamie. He was stretched out on the sofa with his iPad in his hands, but leapt to his feet the minute he saw her.

“Claire!” He pulled her into his arms, and held her close. “How was it?”

“Exhausting! But it went really, really well.” 

“I want to hear about it - all of it.”

They sat on the sofa, and she told him about Dean Abernathy and the interviews with the council and the Board.

“Honestly, the trickiest questions came from the Board, as expected. A little more hostile than I would have liked.” 

“What were the tough questions from the Board?” 

“They asked how I felt about my work on the MS Comms being shelved. What my thoughts were about whether social media could impact Fulton’s reputation. Obviously a not-so-subtle reference to PILF. Poor Joe looked so uncomfortable at that - as did a few of the others, to be fair. Joe steered the questioning back to my expertise. Lunch with my co-workers was the longest, but by far the easiest. They all know me so well.”

“Overall, what’s your sense?”

“I think it went really well, and Joe seemed happy at the end of it. I get the feeling he’s rooting for me.”

“Oh, Claire, I’m so happy to hear that. You must be wiped!”

“I am. It’s mentally exhausting, and I’m drained. I should have thought of that before the girls went to all this effort. I don't want to flake out tonight - of all nights.”

“You’ve been up since 5:00 a.m. too. Long day for you. Here, why don’t I lie back on the sofa, you lie here next to me, put yer head on my chest and take a nap. You’ll feel refreshed in no time and ready to tackle their very special date night. They've been working so hard all afternoon, babe.”

Claire snuggled into his arms, and lay her head on his chest. Nestled between Jamie and the back of the sofa, and with his heartbeat in her ear, she felt cocooned and safe. He played with her hair and gently caressed her face, until he felt her breathing slow to her sleeping rhythm. Then he kissed the top of her curls, and drew her closer still.

He lay there with her asleep on his chest for well over an hour. Ella came over, saw that her mom was asleep, and whispered to Jamie. 

“We’re going to start setting up the patio from 6:00, so you’ll need to go upstairs by then. Please.”

“Okay,” he whispered back. “I’ll let her get a few extra minutes, and then I’ll wake her up.” 

Moments later, he wriggled slightly to avoid an arm cramp, and his stirring woke her up. 

“Babe,” he murmured, “it’s time for us to go up and get ready for our date night. The girls want us out of the way while they set the table.”

She stretched, and raised herself up to look at him.

“Jamie, did you really just let me sleep on you for over an hour?”

“Of course, and I loved every minute of it. You’ve no idea how it makes me feel to hold you next to me like that for a whole hour, uninterrupted.”

“It makes me feel safe to be wrapped in your arms like that, and to hear your heartbeat in my ear.” 

She leaned over and placed deliciously sweet kisses on his lips.

“We should go upstairs and get ready so that the girls can do their thing,” she suggested.

“But I was enjoying your kisses, Claire!”

“There are so many more where those came from. Thousands, in fact.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie showered and neatened his scruff a little, leaving it long enough to keep Claire happy. He dressed in a dark suit with a vest and a white shirt, but no tie. His look was perfect for date night - stylish and put together, but not overly formal. 

Claire showered and pinned her waves up into a casual up-do, with a few loose tendrils to soften the look. She applied her makeup with greater care, opting for a blend of caramel and coffee tones to complement her eyes. She slipped into a curve-hugging red dress, with cap-sleeves and a cross-over bust, and stepped into her platinum Jimmy Choo heels. Her phone buzzed as she spritzed on some Miss Dior. She tapped her messages app. Jamie had sent a text.

**Can’t wait for our date night! a little something for you on your pillow** 😘

She stepped into her bedroom and saw a small gift bag in the distinctive blue of Tiffany & Co on her pillow. She worked through the tissue paper and pouch, and finally opened the little box to reveal a pair of magnificent ruby earrings. The deep red studs were surrounded by small sparkling diamonds that enhanced the rich color of the jewel. She gasped and reached for her phone.

**_Jamie! they’re beautiful!_ **

She watched the dots bounce as he read and replied.

**You are beautiful, can’t wait to see u! i' ll knock on ur door in a few and we can go down together**

She applied the perfect shade of ruby red lipstick to match her earrings and dress, and minutes later, Jamie tapped on her door. She opened it and he stepped inside and let out a low whistle. 

“You look gorgeous, Claire!”

“And you, Mr. Fraser, you look so very handsome. And sexy. And hot.” 

He held her face in his hands and kissed her lips.

“Jamie, thank you for the beautiful earrings. I feel thoroughly spoiled.”

He tilted her head gently to look at them. “They look good on you. You look sensational tonight.”

They walked down to the kitchen together and the girls quickly stood to attention when they saw them. They were both in black jeans and white shirts, and most of the kitchen countertops bore the evidence of their efforts to put together a very special date night.

“You guys look so awesome! Mom, your earrings!” Ella exclaimed.

“They're from Jamie.”

“They’re beautiful!” Beth breathed. “So that’s what you went to buy earlier today!”

Jamie nodded, smiling, and the twins gave each other their little look.

“Will you follow us please, we’d like to take you to your table.”

As they stepped out onto the patio, Claire gasped and Jamie came to a dead stop. The patio had been transformed into an enchanted, romantic wonderland. The sofas had been moved out of sight, and a round table was set up in the middle, draped with a long ivory tablecloth. The table was set for two, with candles and scattered red rose petals. On the ground were dozens of votive candles flickering warmly, illuminating more red rose petals that had been scattered around them. Fairy lights had been hung from the ceiling in a rectangle, demarcating their dining area and a small adjacent space.

Red organza ribbon was tied around the back of the dining chairs, and soft romantic music drifted from the overhead speakers. The girls led them over to the table and invited them to sit. Jamie pulled Claire’s chair out and helped her in before taking his seat opposite hers.

“This is tonight’s menu.” Ella pointed to a sheet of cardstock. The evening’s menu was written out in fancy script, and she read it out to them. 

“Burrata Caprese

Sriracha-glazed seared scallops, served with green beans and au gratin potatoes 

Red velvet lava cakes

A selection of wines from The Grotto.”

“Just so you know, Jamie picked out the wines earlier,” Beth explained. 

“Other things you should know, before we serve your starter. This area here is a dance floor.” Ella indicated the area next to the table.

“And the playlist was put together for us by Armando.”

Jamie’s eyebrow flicked up just enough for Claire to notice.

“And we’re leaving for a sleepover when your dinner is over, so you can dance as much as you like - we won’t be around.”

“Girls, before you get our starter, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting together such a special night for us. When you lasses mentioned a date night, I never imagined you would put together this amazing scenario. I am so touched, and I can see your Mam is too. It’s absolutely breathtaking. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Ella said, almost shyly.

“It was our pleasure,” Beth agreed.

The girls had prepared a perfectly cooked meal. They kept everything simple, as Claire had taught them whenever they collaborated on their Food Network cooking sessions. The combination of the freshest ingredients, and a great blend of flavors and textures, made it a deliciously memorable meal. The scallops were cooked to perfection, tender and cooked through, without a hint of toughness. Ella had watched the scallop recipe video several times before attempting it. Her au gratin potatoes were rich and creamy, and the perfect counterfoil to the spiciness of the scallops. Beth’s red velvet lava cakes were delightful heart-shaped mini cakes, oozing with rich chocolatey goodness, and served with sugar-dusted fresh berries. Jamie had picked two great wines from the cases he had brought back from The Grotto - an aromatic sauvignon blanc and a zesty pinot gris.

Armando had shown some restraint in his choice of music - nothing overtly sexy or suggestive, and nothing too maudlin either. The music enhanced the mood and included golden oldies as well as more contemporary love songs.

Over dinner, they interlaced their fingers and spoke about plans for Claire’s birthday trip to Paris, and their trip to the Grotto with Jenny the following weekend. Jamie also suggested bringing the girls to the next architect meeting so they would feel more included in the design process. Claire agreed that bringing them into the process would be a good thing.

"Especially Ella. She's interested in structure and design, and I wouldn't be surprised if she studies engineering or architecture at college."

"Beth will want to be involved in designing the interior structure, and picking finishes and colors, I bet,' said Jamie. "She's pretty detail-oriented like that."

After they had cleared the dessert dishes, Ella and Beth came back to check on them.

“We’ve cleaned up and loaded the dishwasher, so everything is clean in the kitchen. Do you need anything else? It's just past 9:00 and we can stay later if you need us.”

“No sweethearts, you have done the most amazing job here. Will you take some pictures of Jamie and me before you go? I want to capture this amazing night.” 

“Sure! We took a bunch before you started eating and during the meal too, but you were so busy talking you didn't notice.”

Jamie and Claire leaned in close as the girls snapped some pictures with Claire’s phone.

“You can kiss if you want, we won’t be grossed out,” Ella assured them.

They turned to look at each other and Jamie leaned down to capture her lips in a sweet and tender kiss.

“Okay - that’s perfect. Thank you. If you girls are ready, you can go to your sleepover. Thank you again for a magical night.”

“No problem. It was fun to plan and do. We’ll be back some time after Hannah’s birthday brunch tomorrow.”

A peaceful calm descended on the patio after the girls left. They could be more openly demonstrative, and when Frankie Valli’s ‘Can't Take My Eyes Off You’ started to play over the speakers, Jamie stood up and held his hand out to Claire. 

“Aahhhh! A sweet golden oldie, but so appropriate for tonight. May I have this dance, mo ghràidh?”

“Yes, you most certainly may." 

She placed a hand on his shoulder as he pulled her in close, his hand firmly on the small of her back. His other hand held hers near his heart, as he had done when they danced at the Caledonian event.

“Have I told you how stunning you look?” he asked as they swayed to the music.

“You have, my love, and thank you for showering me with compliments. You know how to make a woman feel good. Have I told you how amazing you are.”

“You have not, Sassenach.”

“Liar! I’ve told you that several times tonight alone!”

He pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss. Afterwards, he pressed his forehead gently to hers.

“You are beautiful. You are everything to me. I hope you know that.”

“You are an amazing man, and I seriously believe I dreamed you into life.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “That’s from the song you sent me. See how in sync we are? You’re getting better at musical poetry than me.”

The song changed to Lonestar’s ‘Amazed’, and he pulled her closer. 

“I haven’t heard this song in a long time. Musical poetry for sure. Every line is beautiful. Listen with me.”

They danced silently as they listened to the lyrics. 

🎶 _I can hear your thoughts, I can see your dreams_

_I don't know how you do what you do_

_I'm so in love with you_

_It just keeps getting better_

_I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side_

_Forever and ever_

_Every little thing that you do_

_Baby, I'm amazed by you._

Jamie released her hand and wrapped both arms around her, pulling her as close as his could. Claire wound both arms around his neck and pressed her cheek to his.

_The smell of your skin_

_The taste of your kiss_

_The way you whisper in the dark_

_Your hair all around me_

_Baby, you surround me_

_Touch every place in my heart_

_And it feels like the first time every time_

_I want to spend the whole night in your eyes_

_I don't know how you do what you do_

_I'm so in love with you…_

The song ended and the next one began, and Jamie held Claire’s face gently in his hands as he dropped tender kisses on her lips.

“Favorite line?” she asked him in a near-whisper.

“ _'I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side'_.”

“That was mine too.”

“I can’t wait for our forever to begin, mo ghràidh.”

“I feel like it has already.”

“In many ways it has. But I want my old life in the rear view mirror. I can’t wait to wake up next to you every morning. I can’t wait to start building our home. I can’t wait for us to be there with the girls and …”

“… our babies,” she finished.

He nodded.

“We will make cute babies, my love. I hope they have your heart - and your blue eyes.”

“I hope they have your intelligence and your kindness - and your beautiful curls.”

He wound one of her loose tendrils around his finger and placed gentle kisses on her eyelids, down her nose, and on her lips.

He pulled back, and looked at her intently, his eyes searing hers with an intensity she hadn’t seen before.

“Claire …” he whispered, “I love you. I love you so much and with such intensity that I can scarcely breathe at times. I love you and I want to tell you that every day of my life. I will love you for our lifetime, and way beyond that.”

Before she could reply, his lips met hers in a deeply tender kiss that captured all the depth and emotion of his words.

When the kiss ended, she looked into his eyes. “Jamie, I love _you_. I love you with my whole heart and my soul and my body. Every day, I think I couldn’t possibly love you more. But every day, I’m proven wrong. I love you endlessly.”

They remained wrapped in each other, swaying slowly as George Michael's version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" drifted over them. As the song faded and the votive candles started to flicker out, Jamie took her hand and led her upstairs.

* * *

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	34. Chapter 34

* * *

Claire awoke before Jamie and she lay still for a moment, unraveling her thoughts and processing the impact of the words they had spoken to each other for the first time the previous night. Everything about their evening had been perfect. The stars had aligned yet again and they had been lost in their own little world for most of the evening. It had felt like the right time to openly and fearlessly share their hearts with each other. 

_Dear Universe, we have put those words out there. ‘I_ _love you’. You conspired to bring us together, now please capture those words in the palm of your hand and hold them carefully. And if ever we start to lose our way, remind us of those words, and help us to find our way back to each other._

He was spooning her, and her arm was in an awkward position, so little by little, she turned herself so that she lay on her back, freeing her arm. His arm was still draped over her and his breathing was slow and steady, his sleep undisturbed by her movements. 

She continued to stare at the ceiling as more thoughts crystallized in her mind. There was something about saying those three magical words that forever changed a relationship. 

“I love you” moved them from ‘you and me’ to ‘we and us’. It moved them from ‘yours and mine’ to ‘our and ours’. It anchored them to each other.

Jamie slowly became aware of her wakefulness and lay quietly for a few minutes as his sleepiness drifted away and he became more aware of his surroundings. He was mesmerized by Claire’s eyelashes as she blinked, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. His hand felt for hers and their fingers interlaced.

“So deep in thought this morning. What are you thinking?”

She continued to stare at the ceiling for a few seconds, then turned to face him, the hint of a smile playing across her lips.

“I was just thinking about how much I love you.”

“Claire …”

His hand cupped her face, and he kissed her gently.

“And I was thinking about how saying ‘I love you’ changes us.”

“Aye, it does, Claire. It takes away the last barriers that you and I … that we might have had. It strips us down and makes us more vulnerable, but that vulnerability also makes us more protective of each other. Protective of the love we share, so that nothing can come between us or harm this incredible connection of ours.”

“We must never stop saying it to each other, Jamie. We must never stop voicing our love and thinking about how much we love each other. When little things come between us, as they might, those words will help us find our way back to each other.”

He kissed her; a kiss that deepened and awakened anew their physical response to the emotional impact of their ‘I love you’s. Their love-making last night had been immeasurably tender. Hours spent in mutual physical adoration and pleasure, intensified by the depth of emotion that came with the freedom of expressing their love for each other, unabashedly and fervently. This morning’s love-making captured the same profound emotion, marked with an even deeper, unhurried passion as they breathlessly and lovingly brought each other to complete fulfillment.

In the quiet afterglow, they lay wrapped up in each other, until it was time to get up and get ready for the day. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire crisped up a couple of croissants in the oven while Jamie made lattes, and over breakfast, they reviewed the week ahead. 

“It’s going to be a busy one. I’m in L.A. on Tuesday, back Wednesday with Jenny. Then we’re off to the winery Friday through Sunday. What’s your week looking like?”

“My online course starts soon, so I’ll have a lot of individual one-to-one Zoom calls with the enrolled students. I might go on campus for those. That will keep me busy on Monday, Tuesday, and much of Wednesday. I’m clearing my day on Thursday so we can do something fun with Jenny. And then it’s our winery weekend.”

“What about the twins? Anything going on that I can help with?”

“Not really. Now that they have their licenses, they’re so much more self-sufficient. I imagine they’ll be knee-deep in training and practices for a lot of the week. They’ll be ready for some R&R by Friday, that's for sure!”

“How do you feel about all of us staying in the owner’s suite at the winery?” Jamie asked. “It has two bedrooms and sleeper sofas. How do you want to manage the arrangements? Jenny will have her own room.” 

“Let me think about that for a moment.”

They stood up to clear up their breakfast things, and after unloading and reloading the dishwasher, they stood side by side, leaning against the counter, as Claire mulled over the sleeping arrangements.

“Would it be possible to get the girls their own room near the owner’s suite?”

“Of course! What’s your plan?”

“I’m not going to say a word about arrangements, but I’ll unpack my stuff in the smaller bedroom of the owner’s suite, and let everyone come to their own conclusions.”

“So the subliminal message is that you’re in one bedroom, and I’m in the other?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, we’ll not fool Jenny, but I really don’t care. Not sure we’ll be fooling the girls either. But I like your plan for an entirely separate room for the girls. You can make all your noises to your heart’s content in our suite and no one will hear ye.”

“Oh, there’ll be noises, Jamie. You can count on that. There’s no way I’m spending a weekend at the Grotto with you and not sharing your bed.”

“Is that right? You lustful little minx, you! You planning on attacking me all weekend, then?”

He put an arm around her waist and pulled her around to press her body up against his. Holding her butt firmly in his hands, he leaned in for a prolonged and hungry kiss, moaning deeply as she responded with equal passion.

“Okaaaaay! Let us know when it’s safe to come back in.” Ella’s voice from the hallway forced them apart, and they stared at each other, eyes wide in shock and embarrassment. 

“I had my hands all over your arse, Claire. What do we do?” he said under his breath, a note of panic in his voice.

“I have no idea! Apologize?” She grimaced and shrugged.

“Sorry girls,” Jamie called out awkwardly. “It’s safe to come in.” 

He and Claire resumed their places, standing side by side at the counter, and the girls walked in, avoiding eye contact.

“I’m really sorry, girls,” Jamie began, “I should have been more careful about where I express my affection for your Mam. Certainly didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“Me too, girls. Sorry about that,” Claire said briskly.

“It’s okay,” Ella muttered. “I can cope with some kissing, but making out here is a bit OTT.”

“Ella!” Beth exclaimed. “You guys, it’s totally fine. I mean, I’m not a psychologist, but it’s definitely better for us to see a healthy, loving relationship than a bad one, you know. Like before Ashlee’s parents split, they were always arguing and throwing shade at each other. Ashlee hated it. You guys can kiss, but maybe not in the kitchen when we’re around.”

“Deal,” Claire announced, still embarrassed by their indiscretion. “Now, tell us about your sleepover. What did you girls get up to?”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

On Monday morning, Claire went to her office on campus to conduct several hour-long zooms with her students. 

Jamie worked with his PR reps, Cal and Simon, on likely questions and suggested responses to some of them for the Late Late Show interview. He had one request for his PR guys. It wasn’t for all the red M&Ms to be removed from the bowl, or for a humidifier, purple tulips, and Cuban cigars to be placed in the green room. Jamie never made any special requests, so his reps were a little surprised to hear that he had one this time. 

“If at all possible, could you get me ten minutes alone with Corden before we tape? I want to talk to him on a friendly basis, man-to-man, and ask him to avoid mentioning the TMZ story and any ‘mystery woman’. I think it’s better coming from me than having my team speak to his producers.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll confirm with you as soon as we have the okay on that.”

“And they’re aware that Dougal and my sister will be my guests in the green room?”

“Yes, that’s not a problem either.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Just before noon, Tara called and asked Jamie to Zoom with her, Cal, and Simon.

As the three faces appeared on the screen, Jamie looked at the PR reps and asked:

“Is this about my request to meet Corden? I thought it wasn’t a big deal.”

“No, it’s not about that. Corden’s already agreed to it.”

“Jamie,” Tara began, “some more TMZ crap is about to hit the website. In less than ten minutes.”

“Oh God, no!" he groaned, "what is it this time?”

Simon from PR continued, “One of the TMZ reporters, Rahim, is very close to Anja. He always ‘manages to find her’ when she wants to be found, if you know what I mean. Starbucks, Nobu, Vegas, Venice Beach, wherever. We know she gives him exclusives. And he gives her the exposure and publicity she’s after.”

“Are you guys aware that she and Bradley Cooper are no longer an item?” Jamie asked.

“Yes, we found out a few days ago,” Cal replied. “So, here’s what we think - you know Anja is all about her image as the man-eater, temptress, Hollywood siren - whatever she wants to be called. So for her to be dumped by Cooper is very humiliating. Her team and Cooper's have not put out a statement. I think he's showing her some grace by not saying anything just yet, but he's already been seen out and about with Jen Garner. So it's a matter of time before the word gets out there that they’ve split up. It's obviously going to be really embarrassing for her, which is why they're keeping it on the down low. She has a crazy big ego, as we all know, and there is no way in hell her PR team will allow a story to emerge that she was dumped. They're going to make it look like she did the dumping. We think her strategy is to try and get her hooks into a big name male celeb, and make it look like they've been having a rip-roaring time for a while. That makes the break-up with Cooper less of an image issue.” 

“Okay,” said Jamie, slowly. “This had better not involve me.”

There was a long silence as neither PR nor Tara responded, and instead allowed Jamie’s words to percolate.

“NO!” he yelled. “Fuck! No way! No! If she’s trying to make it look like she and I are in any way involved, I will deny it and call her out. Publicly!” 

“Jamie,” Tara tried to calm him in her most soothing voice. 

Cal interrupted, “We just got an alert from our inside source that the TMZ piece is about to go live on their website. We’ll share our screen and watch it together, and we can talk about it afterwards.”

PR shared their screen and all four of them watched footage and audio of Rahim apparently stumbling on Anja buying boba tea at a Hollywood hot-spot.

“Anja! Anja!” Rahim called as he tailed her, camera rolling.

Anja turned around, full lips pouting over her straw as she sipped seductively on her boba tea. 

“Oh, hey,” she greeted, feigning surprise, then turned around and kept walking, allowing Rahim to capture good footage of her pert ass peeking out of her daisy dukes.

“Anja, can you talk to us quickly?” Rahim asked, trying to keep up with her.

“Uhhh … what is it that TMZ wants to know about Anja Baranov today?” 

“We heard you and Jamie Fraser have a movie coming out soon?”

“We do.” She smiled mysteriously and kept walking, hips swinging, shoulders back, boobs almost popping out of her tiny cropped tank.

“Any hot scenes we should know about?” Rahim asked.

“Of course!” She tossed a look over her shoulder right into the camera, “It’s Jamie Fraser, baby, of course there are hot scenes.”

“What does Bradley think about the sex scenes with Jamie?” 

“I dunno,” she shrugged. “Go ask him.”

She continued walking and sipping her boba tea. Rahim walked alongside her, his camera focused on her profile. “Is it true that you shot most of the movie in Seattle?”

“Mmm-hmmm. Jamie and I loved it up there!”

“What do you know about the mystery woman Fraser’s been spotted with in Seattle?” Rahim asked her. “We ran a story about that last week.”

“She's irrelevant,” Anja replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. Turning to look into Rahim’s camera, she blew a kiss right into it, giving viewers a close-up of her pouty lips. With a sly smile, she continued down the sidewalk as Rahim captured her walking away.

The segment ended, and there was complete silence on the Zoom call for a moment, as PR deactivated screen-share and their faces re-appeared. Jamie buried his face in his hands, and shook his head.

“Fuck!” 

“Not gonna sugar-coat this for you, Jamie," Tara began, “it’s not good. What she just did is great publicity for the movie. Millennium might not like the sexy undertones a whole lot, and she's stealing your thunder because you're supposed to reveal the movie on Corden's show. But it's going to generate a lot of interest in Jamie Fraser's new movie. This ain't my first rodeo - I can see what she's doing. Anja is clearly laying the groundwork to make a play for you - and she won't care if you're not interested or available. She will go after you hard, and she will use outlets like TMZ and social media to help push her narrative.”

“Is there no-one else for her to dig her nails into?” Jamie asked in despair. “I really, really don’t need this crap in my life. Tara, can you speak to her agent? What about her PR? Can you guys get a sense of what their plan is? Maybe one of the studios needs to connect a male asset with a female one. They’re always match-making. There’s got to be a way to get me out of her cross-hairs.”

Cal responded. “Jamie, we get that this is stressful, and really bad timing for you personally. Tara, if you can connect with her agent or manager, we’ll see what we can do with her PR. Let’s Zoom again at 3:00 p.m.”

Jamie leaned his head back against the chair, and closed his eyes.

_This is the worst possible timing! Just when we are making plans and building our future! I promised her that I wouldn’t let anything take her happiness away, and I’ll be damned if I let that happen now._

Claire arrived home at around 2:30 p.m. She took one look at Jamie and wrapped her arms around him. 

“What’s happened?” she asked. He pulled her close and rested his forehead on her shoulder for a few seconds, drawing comfort from her calm demeanor and the familiar scent that he inhaled on her skin and in her hair.

“Let’s go in the study,” he suggested. The twins had been gone since morning, but were due back from practice at any time. 

He took her hand as they sat next to each other on the small Chesterfield sofa. Jamie summarized the discussion he’d had with Tara and his PR reps earlier. He watched her face closely for her reaction. The occasional small frown flitted across her brow, and her mouth tightened two or three times, but mostly, she listened attentively and held his hand tightly. 

“I'd like to see the TMZ segment.”

He sighed deeply and pursed his lips. 

“Jamie, I will end up seeing it anyway. I’d rather watch it with you.” 

“Let’s sit at the desktop computer. We have another Zoom call at 3:00 for an update, and I’d like us to be on the Zoom together, if you’re okay with that.”

_Saying_ _‘I love you’ has moved us from_ _‘you and I’ to_ _‘we and us’._

“Of course.”

He pulled up the TMZ site and found the segment with Anja’s sidewalk interaction with Rahim.

“Ready?” he asked, looking at her closely. Claire reached for his hand and nodded. He hit play, and she watched as the glamorous, coquettish movie star, a household name around the globe, casually and flirtatiously threw Jamie’s name around as if she had some kind of claim to him. Her last word cut deep. ‘Irrelevant’. 

“Claire. Mo ghràidh, I’m so very sorry. I hate that I’ve brought this on you.”

He looked at the computer screen and rubbed a hand over his chin.

“No, Jamie. This is not on you. She’s a grown woman and she should know that her actions and words have consequences beyond her own little world. Jamie, look at me.”

He looked at her and she continued. “Jamie, we are in this for the long haul. We knew there would be some issues. We have to be able to weather these storms together, my love. I know it’s frustrating for you. It is for me too. But it’s July. The movie will be out when? September? That’s two months of crazy. It’ll die down after that - maybe a little surge again before the Oscars. But we can do it! Anja can say all she wants about ‘Jamie Fraser, baby’. At the end of the day you’re in my bed, not hers.”

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Jamie’s mouth. Before he could respond, the Zoom call came in.

“Hi all,” Jamie greeted the faces on the screen, “you remember Claire from our meeting here a couple weeks ago. We’ll be in on the Zoom call together. Anything you have to say to me, you can say to Claire too.” He reached for her hand. “What are the updates?” 

“Hey, Claire,” Tara greeted her. “One day we’ll get to hang out drama-free.” She shook her head wryly. Claire greeted her back, and Tara launched into her update. 

“I called Anja’s agent, Steve Bonnet, he’s a bigger asshole than she is, by the way. I asked him if we could tone down the Jamie-Anja bullshit, and he was pretty direct with me. He said that Anja is on the shortlist for a few starring roles. Two rom-coms and one serious drama - something meatier than most of the stuff she’s been doing. She wants something beyond the ‘supporting actress’ roles. Her part in ‘Unauthorized Contact’ has given her a taste for more serious roles and we all know how competitive the arena is for good female roles.”

Tara looked at all the faces on the screen, and continued. 

“Anja has a reputation for being a little difficult to work with, so being dumped by a long-term boyfriend at this time is really not great - makes her less desirable to the studios - especially since it was by a serious actor like Bradley Cooper. It’s also, as we all know, pretty humiliating for her. I did point out to Bonnet that if she wants serious roles, taking a pap walk down Hollywood Boulevard in daisy dukes is not the way to go. He conceded that it was probably not the best move. I asked him to instruct Anja to tone down the Jamie narrative, and he told me that ‘Anja’s gonna do what Anja’s gonna do’. In other words, he’s okay with her generating this sort of publicity - gives her more exposure and makes his job easier. For the moment. He likes the idea of his client being associated with a serious Hollywood name like Jamie Fraser.”

Jamie shook his head in disgust. “Okay, thanks Tara. What about PR?”

Cal took over the report-back. “Simon and I approached her PR from a friendly angle - we felt it made sense that way, because we knew we’d get better information from them. It behooves them to work in tandem with us as they try to promote Anja and we try to promote you and your role in the movie. They immediately raised the issue of the break-up with Cooper and suggested that we set up some ‘couple sightings’ for Jamie and Anja to leak to some media outlets and social media. They are aware of the Oscar buzz with Jamie, and they are keen to align Anja with a potential Oscar nominee. That will boost her profile - by association. They also want Anja to appear on more talk shows with Jamie. We told them no go on the couple sightings, and we’d look at the talk show appearances. Of course, we will push for solo appearances for Jamie.”

Jamie immediately picked up on that point. “After Corden tomorrow night, if we can do zero talk shows together, that would be awesome. Even if they’re on video calls - the fewer opportunities there are for us to appear together and let her push her narrative, the better. Now that TMZ has posted this crap, it’s more important than ever that I speak to Corden. His producers will be all over this, and it will be ratings gold for them. The producers will push the drama. They want the crazy for ratings, and Anja is giving them the crazy. Corden’s a good guy, a family man with strong values. I know he’ll be willing to hear me out.” 

Tara listened carefully to PR’s report-back and Jamie’s response, and then commented. “We need to come up with our game-plan, our approach. For now, we can prepare some generic statements, but we won't issue them unless absolutely necessary. Cal, Simon, don’t accept any talk show invitations until we have a strategy in place. I can tell you that Millennium will not push couple sightings and similar bullshit. They want an Oscar nom for Jamie and more noms for the movie. They want publicity, but not trashy stuff. Tara might just end up shooting herself in the foot, but there will be some collateral damage - let’s not kid ourselves. There will be some damaging publicity - the type that Jamie doesn’t want. And l’m sure Claire doesn’t either. Let’s sleep on this and meet tomorrow. We’ll all be at the studio for the taping, apart from Claire. Let’s meet afterwards for dinner.”

“Sounds good to us,” Simon agreed. “Jamie, after we pick you up at the airport, we’re bringing you to our offices to meet with Millennium’s PR. They want to go over what to push and what to focus on in Corden’s show. 

“Let’s hope they’re meeting with Anja and her PR too!” Jamie shook his head, still in disbelief that this was happening.

“Oh, they will be meeting too. The question is whether she’ll stick to their script.” Cal responded. “Just know that in the meanwhile, this story is going to trend more than last week’s. Try not to let it bring you down.”

“Okay - thanks everyone. We appreciate the help and support,” Jamie said.

“Yes - we’re very grateful for your expertise on this,” Claire added. 

They looked at each other in silence. Words were unnecessary for now. Jamie looked troubled and stressed, and Claire was trying to maintain a pragmatic approach. She finally stood and held her hand out to him. He stood up and she folded her arms around him. 

“Jamie, I stand by what I said before the Zoom. We’re going to have to tough it out.”

“I’m used to this, Claire. I’ve had to deal with it since ‘Clan Hearts’. I hate that you have to deal with it now too.”

She ran her fingers along his jawline, and rested her hand gently on his face. 

“Jamie, I love you. Nothing that Anja says or does will change that. Let’s just ride this out. It’s not something we can control right now, but we can determine our reaction to it.”

“Aye, you’re right. And I love you too, Claire. So much. Let’s chat with the twins and give them a heads-up without worrying them too much, and then we’ll enjoy our evening. I’ll be gone for a day and a half and we can’t let this spoil our night. By tomorrow, Tara will have a strategy.”

“Yes, she will. Did she seem stressed or tired to you?”

“This is a busy time for her. She always gets stressed out pre-awards season. And some major film festivals are coming up. That’s a busy time for her. Don’t worry, she will focus a lot of her energy and attention figuring out this Anja mess. I have total confidence in her.” 

After dinner, they spoke to the twins about the situation with Anja. It was awkward initially, because of the sexual nature of Anja’s comments, but they knew she would be ramping that up, and Claire wanted to tackle it early on so that the girls had an idea of what might lie ahead. 

“So she thinks it’s okay to make suggestive comments like that about someone she works with?” Beth asked in disgust.

“It’s showbiz, Beth,” Ella pointed out. “It’s like some of Selena Gomez’s songs before Justin Bieber married Hailey. There were some very suggestive lyrics aimed at him, because that’s what sells. But just because she was singing about it, doesn’t mean that’s what was going on. We’ve just gotta be real about it.”

“Well, you girls have a fairly good idea of what goes on out there, and Jamie and I wanted you to be prepared because it’s going to get a little more intense until the movie is released. It’ll die down after that.” 

“The most important thing I want you to remember about this is that there never has been and never will be anything other than a work relationship between me and Anja Baranov. Over the next couple of months you might hear or read comments from her that hint at something else, but you should know that I would never do anything to hurt your Mam. I love her so much, and I won’t let anything come between us.”

“We know, Jamie. We know where your heart is.” Beth assured him, while Ella nodded her agreement.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

They decided that Jamie would drive himself to Boeing Field in Claire’s SUV on Tuesday morning so that he could leave the car there overnight and drive himself and Jenny back on Wednesday. Claire would be tied up in Zoom calls, and needed to leave for campus around the same time that Jamie left for the airport. They said goodbye in the garage, a prolonged and loving farewell, punctuated with ‘I love you’s and lingering kisses.

Claire checked her texts as she walked the short distance from her car to her office building. The first one was from Armando.

**Call me ASAP**

She called him as soon as she was in her office.

“Girlfriend, Tony shared a TMZ segment about Anja this morning. Are you okay?”

“Yes, this is going to be my new normal for the next couple of months, or until the movie is released. Jamie and I have been conferencing with his team and they’re coming up with a strategy to mitigate whatever damage she causes.”

“That skank is lucky I don’t live in her city anymore! I would bitch slap the heck out of her and her fucking boba tea if I saw her on the Boulevard!”

“'Mando, Jamie flew to L.A. this morning. He and Anja are going to be on James Corden tonight. I don’t want to watch that on my own. Can we FaceTime while it’s on, so we can kind of watch together?”

“Hon, I’m coming over and we’ll watch it together. I know it’s on late, but I’m coming.”

“Oh, 'Mando! You are the best. Come for dinner. Bring Tony, if he’s up for it.”

“Tony’s always asleep by 10:00 these days, but it’s okay, I’ll be there.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie’s PR reps picked him up at the airport, and took him straight to their offices to prepare him for the Late Late Show taping. Over an early working lunch with representatives of Millennium’s PR, they went over some of the questions and talking points that Corden’s producers had sent them. The questions seemed pretty innocuous - Millennium wanted Jamie to focus on the story behind the movie and the gravity of the content. They were aware of the TMZ segment, and asked Jamie to try and steer away from too much frivolous, sexy banter where possible. They weren’t totally averse to a little titillating content - sex would always be a draw-card at the box office - but with Oscar buzz louder than ever, the studio really wanted to snag nominations for Best Picture and Best Director in addition to Jamie’s potential Best Actor. They needed to work a lot more with Anja to groom her for publicity appearances. Until then, they rested their hopes on the far more polished and experienced Jamie Fraser.

After lunch, Cal and Simon drove him to Corden’s studio at the CBS premises. On the way there, he texted Claire.

‘ **You** **touch every place in my heart'** \- **line from one of our songs on Fri night**

**_You have the biggest heart, my love, and I'm so happy it’s all mine. thinking of u all day_ **

**U going to watch Corden tonight?**

**_Yes, Armando is coming - to hold my hand thru it_**

**That’s really kind of him - i’m happy you’ll have a good friend with u**

**No matter what she says, know that I love you.** **so much!**

**_I love you_**

**_\- - - - - - - - - - - -_ **

Jamie's stylist met him at the studio and showed him several suits and a variety of shirts. After trying on a few of them, he selected a bright blue suit and white T-shirt that set off his eyes to perfection. While he was in hair and makeup, he received a text from Dougal. He and Jenny had arrived at the studio and were being escorted to the green room.

As soon as the team was done working with him, Jamie made his way to the green room. Amid all the stress of the past 24 hours, he hadn’t given much thought to how excited he was to see Jenny. He opened the door to the luxuriously furnished room, and Jenny squealed with joy and launched herself at him. They hugged tightly for a moment, and Jenny stood back to admire her brother - all spruced up for his talk show appearance.

“Ye look fantastic, Jamie!”

“You too, Jenny. I’ve missed ye!”

“Come sit down and talk to me. I want all yer news.”

Dougal and Jamie greeted each other cordially, and Jamie thanked him for picking Jenny up from the airport. Then he sat on a sofa with Jenny and they spent a good half hour catching up on each other’s news. Dougal busied himself nibbling on snacks from a lavish charcuterie board and poured a shot of whisky for all three of them. Jenny accepted eagerly, but Jamie declined.

“No thanks, Dougal. I’ll need my wits about me. And James often has whisky or other liquor on the set.”

Dougal shrugged and downed his shot as well as Jamie’s.

The door opened and Cal poked his head in the room.

“Jamie, we’re still waiting on Corden. Will give you an update when we know anything. One of his team will come and call you when he’s available. Everything else okay here? Need anything?”

“Thanks, Cal. We’re all good here.” Jamie gave him a thumbs up.

Jenny took her phone out and showed Jamie some recent pictures of his niece and nephews. Jamie’s face immediately softened, and he took the phone from her to scroll through the pictures.

“Maggie’s looking so grown up! She’ll love Claire’s girls, Ella and Beth. And I can’t believe the height of young Jamie!”

“Young Jamie is going to take after you, Jamie. He’s a strapping lad. They’re all growing so fast!”

“I miss them all so much. It’ll be good to see them at the Lallybroch meeting in August.”

A clattering from the hospitality table startled them and they both looked up.

“Sorry - clumsy me!” Dougal had knocked over a bottle of Perrier water. 

“That must be his third shot of whisky. Jenny, keep an eye on him please,” Jamie muttered under his breath. 

“Dinna fash! I’ll hide that bottle soon as I get a chance.” 

“Thank you. Someone will be here shortly to take me to set and show me where I’ll walk on, where I’ll sit, etc. I’m also meeting with Corden for about 10 minutes before he goes live. In the meanwhile, Dougal will take care of you here.”

“Sounds fantastic! I’m loving this.” Jenny was a little star-struck to be in Corden’s green room. As much as she hated what the industry had done to Jamie, she enjoyed some of the perks, like the occasional red carpet and most of the London and Glasgow premieres. This was the first time she had been in a talk show green room.

“You’ll meet Anja soon - she should be almost done in hair and makeup. Dougal knows her well. He was with me when we shot the movie in Seattle, so he got to know her there. He’ll introduce you to her. Someone will come and ask you if ye want to watch the taping in the green room or in the audience. You can decide.” 

“Oh, audience for sure - that looks like so much more fun.” 

A production runner entered the green room, holding two clipboards, a cellphone and a two-way radio. 

“Mr. Fraser, I’m Jeremy. Mr. Corden has been held up in the Covid screening area. CBS requirement.”

“Ah yes, I had to get my temperature taken too. It was getting a bit back-logged in there,” Jamie commented.

“Exactly, and it’s busier now. Unfortunately it means that Mr. Corden won’t be able to meet you before you go live. He’s en route to set now, and he's already a little later than we’d like.”

Jamie was disappointed. He had so badly wanted to give Corden a heads-up on Anja. He would just have to rely on his gut if anything awkward came up. 

“Thanks for letting me know, Jeremy.”

“If you’re ready, we’d like to show you the set and get you prepped with mic and final powder and all that. Your agent and PR guys are there already.”

“Sure.” Jamie gave Jenny a quick hug, nodded at Dougal, and turned to leave the room.

Before he could exit, Anja entered the room in a blaze of sequins, six inch heels, and a cloud of cloying perfume.

“Jamie! Baby!” She flung her arms around him and kissed him square on the lips. He knew that makeup would have to remove the deep plum lipstick from his lips and do a quick touch-up before he went on set. He pulled back from her hug almost immediately, and greeted her warmly but professionally. No use antagonizing her before she went on a talk show.

“Anja, good to see you. It’s been months and months!”

“Yes, you naughty boy!” she pouted. “You have not stayed in touch! All I know about Jamie is what I see on your Twitter and Instagram stories, or People magazine.”

“Busy times, busy times. I’ll see you on the show - I’m off to set now. Dougal will introduce you to my sister.”

“Can we get a quick selfie, baby?”

A ripple of anger went through him at her continued use of the endearment and at her attempt to capture his picture with what was clearly her lipstick all over him.

“We’ll do it after the show,” he said firmly. “Gotta run.”

Jenny stood in the green room in dropped-jaw amazement at the spectacle in front of her and the interchange that had just taken place between Anja and Jamie. 

Anja turned to look at Dougal and Jenny. She did a quick calculation on who to gush over first. 

“Jamie’s sister! Oh. My. Gosh. I should have known - you are so beautiful! Gorgeous genes must run in your family.”

Jenny’s brows shot up.

_Ye lying numpty! I look like shite after a cross-atlantic flight and I’m jet-lagged and tired. What a tube you are! Fake as fuck!_

“Dougal! My sexy Scottish uncle. How are you baby? Bring it in.” She threw her arms wide open, and Dougal smiled lecherously, picked her up and spun her around.

“Anja, lass! Ye look fantastic. It’s been way too long. Can I pour ye some whisky?”

“Of course!”

He poured a shot for her and for himself, and suddenly remembering Jenny, he officially introduced them.

“Jenny, this is Anja, Jamie’s co-star in his latest movie.”

Jenny nodded.

“I’m going to sit right here with you, Dougal, these shoes are killing me.”

Jenny eyed her from the top of her sleek blonde hair to her ridiculous heels, taking in the green eyes rimmed with thick, unrealistically long lashes; the tiny sequinned dress, struggling to contain Anja’s recently enhanced breasts; and showing way too much of her toned, tan legs. 

As Jamie made his way down a maze of corridors to the revamped set of The Late Late Show, he placed a quick call to Claire.

“Babe, I have two minutes before they prep me to start taping. I’ll be done at around 7:30, and then dinner with the team. I’ll call you after that.”

“Okay, my love, that sounds great. Everything alright?”

“Yes, just wanted to say I love you. I wish I could yell it from Corden’s set, live on national TV!”

She giggled. “Quick, think of a secret signal. It can’t be an ear-lobe tug though, Carol Burnett did that, and everyone knows.”

“Ummmm - what’s something I do that will seem natural.”

“You sometimes rub your chin when you’re thinking.”

“Okay, if I can pull it off and make it seem natural, any chin rubs or touches are my ‘I love you’ signal. Gotta run.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jenny sat on the sofa opposite Anja and Dougal and half listened to their conversation as she texted Ian. It was well past midnight in Scotland, so she couldn’t speak to the kids, but he updated her on all the latest news at home, and about the B&B. 

She, in turn, texted him about the Corden show, and the green room, and the increasingly inebriated Dougal.

They texted goodnight and she focused on Anja and Dougal.

“Yeah, my agent thinks I’ll get all three roles, but I should select one rom-com and the drama.”

“Look at ye lass. Your career is coming along so nicely!” Dougal was ogling her openly, and Jenny shook her head in disbelief.

“What about you Dougal, baby, what have you been up to in quarantine?”

“Hanging out in L.A. mostly. I was up in Seattle with Jamie a couple of times, a few weekends in Vegas here and there.”

“Seattle?” Anja drawled. “I heard Jamie was spending some time there. Very exciting that he has someone special up there. Is that right Dougal? The rumors I’m hearing are true?” She looked at Dougal with a little pout. Dougal was entranced by her pouty lips.

“Huh? Oh … aye. Claire. Yes.” He slurred slightly, eyes still locked on Anja’s lips.

Jenny frowned. Anja was Jamie’s co-star, and she assumed they were on good terms, but she wasn't sure how much she knew about Jamie’s private life. Or how much she should know. And that overly affectionate greeting earlier seemed a little off. She decided to pay closer attention to the discussion in front of her.

“That’s right! Claire!” Anja replied, even though it was the first she’d heard of Jamie’s involvement with someone named Claire. “Remind me what she does again, Dougal. Was she on the PR team during shooting?”

“Nah, that was Caitlyn. Claire’s a college professor. Can I get ye more whisky.”

“Dougal,” Jenny interrupted, “Maybe we should ease up on the whisky. Anja, will they come for you soon?” Jenny was decidedly uncomfortable with the way Anja’s conversation was going with Dougal. She knew for certain that Jamie wouldn’t appreciate the two of them discussing Claire.

“Yes, a few minutes more,” replied Anja, as she busied herself tapping on her phone. “And I agree with you on the whisky, Jenny. James will have something for us to drink on set, and I need to be sober to walk in these shoes, Dougal.”

He ran his eyes all the way along her legs to her heels, and before he could make an inappropriate comment, the door opened and the handler was back to escort Anja backstage. Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. The green room was starting to lose its luster.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

A hush fell over the set as the 10 second countdown began. Corden sat behind a desk for his monologue, and after some witty banter with his band members, he introduced his first guest.

“We are so excited for tonight’s show. We just revealed our new pandemic-friendly set and large screens for virtual interviews, and tonight we’re thrilled to announce that we have our first in-studio guests since quarantine began, and a really small pre-screened studio audience. We’re observing all CDC and CBS guidelines and we’re honored and thankful that our guests were willing to join us tonight. First up is the star of the hugely successful ‘Clan Hearts’ series, and lead actor in box office hits like ’Long-Term Vision' and ‘The Personal Assistant’! Give it up for Jamie Fraser!”

The audience applauded and the band played as Jamie emerged from backstage, grinning and waving. He elbow bumped Corden before they took their seats in the armchairs. 

“First things first, Jamie, how’s your quarantine going? You surviving?”

“Yes, it’s going well, thank you! Spent part of it in Scotland, part of it here in the U.S. Isolating when necessary.”

“And what’s happening work-wise? Obviously production has stopped on all major shows and movies. But the ones that were fairly far along in post-production have been forging ahead. I hear you have something to share with us about a new project.”

Corden looked at the cameras and in an overly exaggerated dramatic way announced. “Guillermo we need a drumroll, please. It seems we might have a Late Late Show exclusive! Is Jamie Fraser about to announce a new movie?” 

The cameras zoomed in on a smiling Jamie. “Yes I am, James. I’m excited to announce that my new movie is ‘Unauthorized Contact’, A Millennium Studios production. It will be out in theaters within the next few weeks. The premier date will be announced soon. It’s determined by CDC guidelines, of course.”

Jamie and Corden went back and forth, discussing the plot and the fact that the movie was based on a true story. Jamie discussed how he had spent time with the real-life whistle-blower to get a sense of the trauma and stresses he had experienced as a result of his actions.

“Did you work with an accent coach?“ Corden asked him. “I’m noticing less of the Scottish.”

“Oh yes, that always happens when I’ve been out of Scotland for a while. Although my sister is visiting me now, and I know some of it will come roaring back, ye ken.” 

“I ken indeed!” Corden laughed. “It’s like mine - it becomes very L.A. until I go back to England! So, most of the movie was filmed on location and in-studio in Seattle, is that right?”

“Well, in Washington state, really. But yes, big parts were filmed in Seattle. I don’t know how much you know about Washington, but I assumed it was all lush and green and ‘foresty’. But the eastern side is very desert-like and dry. You get these massive big balls of tumbleweed blowing right across the road. It’s really quite different to what I expected. So it worked well to film some of the Middle East segments of the film in Eastern Washington. All the other parts were filmed in Seattle.”

“I love Seattle,” Corden said. ‘I’ve been there several times and it is such a fun city! Did you enjoy spending time there?”

“Yes! I fell in love …” he stroked his chin in an apparently unconscious gesture. “I completely fell in love with Seattle. I’ve spent some time there recently, it’s a very special place. It definitely stole a part of my heart.”

“We’ll be back after the break to talk some more about ‘Unauthorized Contact’ and we’ll meet your co-star, Anja Baranov,” Corden announced. 

The camera closed in on Jamie, and ever the accomplished actor, he plastered a smile on his face and nodded enthusiastically at the mention of having his co-star join him on set. 

During the break, hair and make-up people rushed on set to do touch-ups on James and Jamie. Techs adjusted mics, and the runner made sure that Anya’s armchair was the correct distance from the other chairs. 

Then Corden was back on camera, ready to announce his next guest. 

“Please welcome to our new set, the gorgeous and glamorous Anja Baranov.” The band played a few bars and the small audience did what it could to generate some decent applause. Anja walked onto set, teetering on her heels and waving with both hands. Always the gentleman, Jamie stood up when she walked onto the set and applauded along with the audience. As instructed by the handlers backstage, she bumped elbows with Corden and waved at the audience and the cameras. 

Then Anja went completely off-script. Instead of heading straight to her chair opposite Jamie, she moved towards him.

In a flash of realization, Jamie knew exactly what she was going to do, and he was powerless to stop her.

  
  



	35. Chapter 35

* * *

“Jamie,” Anja drawled in a sing-song voice, as the cameras tracked her moving slowly towards him, hips swaying deliberately in her best seductive walk.

Everything was happening in slow motion for Jamie. His eyes darted to Corden, who was in open-mouthed shock, and then back to Anja, who was now right in front of him.

She folded her arms around his neck, and her face moved slowly towards his. Her lips were parted, and her tongue peeked out to lick her lips lightly. She was closing in for a lover’s kiss, not just a friendly greeting.

At the last second, Jamie turned his face and she kissed him somewhere to the left of his mouth, leaving a deep plum lipstick smear on his face. 

Anja quickly covered her look of annoyance with a dazzling smile. Playing to the TV audience, she placed one hand on his chest and wrapped the other arm around to rest her hand on his butt and crooned, “Hello, Jamie! Looking hot, baby!” 

Jamie’s face flushed as he tried to reign in his frustration. “Anja. It’s been a long time.” He was expressionless. She narrowed her eyes at him but quickly recovered, smiling widely, as she dragged her hands off him and sauntered over to her armchair, opposite Jamie’s.

Corden expertly covered his look of shock and focused on the obvious tension he picked up from Jamie’s demeanor. The producers did too, and he heard them in his discreet little earpiece almost immediately. “Little friction there, maybe? This could be good. Try to probe. Find out what’s happening. Start with the questions we discussed and go from there.”

In his peripheral vision, Jamie saw Tara march over to the runner, who ran to the producer, who spoke into his two-way radio. And while Corden and the cameras focused on Anja, the makeup artist discreetly tiptoed over to Jamie to wipe away the lipstick and repair his makeup. The studio audience saw all of that, of course, but the TV audience wouldn't see any of it. 

“Anja, you look fantastic tonight." Corden focused on Anja, "Thank you for joining us. How has your quarantine been going?”

“Thanks James. It’s good to be here, My quarantine’s been like Jamie’s, of course. Most of it right here in America, and isolating when necessary. But isolation isn’t that bad, if you can isolate with the right person. Right, Jamie?” She gave him a sexy smile and a wink that hinted at shared secrets between the two. 

“Couldn’t agree more!” replied Jamie, ignoring Anja’s gaze, and smiling at the audience. “I’ve been lucky enough to isolate with the right people.” He rubbed his chin between his thumb and forefinger. 

“Yeah, you have,” Anja purred, giving the cameras a sexy smile. 

Jamie instantly regretted his comment. _Damn! My comeback could be misinterpreted, and she just reinforced it._

Corden jumped back in. “Anja, you’re Jamie’s love interest in ‘Unauthorized Contact’, and we know there are some intimate scenes. Jamie, after the fiery scenes in ‘Clan Hearts’, you have quite the reputation to live up to. How did the love scenes in ‘Unauthorized Contact’ measure up? Anja, maybe you should tackle the sex scenes first. Care to kick off?”

“Gladly. First, I'm his fiancée, not just his love interest. And yes, of course! Jamie totally lived up to his reputation as a great on-screen lover. Those are difficult scenes to film. So much nudity and intimacy, and a big crew filming around you. But our chemistry was out of this world, and honestly most of the time we spent filming those scenes didn't even feel like work. It felt so natural, so real. Jamie was amazing.” 

Jamie’s jaw clenched and his muscles moved slightly in his jawline. Corden noticed it right away and he wished he knew exactly what was going on here. He figured it had something to do with Jamie asking for a private few minutes before the show. But the producers were in his ear, pushing him again.

“James, get Fraser’s view on the sex scenes.”

“Jamie, how were the intimate scenes for you? Compared with ‘Clan Hearts’, where you cut your teeth on sex scenes. Do they get easier?”

Jamie had to respond carefully to this. He was there to promote 'Unauthorized Contact', not to push back at Anja's narrative. He had to be professional in his response and put his personal feelings aside, but he could still find a way to downplay her blatant lies.

“Well, ‘Clan Hearts’ was quite different. I worked with my amazing co-star and the crew over several years, and we built up a level of professionalism, comfort, and trust over time. It got to the point where we knew what to do without too much fuss. Doing sex scenes in a movie is different from a long-running series. You don't have the same opportunity to build a rapport with your co-star. It’s more mechanical, very choreographed. There is nothing sexy about it. It’s hard work, and we try to make it look seamless and intimate for the viewer. I honestly didn’t spend too much time thinking about the sex scenes in ‘Unauthorized Contact’. In this movie, the sex is secondary to the core plot and the horror of the attacks and the importance of protecting a whistle-blower’s rights.” Jamie brought the discussion back around to what Millennium had briefed him on earlier.

“Oh, Jamie, the sex is always important, silly!” Anja said flirtatiously. “The days we filmed sex scenes were some of the best days on set.”

Corden jumped in and announced another ad break. 

Jamie smiled at the audience, and threw a surreptitious look at Tara, who gave him a tiny shake of her head. It was a warning to him not to engage Anja further on this topic. He caught a glimpse of Jenny, who was red-faced with fury. 

Corden was bristling at Anja’s persistent attempts to contradict and embarrass Jamie. He knew Jamie personally, and he knew he was a good man; he was not the type of celebrity who used his fame and status to score with women. Corden noticed that his producers were in a discussion with Anja’s PR, and he would no doubt get some instructions in his ear-pierce momentarily. 

The ad break was over, and Corden prepared to resume his role as the jovial, polished host. 

He listened to instructions in his earpiece. “Anja’s PR asked us to avoid questions about Bradley Cooper. They’ll give us an exclusive in return. Focus on Jamie.” 

Corden went back on air. “Before the break, we spoke about the love scenes. We also know that the movie has some scenes depicting violence and acts of terrorism. Tell us about the raw emotion and horror there. What parts of yourself did you tap into for those scenes, Jamie?”

“Those were incredibly difficult scenes. This whole conflict took place very publicly. Everything the terrorists did was live-streamed or posted on YouTube and other social media outlets. There was a surge of anger and horror around the world. I drew on my personal reactions to those very painful events to inform my performance.”

“Anja, did your scenes include any of the more horrific moments?”

“No, but I was able to draw on my personal experience for the intimate scenes.” She winked and grinned at the camera. 

Corden's mouth tightened at that. He'd had enough of her using his show to push her personal agenda, which was starting to become clear to him now.

“On that note, when can we expect an announcement from you and Bradley. You two have been hot and heavy for a while now. Are there any exciting plans in your future? Anything you want to share?”

Anja’s eyes widened slightly and she hesitated. 

“No, no, no!” the producers were in his earpiece. “You misheard - you’re NOT supposed to ask about Cooper!” 

“James, baby, life is too short to hitch your wagon to one star. Especially when there are so many other stars to hitch!”

“Not sure we understand all the mixed metaphors and idioms in that, Anja. Anyone else make sense of that?” He directed that at the audience, and some of them shrugged. Corden smiled at her through his subtle bit of snark. Clearly, Anja was not good at thinking on her feet. “Well, whatever is happening in your life, Anja, we wish you the best.”

He looked at the camera, and continued, “That’s tonight’s show, folks! Thank you again for joining us on our new-look set. Jamie, Anja, thanks so much for being here in person tonight.” 

After taping wrapped, the cast, crew, and guests milled around chatting for a while. Corden made his way to Jamie, and they stepped aside for a moment.

“Jamie, I’m sorry we couldn't talk before we taped. I picked up on the vibe pretty quickly though. Man, that was some intense stuff from her.”

“Yeah, no worries, James. Not what I need right now, but I appreciated your help at the end there.”

They gave each other a knowing nod, and Jamie rejoined the group.

Anja was holding onto Dougal’s arm, and as soon as Jamie rejoined them, she smiled and cooed, “Jamie! We’re all heading to dinner - Dougal, Jenny, me, you.”

“Sorry, Anja, I already have dinner plans that include Jenny. You and Dougal are welcome to go ahead, though.” 

“Actually, Jamie, I would verra much like to join Dougal and Anja. Yours is a working dinner, and I’ll have more fun with these two,” Jenny indicated Dougal and Anja with a slight tip of her head, and fixed Jamie with a look that told him not to argue.

“Okay,” he replied, a little unsure about her motive, but trusting that she had a good reason to join them instead of him. “Text me when you’re done, and I’ll come and pick you up.”

“We’ll be at Din Tai Fung in Century City, Jamie,” Anja looked at him pointedly. “Great food, if you change your mind.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As the taping wrapped in Los Angeles, Armando was arriving at Claire’s house with a large bouquet of colorful flowers. 

“Just a little something to make you happy when you look at them.”

While Beth arranged the flowers in a vase, Ella helped Claire put together a simple dinner of pork chops with a honey-soy glaze, garlic mashed potatoes, and a green salad. They ate out on the patio, and the girls excitedly told him all about the amazing date night they had arranged just four days earlier. 

“It was amazing, 'Mando! The girls did a superb job.”

“And was the music to your taste?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“The music was perfect, thank you! Do you want to see some pics?”

She pulled up the pictures the girls had taken and Armando scrolled through them. Every picture elicited a new reaction from him. 

“Oooooohhhhh!” he clutched his heart and scrolled to the next one.

“Awwwww!” he made big puppy eyes and scrolled to the next one.

Beth and Ella collapsed laughing at his reactions.

"Look at these pics! Seriously, Claire, you and Jamie are like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Who cares if you’re not in the movies, Claire - you guys are just as iconic. Girls, are you seeing all this love?”

“Yes,” replied Ella. “They are so into each other, aren’t they?”

“Yes, 'Mando, we’re seeing all the love,” sighed Beth. “All the kissing and schmoopy faces and heart eyes and hand holding. Yep, we’re seeing it,” she smiled.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie, Tara and his PR reps left CBS studios and headed to dinner at Olivetta in West Hollywood. Tara kicked off the discussions immediately.

“I spoke with Jon Corzak today, VP at Millennium. He was not in love with Anja’s little TMZ piece yesterday. He gets that it will generate interest in the movie, but it also stole from Jamie’s big reveal on the Late Late Show. They are putting tens of millions behind the Oscar noms - and they’re definitely going after the big three. Actor, Director, Picture. Their appetite for a wannabe serious actress who is acting more like a porn star, is not very big right now. They’re calling her in to discuss it in the next day or two. I warned him that it wouldn't make a difference. She needs a man _now_ to fix the ego and image damage caused by Cooper dumping her, and she has her sights on Jamie. Doesn’t give a shit about their movie because her role was not significant. They're going to blow a fuse about her comments tonight.”

”Which ones, Tara?’ asked Jamie. “There were so many.”

“Everything she was saying about how amazing the sex scenes were. She was this close to saying you had actual sex on set. Now that might be box office gold, because everyone will want to see the movie to determine whether or not it was the real deal, but that kind of talk can hurt Millennium. Badly. It’s a massive organization, and a respected, serious studio. It’s also one of the few studios that hasn’t been tainted by Me Too issues. Jamie, they had two intimacy coordinators on set throughout the filming of your sex scene, for Pete’s sake. That’s how seriously they take this stuff. If Anja continues to make waves for them, they will have the Motion Picture Association all over them. Not to mention all the big unions. They can’t afford that kind of scandal in a year where they stand to score some big awards.”

“So, our strategy is to sit back and wait for her to self-destruct?” Jamie looked at Cal, the more senior of the PR Reps.

“Jamie, I know your knee-jerk reaction is to lash out,” Cal responded. ”You want to protect Claire and your relationship - totally understandable. But we have to be really careful how we tackle this. If you lash out too aggressively against Anja, you will alienate a lot of women. But if you stay completely silent, you’ll seem complicit and people will be convinced that you’re involved with her. We're working on figuring out the best approach. There's going to be a massive response to the Corden show on social media. We want to get some analytics on the hashtags that start trending, and what the responses are from the public, and that will help guide our approach.”

“This is so fucked up! All along, I’ve been worried about obsessive fans becoming a problem and a potential danger to Claire if her identity is ever revealed. I was terrified of another Natalie situation. I never imagined that one of my own colleagues would be the problem! This is insane!”

“Don’t discount the obsessive fans completely, Jamie. Most of your obsessives will likely focus on Anja because she is clearly trying to claim you as her man, and your fans won’t like that. She also has her own fan base that would love to see her linked with another big Hollywood name. But while fans are always an issue, our focus and approach has to be about Anja for now. She is without a doubt our immediate problem. If we don’t reign this in somehow, your Oscar nom might be in jeopardy. The Academy doesn’t like scandal, and Millennium knows that,” Tara warned.

Jamie nodded, and looked at his PR reps. “What’s your plan over the next day or two?”

”We have to tread carefully,” Cal replied. “We can’t piss Anja off because she’ll go ballistic, and we obviously can’t piss Millennium off. Let us handle your twitter account for the next few days. We’ll be in close contact with Millennium’s PR and we’ll tailor any of your comments or activity to align with their reactions. By the way, your first response to her on the show was pretty epic in its subtlety. ‘It’s been a long time’.”

“Oh, you got that?” Jamie smiled his lop-sided smile.

“Oh yeah, it was perfect. She spent most of the show trying to create the impression that the two of you have been hot for a while, and you basically let everyone know you haven’t seen her for a long time. Makes her little narrative hard to sell. But I want to caution you going forward to do your damnedest to stay silent and let us do the commenting via official ‘spokesperson statements’.”

“Jamie, just keep trusting us.” Tara patted his hand. “We are dialed into what she’s doing, and that puts us in a strong position. We’re also aligned with Millennium on this, and they hold all the power here.” 

Tara picked up her purse, signaling an end to their dinner. “Jamie, this will be exhausting and tiresome and frustrating, And I apologize for throwing a cliché at you, but this too shall pass. I need to get home. Man! It's only Tuesday, but it feels like Friday.” 

Jamie stood to hug her goodbye. “Tara … thanks for everything.” He looked at her in concern. “You look tired. When you can squeeze in a break, come spend a couple of days at the winery and decompress. Claire and I will meet you up there.” 

“I might take you up on that, Jamie. Stay strong.” 

Olivetta’s mâitre d’ summoned a limo for Jamie, and as he headed over to pick Jenny up, he called Claire. 

“I just got done with dinner, and I’m picking Jenny up now from her dinner. She went out with Dougal and Anja. Long story.”

“Okay. Sounds interesting. How did the taping go?”

“Much as we expected. I didn’t get to see Corden beforehand, so for a while there, she was a runaway train. She’s out of control, Claire, I need you to be prepared for some crazy when you watch the show.”

“Okay. I’m ready for anything. How was dinner? Did the team have some good suggestions?”

“We have a basic strategy, but whether or not it’ll be effective remains to be seen. I’ll give you all the details tomorrow. I can’t wait to get back to you.”

“I love you. See you tomorrow.”

“I love you so much, Claire.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire, Armando and the twins had chatted on the patio until around 11:00 p.m., when Ella and Beth said goodnight and headed upstairs. They had early practice in the morning and needed their sleep. Armando and Claire cleared up and headed to the media room.

As they waited for the Late Late Show to start, they flipped through some of the other late night shows, watching segments that interested them. All the hosts interviewed their guests via video calls. They moved through their favorites. Colbert, Kimmel, Fallon, Noah. 

“Oh, God! Poor Jamie will have to do all these shows - not to mention morning shows too. I hope PR can arrange it so that he doesn’t have to appear with Anja for all of them.”

Corden’s show started promptly at 12:37 a.m. 

Claire looked at Armando. “Why am I so nervous? He’s done a ton of these!”

“Because your souls are so connected, and you know this one might be more difficult. Give me your hand, you can squeeze as hard as you want if the going gets tough.” 

They clasped hands over the armrest and watched as Jamie walked on and greeted Corden. 

“I like that suit on him. Girl, look how hot he looks!”

“I know,” she sighed. “It’s easy to see why women are throwing themselves at him. Doesn’t make it okay, but I do get it.” 

Armando held her hand, and they watched as Anja completely disregarded CBS Studios' pandemic protocol, the producers' pre-taping instructions, and every unspoken rule of decency. Claire held her breath as she watched Jamie dodge Anja’s kiss. She shook her head in dismay as he was forced to tolerate Anja’s hands all over him. There was no way he could make a scene. The publicity fall-out from Jamie Fraser losing his cool on national TV would extend far beyond his anger at her bold actions tonight.

“Oh my God, so Jamie was stuck with her lipstick mark on his face for the rest of the interview?” Claire asked in disbelief.

“No, there are always MUAs on set,” Armando explained. “One of them probably sneaked on during an ad break or an Anja segment and cleaned it up."

What they saw on-screen over the next ten or fifteen minutes was way worse than a lipstick mark. Anja threw out comment after comment that blatantly hinted at some sort of sexual encounter or relationship between herself and Jamie during the filming of the movie. When she declared that filming sex scenes with Jamie felt natural and real, Claire’s grip on Armando’s hand tightened painfully. Armando couldn't contain himself any longer. He stood up and paced to and fro in front of Claire. She paused the show to let him work through his anger. 

“Shut the fuck up, you rank nympho!" He railed at the screen, fists in his hair. "What the hell is she doing? That nasty-ass bitch is milking this opportunity to the max! I’d fucking sue her ass for … I dunno, something! Anything!”

Claire bit on her bottom lip, and Armando sat back down to watch the last few minutes of the show. As the credits rolled, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a moment. The one bright spot in the whole debacle was the fact that Jamie had sneaked in a couple of chin rubs. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of him remembering to send her his secret coded message. It was a comforting reminder that he loved her and wanted her to know that she was in his thoughts during the whole spectacle. It was an affirmation that they would weather this mess together.

“You OK, hon?” Armando was still fuming at Anja and concerned for Claire.

“Yeah, I think so. I feel awful for Jamie. She’s relentless. She’s not going to let this go easily - this pursuit of Jamie. Either in real life or as a publicity narrative to boost her image. This is going to be harder than I thought.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie and Jenny sat in adjacent seats on the mid-morning flight to Seattle, despite the fact that they were the only passengers on the 10-seater plane. Jenny’s jet-lag had got the better of her the previous night, and she had gone straight to her room after Jamie picked her up from dinner. They were eager to share their news during the flight and Jenny had so many questions. Especially about the disgusting display Anja had put on during the show.

“Whoa, Jenny! You just threw about six questions in there. Let’s start with last night before I answer them. Why were you so keen to be with Dougal and Anja?”

“Well, what a treat Anja is!” she replied sarcastically. “Ye’re lucky I didn’t leave my seat in the audience. That would have been an ugly scene. Before the show, she was damn near interrogating Dougal about Claire in the green room - “

“What?” Jamie interrupted. “What do you mean ‘about Claire’? She doesn’t even know her.”

“She does now. She knows that Claire’s yer ‘special someone’ in Seattle. Thanks to Dougal confirming it.”

“Wait, wait, wait! I didn’t have a chance to give you the backstory on all of Anja’s recent shenanigans because Dougal was right there in the green room with you. You were probably scrambling to figure out what the hell she was doing! Please take me through their conversation about Claire.”

Jenny repeated the conversation as well as she could remember. And Jamie’s overworked jaw muscles clenched again.

“Jesus, she’s manipulative! She was going off the tweet and the TMZ story from last week, and she managed to get our drunk uncle to confirm it. Unbelievable!”

“She almost seduced Dougal right there on the couch. I think if she’d asked him for all his passwords, he’d have given them over gladly. Colum needs to get that man back home.”

“What happened at dinner? Did she try to get more information about Claire?”

“Oh, aye, she tried! But I put a fecking stop to that right away. I told her that if she wanted information about your private life she should ask ye directly. She didn’t like that at all, but she stopped talking about Claire. I got the restaurant to call Dougal a cab soon after that. Then it was just the two of us. Funny - she lost her appetite soon after that and called an Uber. Said she had an early morning audition.”

Jamie chuckled a little. “Thank you, Jenny. You can always be relied upon to put the fear of God into anyone. Even a drama queen like Anja Baranov.”

“Enough of her for now. I’m more interested in why you’ve become a sappy pile of mushy heart eyes every time you FaceTime with me and talk about Claire.”

"Oh, Jenny, I think you’re going to love her. She’s amazing. I can go on and on about her, but ye’ll see when you get to know her. She makes me so happy. She completes all the incomplete parts of me.”

“Oh my God. Ye sound just like Da! How are you getting along with the twins?” 

“Aaah, Jenny, Ella and Beth are braw lasses. Truly wonderful girls, and I know ye’ll like them too. Next time, ye should bring Maggie. They’ll get along great.”

“Are you ready to take on teenage girls, Jamie?”

“What are you talking about, Jenny? Of course I am. I’m very fond of the twins, and yes, I am ready to help Claire with them in any capacity that she deems appropriate. Claire has done an amazing job of raising them. They’re sixteen now, but in two years they’ll be legal adults, and they may not appreciate my input after that. But I am absolutely ready to be whatever they need me to be.”

“Ye ken, a girl always needs a Da, no matter her age? A father’s influence and impact goes far beyond the teenage years, and well into adulthood. I know that, because I didn’t have that privilege, Jamie. Don’t underestimate your impact on Ella and Beth just because they are almost adults. They will need you. Are you ready for that?” 

“I am.” He looked her in the eye. “They canna rely on their biological father, and I will always be there for them. At Claire’s side.” 

The flight attendant brought them fresh coffee, and Jamie took the opportunity to check his phone. There were voicemails from Tara and Cal. He read the beta transcript of Tara’s voicemail on his phone.

_Jamie, you’re probably in-flight. Lots of trending hashtags this morning after last night’s show. Your twitter is blowing up ______ Anja’s too. Brace for some craziness. Call me later._

He tapped the transcript of Cal’s voicemail.

_Hey Jamie, Cal here. Today’s going to be a wild ride. Next few days too. Twitter is going crazy with hashtags from the show. We expected it and we're analyzing them as we speak. We’ve had calls asking for comments _______ not giving any right now. Call us when you have a minute.'_

Jenny could tell from the tightness around his mouth that it had something to do with the fallout from last night. 

“How bad is it, Jamie?”

“I just read voicemail transcripts from Tara and my PR guys. They said pretty much the same thing. Social media is going nuts. I’m so used to this crap, Jenny. I’m going to turn off all my notifications for now. If there’s something I need to know, Tara or Cal will get hold of me. I want to focus on enjoying my time with you here, and being back home with Claire and the girls.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire worked from home on Wednesday so she could greet Jamie and Jenny as soon as they arrived. It had been a late and restless night for her. Armando left soon after the show ended, but only after Claire had insisted - several times - that she was okay. By the time Claire awoke, the girls had left for practice. After a solo four-mile run, during which she clocked her best pace yet, she sat on the patio to enjoy a quick breakfast before starting her work tasks.

Just before lunchtime, Jamie pulled into the driveway. Claire's app alerted her, and she hurried out to meet them. Jenny’s door was closer to her, and as she stepped out of the car, Claire walked over to her with a wide smile. She had felt mildly anxious about meeting Jenny, because Jamie had painted a picture of a firm, practical, no-nonsense woman. Certainly, her approach to Jamie’s history of trauma in the industry and her strong response to his binge drinking indicated that she was someone who would not tolerate drama well. 

“Hello, Jenny! I’m Claire - welcome to Seattle.” She extended her hand, and Jenny looked her up and down through narrowed eyes for a second, and then clasped her in an awkward hug.

“In my family, we hug. And since Jamie’s spoken about you and yer girls all morning, and I mean _all_ morning, I feel like ye’re family already.”

As soon as Jenny released Claire, Jamie pulled her into his arms and held her tight. 

“It’s good to be home! I know I always say that when I get back, but ye’ve no idea how much I miss ye when I’m gone.” 

She smiled at him and teased, “Your accent is back in force! I missed you too.” She turned to Jenny, who was watching their display of affection with a half-smile just like Jamie’s. “Let’s get you settled in, Jenny, and then we’ll grab a light lunch. The girls will be home from practice soon.”

Jamie brought their luggage in, and Claire led Jenny upstairs to the second, smaller guest room. It was decorated in soft shades of eau de nil and cream, with a queen-size bed and cream sofa. The windows overlooked the mountains, and he proudly pointed out the views that would soon be an everyday experience for him. 

“It’s a beautiful area, Jamie. I can see what drew ye here. The mountain views are spectacular. Claire this room is gorgeous, thank you so much. I love the soothing colors.”

“Thank you. Will you let me know if you need anything? Behind that door is a small walk-in closet with a robe and slippers, and some extra pillows. While you take some time to unpack, I’ll make us some sandwiches.” 

“I’ll give you a hand with those,” Jamie said, and they headed downstairs together. In the kitchen, he drew her into his arms again, and they held each other, enjoying the familiarity of their bodies fitting together so perfectly. 

“You doing okay?” he stroked her hair tenderly, twining his fingers through the mass of curls.

“I’m okay, my love. Tara and Cal included me in a group text with you this morning. Did you turn your phone off? Not sure that you saw the text - you didn’t respond to it. They were just warning us that your and Anja’s social media are going crazy. They asked us to stay off our social media and suggested that we try to ignore all the noise.”

“That’s my intention. I turned off notifications and alerts. I’m used to this crap, and I know this will blow over soon. Until Anja decides on her next move. The painful part for me is having you go through it.”

“Don’t forget that I’ve weathered my own social media situation - not as global as yours, but also stressful. I survived that, and you and I will survive this. Let’s both ignore social and mainstream media and other news outlets and just enjoy Jenny’s visit and our weekend away.” 

They stole passionate kisses before pulling apart, remembering the last time, when they were busted by the twins. 

“Girls will be home soon,” Claire breathed.

“I know,” he whispered, “I canna wait to hold you in my arms all night.”

“You won’t be getting much sleep. I plan on making you forget she ever put her lips and hands on you.”

“Long forgotten, babe. But I’ll still take you up on your offer,” he raised his eyebrow a touch, and held her hips tightly to his groin in a silent expression of what they both wanted and needed, and knew they would be indulging in later. 

They busied themselves setting up a small sandwich bar, and Jamie filled her in on some of the events of the previous night. He wanted her to know that Dougal had revealed some details about her to Anja.

"Oh for God's sake! Dougal!" Claire exclaimed. "We need to reign him in. And his drinking is beyond just social. He has a problem, Jamie."

"Aye, Jenny and I will call Colum tomorrow morning. It's time for Dougal to head back to Scotland. I really hate the fact that Anja knows yer name, and the fact that you're a college professor."

"Ugh. I hope she doesn't use it on her next TMZ exclusive. I doubt it somehow. She wants to claim you for herself, and bringing another woman's name into her narrative won't help her."

"I hope ye're right. Jenny opted out of dinner with me to be with Anja and Dougal. She thwarted Anja's attempts to find out more, and sent Dougal packing in a taxi. Anja didn't care to complete dinner with Jenny."

Claire chuckled, "I can see why she might find Jenny intimidating!"

As Claire set out the last of the condiments, Jamie came up behind her and wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her close again. Their need to be physically connected was as intense as their need to reassure each other that they would make it through the Anja fiasco. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and they swayed together slowly for a moment, feeling safe and cocooned in each other's arms.

He murmured into her curls, "Did ye catch my chin rubs?"

She smiled slightly and replied, "Of course I did. They were the only thing that kept me grounded through that ordeal, my love."

Jenny wandered into the kitchen at that moment, and Jamie reluctantly released Claire from his embrace.

“What can I get ye to drink, Jenny?” Jamie asked. “Coffee, wine, whisky?”

“I’ll take a coffee, please. My jet-lag will start hitting me in a few hours, and I’d like to try and stay awake.”

While he brewed her coffee, Ella and Beth arrived home, and hurried into the kitchen. 

“Jamie!” Ella was the first to greet him, and both girls rushed over and threw their arms around his waist. He wrapped an arm around each of them and smiled broadly at Claire. She smiled back and turned to Jenny.

“I’m sorry! We’ll introduce you in a sec - they adore Jamie, so I’ll let them have a quick hug moment.”

“Oh aye, of course!” Jenny wasn’t showing much emotion, but she was secretly delighted at the warm greeting between Jamie and the girls. She knew how much he missed her children, and now that he spent very little time in Scotland, she loved that he had connected so well with the twins. Family was really important to her and Jamie, and she liked what she had seen of his relationship with Claire and the girls, so far.

Jamie eased out of the hug. “I missed you lasses too! Let me introduce you to my sister. Jenny, meet Ella and Beth,” he indicated them individually, “Girls this is my sister, Jenny Murray.”

“It’s going to take me a while to figure out who’s who, but it’s very nice to meet ye both.”

“It’s good to meet you too, Mrs. Murray,” Ella greeted her with a smile.

“No, no, no. Mrs. Murray makes me sound like your school principal or something. Ye can call me Aunty Jenny, if that’s okay with yer Mam. All my nieces and nephews on Ian’s side call me that.”

“Yes, that’s perfectly okay with me, Jenny.”

During lunch on the patio, Jamie and Claire alerted the twins that things had progressed significantly since they had spoken about the TMZ stories with the Din Tai Fung photo and the one where Anja had spoken about the Seattle woman. They knew that Armando had come over to watch the talk show that Jamie had gone to L.A. for, but they hadn't seen anything on their social media. Their trending topics were focused more on what Bieber and Hailey were doing, Taylor Swift's new album dropping, and Kylie Jenner's appearance on a really controversial song video.

"Remember we told you it would get worse?" Claire reminded them.

"And we said that Anja would say things and twist things to make it sound like she and I were ... " Jamie struggled to find a suitable word.

"Hooking up?" Ella offered.

"I guess that would be a good way to describe what she is saying," agreed Claire.

"Well, she came out on the show, firing from all cylinders," Jamie told them. "It was uncomfortable, awkward, and completely manipulated to suit her publicity needs right now."

The girls listened carefully, their faces serious. Beth turned to look at Jenny.

"Were you at the actual taping, Aunty Jenny? Or did you watch the show later?" Beth asked.

"I was right there in the audience, and it was unbelievable! I've never been more furious in my life. I have permanent nail marks in my palms from that! Jamie's PR guys had introduced themselves to me earlier, and one of them, the younger guy, watched me like a hawk. I think if I so much as uncrossed my legs, he would have thrown himself over me to stop me getting up and slapping the pout off her face! Dear God, what a mindless hussy!"

The girls giggled at the passion in her description and the way her accent became even more marked in her anger.

Claire suppressed her smirk. "Jamie and I have decided that we are staying off social and most other media for the next few days. It's going to be intense, and we want to focus on Jenny's visit and having a great time with you girls at the winery. I'd like to suggest that you try and do the same, girls. Of course, if anything comes up that worries you, you can always come and ask us about it. But stay off TMZ, Perez, ET Online - that sort of thing."

"No problem," Beth assured her and Jamie. 

"Totally," agreed Ella. "Talking of the media, did you see the article about Mom in the Seattle Times, Jamie?"

“I did not,” he frowned and was immediately attentive. “Claire, you never mentioned that!”

“It was in yesterday’s paper, and you were in L.A. I knew how busy you were with … all the other things.”

“It doesn’t matter what’s going on in my life, I want to know what’s happening in yours.”

“It was a tiny insert in the education section. Just an announcement of sorts. They didn't interview me or anything.”

“Excuse me a minute,” Ella said, standing up. “I’ll go get the newspaper.”

She brought a copy of the paper over to Jamie, and turned to page eight, where she pointed out a small insert with Claire’s head-shot and about two column inches of text.

Jamie proudly showed Jenny the article, and read it aloud.

> _Fulton Concludes Interviews For New Faculty Position. Fulton School of Business announced yesterday that it has completed its final interviews for the position of Professor of Business Communications in its world-renowned MBA Program. Seattle’s Dr. Claire Beauchamp is the front-runner and considered by many to be a shoo-in for the position. Beauchamp is currently an associate professor in Fulton’s MBA program, the youngest person ever to have held that title at Fulton. Originally from England, Beauchamp has spearheaded a number of research studies in the Seattle business arena, and has been credited with shaking up some of Seattle’s largest companies with her work on social responsibility initiatives and cross-disciplinary strategies for corporate communications. Her work has been published in leading international business journals. Dean of Fulton’s MBA Program, Prof. Joe Abernathy, confirmed that they expect to make an announcement within a week or two._

“Wow, Claire! Congratulations! That is very impressive. Of course Jamie has told me a lot about your achievements and accomplishments, but to see it all in print here is something else.”

“Thank you, Jenny. It’s really not a big deal - just a piece prepared by Fulton’s media team. And I haven’t been announced as the successful candidate yet.” She looked at Jamie and smiled, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Mom, there’s no way you won’t get it.” Beth spoke firmly and confidently. 

“Claire, I’m so proud of you!” Jamie took her hand and kissed her palm, and then turned it over and kissed the back of her hand too. Jenny looked at the girls and gave them a dramatic eye-roll. They smiled widely and shrugged as if to let her know this was their new normal.

As soon as they had finished their lunch, Claire excused herself to complete her last couple of student Zoom calls for the day. Before she headed to her study area, she asked about dinner plans for later.

“How do you all feel about lobster night for dinner at the Rainier Club? Julio reminded me when he was here that they do that every Wednesday night during the summer.”

“That sounds like a great idea, Sassenach.” Jenny raised an eyebrow at his choice of endearment. She hadn’t seen her brother this absorbed with anyone. Not even Natalie. His pride in Claire was palpable, and he lavished her with endearments and praise and kisses at every opportunity. As much as she had resented the early termination of Jamie’s hiatus, she had to admit that his happiness was her ultimate goal and he certainly seemed happy. More than she could ever remember. 

Jamie turned to Jenny. “While Claire does her work, I thought we could go over to my property and walk through parts of it so that I can show you more or less where everything will go. Beth, Ella, you’re welcome to join us.”

“For real? I’d love to. Will you show us where the stables might go?” Beth was so looking forward to stabling her horses nearby. 

“I can give you a general idea.” 

“I’m in!” said Ella.

“Okay - sturdy shoes all round. It’s pretty rugged over there.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

In Los Angeles, Rahim waited at an outdoor Starbucks table, watching the lunchtime crowd enter and then leave with their salads and paninis. He wore a mask, sunglasses, and Lakers cap that all worked to keep his identity a secret. He wasn’t a celebrity by any stretch of the imagination, but like all the TMZ journalists and photographers, he was frequently featured on the show, sharing his latest scoop. In a town where publicity was king, he was occasionally recognized in public. And with all the social media chatter about last night’s Corden show, he wanted to be as invisible as possible when Anja joined him. Being seen in public with her would damage his credibility.

He had to wait twenty minutes, but he was okay with that. He and Anja had built up a rapport over the past year or so, and their arrangement worked well. She gave him exclusive info about where he could capture Bradley-Anja sightings, and she got the TMZ publicity she wanted. He had been a bit taken aback with how flirty she was with him, but given her man-eater reputation, he quickly shrugged off his surprise and enjoyed some back-and-forth saucy banter with her. Since Cooper had dumped her a few weeks earlier, Rahim had ramped up the flirty behavior, and he could tell she was receptive.

It wasn’t exactly unheard of for actors or music artists to have a fling with a paparazzo. Especially young wannabes just starting out. Some were happy to trade special favors for publicity and exposure. Anja was no wannabe, but very occasionally, a more established star would get sucked in too. Rahim had been a high-school summer intern in the business when Britney Spears started dating the paparazzo who pursued her with stalker-like fervor. He knew how badly Anja wanted to keep the break-up with Bradley on the down-low until she could establish herself and Jamie as a couple. Rahim figured he had some pretty decent odds of scoring a good time with her and finding out if her reputation for being a rampant nymphomaniac was well-deserved.

He had watched the Corden show segment several times this morning, and he wasn’t feeling a couple vibe from Jamie. However, the twitterverse was at odds and there were literally thousands of comments pushing two main stances: Anja and Jamie were getting it on, or Jamie dissed Anja. Either way, both Jamie and Anja were trending, and there was a surge of interest from both their fan bases. He checked his twitter feed while he waited, and shook his head at the comments people had posted in response to the hundreds of tweets about the Corden show.

_Those two are shagging each other’s brains out. JF is known for his sex scenes, and Anja is a thirsty girl._

_Nah! Not happening - I taped it and slowed it down. She was coming in with tongue and he dodged. He’s not into her._

_Everyone knows he prefers guys. Why else would he turn down a sweet snack like that._

_They are so dating!_

_He couldn't take his eyes off her tits all night!_

_Wait! What about Bradley Cooper?_

_Dang. What’s wrong wit you, Fraser! That’s one hot shawty. I’d tap that._

_Way to swerve, Jamie! Major dis for Anja!_

Anja was dressed down in yoga pants, a lightweight long sleeve tee, and her Birkenstock sandals. She wore a mask, large wrap-around sunglasses, and her hair was stuffed into her denim newsboy hat. Clearly, she wanted to be completely incognito today. Setting her coffee on the table, she tugged her mask down to give Rahim a kiss on the exposed part of his cheek.

“Sorry I’m late, baby.”

“It’s okay. You must be a busy girl this morning.”

“Oh my God, Rahim! I’ve turned my phone off. It’s crazy! Jamie’s fans are fucking crazy! All of a sudden I’m a slut and a ho and a bitch!”

“Don’t let it get to you. They see a gorgeous girl near him, and they freak out, what do you expect?”

“You watched the show?”

“Yeah. You looked hot, Anja!”

He could tell she was smiling by the movement of her face under the mask.

“Oh yeah, how hot, baby?”

“So fucking hot! I watched it a few times just to see you in that dress. And I was glad I was watching from home.”

“Hmmmm. Next time, text me. We can FaceTime. I’ll show you just how slutty I can be.”

Rahim took a sip of his coffee. “Anja, we’re out in public, don’t talk dirty to me, girl. It’s gonna get obvious here pretty soon.”

She leaned back in her chair, slid her foot out of her sandal and placed it up on his chair, right between his legs. He looked down, eyes wide in surprise. Damn, he was already starting to get aroused just talking about her and the show and his multiple viewings, and now this! Her foot was inches from his crotch, and as much as he wanted to fuck the heck out of her as soon as he could, he needed to focus on work and their meeting right now.

Her toes brushed up against his hardening length, and he grabbed her foot.

“Anja, don’t. Not here.”

“Seems you have a little problem there, baby. Do you need me to take care of that for you?”

Shit! He was about ready to take her right here, right now! He gritted his teeth and moved her foot off his chair. 

He wanted her, but he really needed this exclusive she had promised him. He had a feeling it would net him a good bonus from his boss.

“Anja, next time we should meet at my place. Let’s focus on your exclusive now. I want to help you get this thing figured out about Jamie and the Seattle woman.”

“How do you plan to do that? I don’t have a ton of information.”

“TMZ has freelance paps in Seattle. They cover mostly the Seahawks, and big business personalities, but we alert them when there are other big names there, so they cover the movie and music industry too. One of the Seattle guys was my apprentice when he started here in L.A. Give me what you’ve got, and I’ll pass it on to him to research. In 24 hours, I’ll either have a name for you, or I’ll confirm that there is nothing going on with any woman up there.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what I found out. Will you call me tomorrow with an update?”

“Yes. Come to my place, there will be paps camping out at your house for at least a week. We can speak more comfortably at my place.” He tapped on his phone. “I just texted you my address. I’ll text you again tomorrow when I’ve got something back from my Seattle guy.”

“I’ll be looking forward to that, baby. Social distancing and all these rules make life a bit lonely, know what I mean?”

He was picturing her pout beneath the mask.

“Some rules are worth breaking. What's the information you said you had about the woman in Seattle?”

“Her name is Claire. Couldn’t get a last name. She’s a university professor.”

  
  



	36. Chapter 36

* * *

After lunch, Jamie led Jenny, Beth, and Ella through overgrown grass and weeds to an area on his property that had been marked off with wooden pegs and strips of bright orange tape.

“This area here is the guest house. It will have a kitchenette, and two en-suite bedrooms as well as a living room, and a patio that overlooks the pool and outdoor areas.”

“That’s smart, Jamie. I like the idea of a separate guesthouse. Ian and I will stay there, and we’ll leave ye in the main house with all the bairns.”

Jamie chuckled. “That’s fine with me. I’ll let them watch movies past midnight, and we’ll have unlimited popcorn and treats.”

“Jamie, where will the stables go?” Beth looked around at the vast expanse of land surrounding them.

“I want it a good distance from the main house, so it’s going to be down that way.” He pointed to an area well away from the sections that had been marked off by wooden pegs.

“How many stables will you have?” Ella asked. 

“I think we’ll start with eight. We can always add more later.”

“Can we stable our horses here, then?” 

“Of course. As soon as the stables are ready, you can move them over.”

“That would be so awesome! We could ride every morning! Thank you so much Jamie!”

“You lasses have yer own horses, then?” Jenny asked.

“Yes,” replied Beth. "Mine is a beautiful, white four year-old called Sugar.”

“And mine’s a gorgeous chestnut six-year old called Spice,” Ella added.

“Well, Sugar and Spice will be the first horses stabled here, then.” Jamie smiled at how appropriately named the horses were.

“We’re riding tomorrow morning, if you’d like to meet them before we go out,” Beth said.

“Yes! I’d love to do that,” replied Jamie.

“Ye’ll be happy as heck to have horses around ye again, won’t ye, Jamie?”

“Aye, I will. Once the stables are ready, I’ll see about buying my own. And for Claire too, if she wants one.”

“Mom’s ridden our horses, and she loves them. But there’s a horse at our current stables that she absolutely loves - Calypso. He’s a rescue horse that was neglected when the original owner died, and the grandkids inherited the property and didn’t plan for Calypso’s care. He was super skinny and sick, and the owner of our stables nursed him back to health. He’s beautiful and gentle. You can meet him if you come watch us tomorrow,” Beth suggested.

“Oh boy!” Jenny gave him a knowing look. “I ken ye well, Jamie Fraser. Take yer check book along. Now, tell me about the main house.”

He and Jenny walked over to an area marked off with pegs and green tape, separate from the guest house, while the girls remained looking over the property, discussing where a good place might be for a paddock. 

“The main house will have a lot of outdoor spaces so we can enjoy these views. We’re putting in five bedrooms, a very large kitchen that you would love, a gym, two offices, and all the usual rooms - dining, family, living, media, playroom. It will have a very spectacular man-cave and whatever Claire wants for her own space too.”

He stopped abruptly and looked over at the girls, who were still talking excitedly about the stables. He and Claire had not yet spoken in depth with the twins about their future plans, and in particular, their plans for the house.

Jenny observed him thoughtfully, and true to form, she missed nothing.

“The girls are too far to hear ye. So, you and Claire are making joint plans for the house, but ye havena spoken to the girls. Am I right? Also, ye mentioned a playroom. I have so many questions, brother dear!”

“Now’s not a good time, Jenny. You’re right. Claire and I need to sit down with the twins. We may do that this weekend, while we’re all away together. And I’ll sit with you whenever ye want and ye can ask me whatever ye want.”

After touring as much as they could of Jamie’s property, they all headed back to the house. While Ella and Beth entertained Aunty Jenny, Claire hosted her last Zoom call for the day, and Jamie spent an hour on FaceTime with Murtagh, discussing winery business. 

“I’ll have all the resumes ready for you to look at on Friday, Jamie. There are some really strong candidates in there.”

“Thanks Murtagh. I’d like to go over them with Claire. She has so much more experience at this than I do.”

“That’s a braw idea, Jamie. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you on Friday. I had two of the guys test the jet skis - the girls are going to love them! The boats are fueled up and ready to go. Should be a good weekend.”

“We canna wait! It’s been a rough week and it's only Wednesday! We’re all ready for a break.”

“I caught Corden’s show, Jamie. Ye’ll have to bring me up to speed on the weekend - I imagine it’s a long story.”

“No kidding! See you Friday, Murtagh.” 

There was a tap on the door, and Claire pushed it open and walked over to the desk.

“Claire, you've no need to knock. Nothing happens here that you can’t and shouldn’t be aware of.”

“I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing.”

He took her hand and pulled her onto his lap. Burying his head into her curls, he inhaled deeply and sighed. 

“Is it selfish of me to say that if I’m going to go through something like this, there’s no-one I’d rather have by my side than you, mo ghràidh?”

“No,” she said quietly, “it’s not selfish. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than by your side - through the good times and the tough times.”

“Claire, you know-”

“Shhh,” she held her fingers up to his lips. “Stop talking, my love. I’m going to kiss you …”

When they emerged from the study, Jenny and the girls had gathered on the covered patio, and Jenny was showing the girls pictures of her family and Lallybroch. The girls were engrossed in her descriptions of her children and the beautiful family home that she and Jamie had grown up in.

“Claire, I just turned on my phone, and I’m ignoring all the social media notifications, but there are several texts from Cal and Tara. They have some updates.”

“Why don’t we head to the terrace and get a quick update and then we’ll rejoin them on the patio.”

They sat on their sofa on the terrace and Jamie texted Cal, Simon, and Tara to ask for a quick Zoom call. Within a few minutes they were all connected.

“Before we start, I want you to know that Claire and I have stayed off news outlets all day. We have a good idea of the sort of crap that’s being put out there, but we’re not reading it, and neither of us has posted on social media.”

“You're right! There’s a lot of crap out there,” Tara agreed. “We really wanted to update you on the most important developments. Cal, will you take over?”

“Thanks, Tara. Jamie, it's been a little over 12 hours since the show aired, and your fan base has exploded all over Anja! They’re pissed and it’s not pretty, but hey, she brought it upon herself. We handled some tweets for you today. We liked a few social justice-related posts, and we retweeted some shout-outs to the medical communities at the forefront of Covid response, and you commented on tweets about Space-X and a trailer for a documentary on global warming. Obviously we did not like or retweet anything related to Anja or the Late Late Show. The clear message is that you are completely dissociated from all the Anja stuff, and focusing on globally relevant issues instead. Anja, on the other hand, liked a lot of tweets from her fans supporting a relationship between the two of you.” 

Jamie groaned. “What about Millennium? Anything from them?” 

“Nothing official yet. We spoke to Millennium's PR today, and they were more than happy with how you handled things on the show. They’re meeting with Anja before the end of the week. They are getting ready to haul her ass over the coals.”

Tara interjected, “Cal, do you have those statements handy?” 

“Yes, I do. Jamie, there was a lot of public backlash against CBS regarding Anja’s behavior and her blatant disregard for rules and guidelines on social distancing. Corden’s show was the first to do an in-studio guest in months, and because of her actions last night, CBS has pulled that privilege. No more in-studio guests for any of their talk shows until the CDC or state regulations roll back restrictions significantly. That’s a huge blow, and it’s not making her very popular with anyone in CBS right now. Not to mention the other talk shows who were hoping to start hosting in-studio guests. Anja’s team was forced to issue an apology to CBS and Corden. Simon, do you mind reading the statement from Anja’s PR?” 

“Sure. _Last night on the Late Late Show, Anja Baranov inadvertently breached the social distancing regulations set forth by CBS studios and its affiliates. Ms. Baranov would like to make it clear that her actions were not a deliberate attempt to undermine CBS or the Late Late Show. She would further like to clarify that she takes all pandemic precautions seriously, and was merely reaching out to greet someone with whom she was intimately acquainted prior to the pandemic outbreak. Ms. Baranov apologizes for any distress her actions may have caused.”_

“Oh my God,” Jamie muttered, “Well, on the one hand, I’m pleased she and her team had to eat humble pie. But ‘intimately acquainted’? For fuck’s sake!” He reached out to hold Claire’s hand. 

“Her team is looking for every opportunity to push that narrative,” Simon said. “But if that statement was a double-edged sword, there’s another statement that came out of left field. You might like this one, Jamie. _Bradley Cooper has confirmed that he and Anja Baranov have parted ways._ _‘After much soul-searching, Anja and I have decided to go our separate ways. We ask for privacy during this time.’_ That was posted on ET Online and tweeted by Cooper about an hour ago.”

“Whoa!” Jamie was quite taken aback. “That is quite direct! No softeners like ‘we remain close friends’ or ‘we will always cherish our time together’ or the usual crap they spew out.”

“That in itself sends quite a message,” Cal confirmed. “Overall, it was not a great day for Anja. Two official statements that don’t put her in a good light, and she’s she’s alienated a decent number of key players in the industry.”

“Okay, team. Thank you for all you’re doing. We’ll stay away from all media through the weekend, but please text us if anything comes up that we need to know about.” 

The call ended, and Jamie leaned over to kiss the top of Claire’s head.

"That statement of hers sticks in my craw, Jamie. 'Inadvertently'! She choreographed the entire thing in advance. It's astounding to me that it's supposed to be acceptable for her to do that because she's a sexy, desirable female. When I was on the receiving end of an awful sexist incident, I had swift support in the 'I stand with Doc. B' movement. I feel like if I look at Twitter right now, I'll see hundreds of comments urging you to 'go get it'."

"I hate that double standard. Cal texted me directly earlier, out of the group chat, to let me know that he's quietly looking into that. He's treading carefully and gathering information. MeToo is still a very hot topic."

"I'd like to think that the MeToo movement would support anyone and everyone who's been on the receiving end of this type of harassment. I hope your PR comes out with guns blazing."

“They’ve got this. I trust them to take care of this in the most effective way possible. Let’s go enjoy our afternoon and evening. Have you made the dinner reservations?”

“Not yet,” she replied.

“Go on ahead, I’ll take care of it. I want to speak to Julio directly.”

After making the reservation for five, Jamie shared with Julio his need for privacy.

“Julio, I don’t often make requests like this, but there’s a lot of publicity around me at the moment, and we were hoping to get a table with some measure of privacy.”

“Mr. Fraser, I’ll tell you what I can do - there is a small patio around the corner from the main patio. It’s attached to one of the meeting rooms. I’ll have the guys set up a table there for your party. And I’ll ask the Food and Bev Manager to assign our most discreet and experienced server to you.”

“Thanks, Julio. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. I look forward to seeing you later.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In Los Angeles, Rahim had just tapped into the daily afternoon video briefing with the entire TMZ team. They took turns sharing their scoops and exclusives, and a few had some pending stories that they were working on. Rahim held back on his story with Anja and the Seattle woman, but his boss pushed him on the fall-out from the talk-show.

“Rahim, you must have something from Anja! You two are supposed to be so tight! Corden’s show is trending like crazy today! Her people even had to issue an apology for her behavior last night. That’s big!”

“I’m seeing her tomorrow, Harvey. I’ll see what I can get from her.” He withheld the fact that they had met at Starbucks earlier. Once he had more info on the Seattle woman, he would know whether or not it was a viable story. He didn’t want to risk making a fool of himself by tabling a non-story.

“Did anyone see Bradley Cooper today?” Harvey asked. “You all read his statement. Pretty cold! Anyone know exactly when they broke up?

“I heard it was a few weeks ago,” one of the paps threw in.

“Hah!” Harvey said triumphantly. “That means Anja’s probably been hooking up with Fraser for a while. Rahim get on this ASAP.”

Rahim nodded. Harvey was way off base, but if that was the story he wanted to push, Rahim would push it. 

The TMZ team call ended a few minutes later, and Rahim grabbed a beer from the fridge. He stretched out on his sofa, and was already envisioning the dollar signs from the bonus he would score if he got a good Jamie-Anja scoop. Not to mention scoring with Anja. He had picked up some condoms on the way home from Starbucks, so there would be no surprises tomorrow. He looked around his small apartment, and decided he would clean up a little in the morning and make it look more appealing. 

For now, he needed to get in touch with his Seattle contact and ask for his help in researching Claire-the-professor. 

He grabbed his tablet and started working through all his latest notifications to see how strongly the story was trending. It was still burning up the social media platforms. Twitter dominated, and there were countless new responses. 

_Whoa - way to dump Cooper live on TV! Savage!_

_Bitch, please! Cooper just dissed her with his break-up statement._

_Did Jamie say he preferred sex scenes with the co-star from his TV series?_

_I’m shipping! #anjaluvsjamie #jamieluvsanja_

_Does anyone else realize that if a guy did that to a woman on national TV, he'd be vilified? No? Just me?_

_She just fucked things up for all the talk shows wanting to host live studio guests. Dumbass bitch!_

_He’s been a bachelor for a while. He’s either gay or asexual. She was throwing herself at him, and he barely gave her a second glance._

_What show were you watching? He was all over her. She hinted that they were together in quarantine, and he backed her up when he said_ _“he was with the right person”._

_She’s a skank, Fraser. Stay away, you can do so much better._

_OMG! Did she just say that they had actual sex while filming?_

_Jamie Fraser is my dream man._

Rahim shook his head. As deeply embroiled as he was in this whole industry, he was thankful it was just his bread and butter, and he was not on the receiving end of so much vitriol. He almost felt sorry for Anja - some of the comments were really harsh. But he also knew that she thrived on publicity, and she had such an enormous ego that she would just brush off the insults and focus on all the positive comments. He could almost hear her: "It's all good, baby! I'm getting soooo much exposure!"

He picked up his phone and called his contact in Seattle.

“Nick! How’re you doing, bro?”

“I’m good! What’s up?”

“I’m following a little story, might be nothing. It has a Seattle connection. I was wondering if you could find out more?”

“What information do you have? And which celeb is it connected to?”

“You gotta swear you’ll work this discreetly and keep it to yourself.”

“Come on Rahim. You even have to ask? You trained me, bro! I owe you my career.”

“It’s connected to Jamie Fraser. Can you find out if there’s a possible connection to a college professor there named Claire?”

“That’s all you’ve got?”

“Yep. No last name, or I’d have done it myself. I searched Seattle universities and colleges earlier, and there were 40 or more! You know the area, and you will know which colleges to eliminate right away. If I try to do it, by the time I get through them all, the story will be dead in the water.”

“Okay. When do you need this?”

“Yesterday.” 

“I’m on a story about one of the Seahawks players, but I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks, bro.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

‘Fraser party of five’ enjoyed a delicious lobster dinner on a private patio at the Rainier Club, overlooking the 18th hole. Julio had done an amazing job of preserving their privacy, and none of the other members were even aware that there was a group dining on the private patio. 

When Jenny asked Claire how to get to the restroom, Claire walked with her, and waited at the entrance to the bar area. Julio saw her there, and immediately made his way over to her. 

“Julio! I want to thank you personally for ensuring our privacy this evening.”

He nodded quickly, but his face was masked with concern and he looked around him quickly. He quietly asked her to accompany him to the bar. It was almost empty, as most of the diners were being accommodated on the patio, and two or three lone golfers were enjoying an end-of-game drink at the counter. 

Julio guided Claire to the far end of the bar, where they would be out of earshot of the other members. He poured her a glass of sauvignon blanc and she knew he wanted to appear to be doing his job, as usual.

“Dr. B, I’m aware of the situation with the talk show last night. Some of the servers mentioned it, and I saw some things on social media. I am very sorry that you and Mr. Fraser have to deal with this.”

“Thank you, Julio. I sense that you have something else …”

He nodded quickly. Claire listened attentively as he shared with her a conversation he'd overheard between a group of members earlier that afternoon. Her face creased into a deep frown, and she bit her bottom lip.

"Julio, I am so grateful to you for sharing this. I will think about what to do with this information." She noticed Jenny poking her head into the bar area and waved at her.

“I need to take Jamie’s sister back to our table. I want to thank you for your loyalty and help. This is good information. Knowing this might help us prepare for … whatever is next.” 

As soon as they arrived home, the twins excused themselves to continue binge-watching ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, and Jamie, Claire, and Jenny headed to the stone patio for a night cap of Bailey’s.

"Julio did us a solid organizing that private table, Sassenach. It was a fantastic night. I even managed to forget all about the drama for a few hours."

Claire nodded and smiled at him, but was still pondering what to do with the information Julio had shared with her. It wasn't earth-shattering news, but might help PR prepare a response. It could also prove to be much ado about nothing. She wanted to mull it over a little more. Jenny's angry voice broke into her thoughts.

“Jamie, it's unbelievable that ye have this weighing over ye all the time! All the fecking time! I canna stand that ye have to deal with this crap even now, as you get ready to exit the industry. In fact it seems worse than ever. I canna imagine having this kind of humiliating crap follow me around forever. Tell them all to go to hell and just get the fuck out! Is it even worth the Oscar?”

"Jenny,” he sighed, “I canna do that. I’ve signed contracts with heavy penalty clauses. More than that, it is not the Fraser way to go back on our word. I’m not going back on my word to Tara on the Superman deal. She already had to do some heavy groveling about Bond, and I canna do that to her. I honestly feel like Anja is her own worst enemy, and that she will implode pretty soon.”

“What about what Claire thinks? I hope the pair of ye have talked about this. A lot!”

Jenny was fired up and Claire wanted to reassure her that she and Jamie were on the same page.

“Jenny, Jamie and I have had a lot of talks about this. We are in complete agreement. I support him fully, and he is equally supportive of me in my endeavors. I think he’s right. Anja is going to self-destruct. We’ll have a few more hurdles to jump, but we’re buckling in for a few months of insanity. In the meanwhile, we’re business as usual. We have good things happening to us too.”

“Claire’s right, Jenny. There are so many things that are going well in our lives. We’re about to start building our forever home. Claire is soon to become the youngest professor in Fulton’s history. The twins are thriving at everything and in a couple of months they’ll have their beloved horses in stables a stone’s throw from here. They still appreciate the simple things, ye ken. The winery is doing really well. I have my forever love by my side. And yes, I am excited about the Oscar buzz too.”

“Hmmmph.” Jenny grunted, and Claire giggled heartily.

“Did you hear that, Jamie? Jenny has the same grunts as you! How far are you with my Glossary of Grunts?” Jamie laughed his belly laugh, and Jenny looked at them in bewilderment.

“What glossary? Ye’re a pair of numpties, and I think the stress is getting to ye. I’m done for the night. Off to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight Jenny. I’m off to the stables with the girls in the morning, and after that we’re showing you all the Seattle sights ye can handle in one day.” 

Claire grimaced as Jenny stalked off, but Jamie took her hand in his. 

“Dinna fash, mo chridhe. She’ll be fine in the morning. There are a few things that you and I need to talk about. First, we need to talk to the girls about the house. Maybe we can do that up at the winery. It needs to be a proper sit-down, not just in passing. I want them to know how seriously I take the fact that we’re including them in all our plans, for as long as they want.”

“I agree. Let’s make time to sit down with them. I know they’ll be okay with all of it, but it’s important to let them know they’re part of the planning too. What else do you want to talk about?”

“Murtagh and I have gone back and forth over this, but he feels that as he learns the local wine industry from a soon-to-retire Rob Raymond, he needs someone to work with him. A Chief Operating Officer. He’s already identified a few areas that need strengthening at the winery, and someone with wine industry experience, management skills, and great vision would be a good appointment.”

“Yes, he called me about this while you were in L.A. a couple of weeks ago. I forwarded him the name of some really good head-hunters.”

“Well, they've done a great job. Murtagh has some resumes that he would like us to look at over the weekend. I’d like for you to be involved in screening some of them with me, and helping me come up with a short-list of candidates to interview. If it works with your schedule, we could interview them together, either in person or via video call.”

“Of course, Jamie. I’d be happy to help. I’m pleased to hear how well Murtagh is doing! I love that one of his first tasks was identifying threats and weaknesses. Things seem to be going well at the winery overall.”

“Aye, they are.”

“What were the other things you wanted to talk about?”

“How much I love you.” He kissed her hand.

She smiled, “And what else?”

"How much I want to show you how much I love you."

“Tell me more ...”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie untangled himself from a sleeping Claire and went for a solo run. By the time he returned, the rest of the household was awake, and the girls were anxious to get to the stables for their morning ride. They were already dressed in their riding gear.

“Jamie, if I make your latte to go and Beth makes your toast while you shower, we can speed things up here. Does that sound okay?” 

“Of course, Ella” he said. “I won’t be long. Jenny while I’m out with the girls, ye’re going to have to deal with the FaceTime call to Colum. Is that okay?”

“Oh, it’s very okay. I have list of things to talk about. By the time I’m done with him, Dougal will be on the next flight to Glasgow.” 

“Oh God, I hope Colum is prepared for Hurricane Jenny! Do ye need me around here, or am I okay to head out with the girls?”

“Go enjoy some horse time. I’ll check in with Uncle Lamb and Nonna while Jenny talks to Colum.”

The girls introduced Jamie to the owner of the stables, a tall, lanky, middle-aged woman named Greta. He shared with her that he was building stables for his personal use on his new property, and she immediately asked if there was any chance the girls' horses might transfer to his stables.

“I have a waiting-list of rescues and people wishing to stable with me, so if there’s any chance of opening some space up, I’m all for that.”

“We’re waiting on permits, and I’m told the building of the stables will take six to eight weeks. As soon as the stables are ready, we can take Sugar and Spice off your hands.”

“Let me know if you need recommendations for designing and building your stables and areas like paddocks, grazing space and a horse trail. I know a team of brothers who do a great job. How much acreage do you have?"

"Twenty six acres."

"Wow, that's a lot more than I have here. These guys will design and build a great horse area for you in that amount of space. The girls will be in their element. I wonder if they would be willing to continue helping me with the special needs program? They do such a great job with our kids.”

Jamie looked over at the paddocks, where the twins were riding their horses. 

“I can’t speak for them, Greta, but I would be very surprised if they didn’t continue. They seem to really like working with the kids.”

“I’ll ask them when they’re done riding.”

“They mentioned a horse named Calypso. Is he around?” Jamie asked.

“Aaaaah, sweet Calypso. Yes he is, would you like to meet him?”

Jamie spoke softly and gently to Calypso, nuzzling him and giving him the treats that Greta handed over as he stepped closer to the horse. He was a big, sturdy stallion, mostly black with some large white patches and a strip of white from his forehead to his muzzle. 

“He’s magnificent. So gentle.” He said as he patted the horse’s flank.

“Yes, he is. The girls have ridden him, and so has Claire. He’s steady and friendly. A great family horse. Do you have little kids?”

“Not yet.”

“Calypso is a great horse for young families. He’s good with a buddy seat, and so slow and easy with little ones.”

“Would you be willing to part with him? If he went to a good family, of course?”

“Actually, I just had a transaction fall through a few weeks ago when the family that was buying him relocated to New Jersey. They didn’t have acreage where they were going, so no more horses for them. They were devastated to lose Calypso.”

“I’d like to make an offer. How do I do that?”

“Go see my bookkeeper in the office while the girls ride. Ask her for the details of the brothers who build stables. I have to go train a new feeding team.”

“Ok, I just want to get a quick selfie.”

Twenty minutes later, Jamie emerged from the bookkeeper’s office and texted Claire.

**Babe, i got u a little something**

He texted the selfie of himself with Calypso.

**_Calypso! u got me calypso?_**

**Yes**

**_Omg! i love calypso! nowhere near as much as i love u, of course. hurry home so I can kiss u_**

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

By mid-morning, the girls were at practice, and Jamie and Claire were driving Jenny into Seattle to show her all the touristy sights downtown. They briefed each other on the morning’s FaceTimes and calls. 

“Colum is well pissed off, Jamie. He dropped the f-word a few times and ye ken he doesn’t usually swear. He’s calling Dougal today, and will call you and me later tonight. Around 10:00 p.m., which will be 6:00 a.m. in Scotland.”

“Thanks for handling that Jenny. What about you, Claire? Everything okay with Nonna and Uncle Lamb?”

“Yes, very good actually. Lamb is still in Egypt. Nonna is doing well. She is coming around to the idea of visiting us in Seattle.”

“Let me know if I should put some feelers out about one of the studio jets. It was easy as pie getting the girls over here.”

“Thank you, Jamie. It might be a little premature to do that. I need to work on her a little more. I also took some time to call Milo and Suki. They’re in Arizona at the moment. Did you know that she was just named President of the National Association of Realtors?” 

“I did not. It sounds impressive though.”

“Oh, it is. It’s a powerhouse trade organization, probably one the largest in the country, and a very strong, influential lobbying group. She saw the piece about me in the Seattle Times online and sent me a note, so I called to thank her. She and Milo asked about you, of course.”

“I should call them just to check in,” Jamie said. "They've been so good to me, and they know Jenny from when she visited me on the lake last November."

“I think Suki is onto us,’ Claire mused. “She must have heard something in my voice. I bet the minute she can get Milo out of the house playing golf, she’s going to call me and ask all about us.”

Jamie chuckled a little, and then became more serious. “I’m okay with you talking about us - they’re amongst your closest friends. Will it be awkward for you?”

“Not at all. They will be ecstatic that I’m so happy.” She reached over to squeeze his hand, and he brought her hand up to his lips. 

“Hey, lovebirds. Ye ken that I’m still in the car, right?”

“Sorry, Jenny. You’re uncharacteristically quiet back there. We’re almost at the Space Needle.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

By mid-morning, it was already uncomfortably hot in L.A. The previous day’s hashtags were still trending, but interest was lagging a little, as other celebrity news started to push Jamie and Anja farther down the list of trending topics. 

Anja’s agent reached for his phone. This would not be an easy call, but Steve Bonnet was a schmoozer if nothing else. He knew that if he had to deliver bad news, he needed to have some sort of good news to lift the mood. 

“Steve! How are you, baby?”

“I’m good, Anja, how are you doing?"

"I’m waiting for my house cleaner to leave in a few hours so that I can hide in the back of her van and get out of here to meet a friend. There are like three paps outside my gate right now.”

“Yeah, try to avoid them if you can. Don’t answer any questions for the moment. Just say ‘no comment’. Tried and tested response, and it works.” 

Anja immediately went on the defensive. “You saying I messed up by speaking up on the show? Steve, baby, I can guarantee that ‘Unauthorized Contact’ will be a box office hit on its first weekend because I have brought so much great publicity to the movie.”

“Yeah, you sure brought a lot of publicity for it. That’s kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. Some big names in the talk show world are a little pissed. Trevor Noah’s team cancelled your appearance for next week."

“What! Fucking jerks! It’s Trevor’s loss, you know!”

Trevor Noah and 'The Daily Show' team actually _wanted_ Anja on the show, but not yet. They were working an angle that required a little more research and planning, so their best approach was to cancel and allow it to look like they were reacting in solidarity with their parent company, ViacomCBS.

“I know, Anja. Once the dust settles, you’ll be on all the talk shows again. But I wanted to talk about your movie roles. So, the three movies you're shortlisted for ... I advised you to go for one of the rom-coms, and the drama, ‘Quantum Leap’."

“Yeah. I’m gunning for ‘Quantum Leap’. I love the script, love my role, and I know I aced the audition. Everyone loves working with Evergreen Studios. And I love that it’s a serious role. And that my co-star is Matt Damon. He’s been nominated for so many awards and has won a few good ones. That will look good for me, right?”

Bonnet listened to Anja's word vomit and shook his head in frustration. 

“Anja, stop! Listen to me. I have good news and bad news. First the bad news. Evergreen has dropped you from the shortlist for ‘Quantum Leap’. I’m so sorry.”

“What? What the fuck, Steve! You said I had that!”

“Yeah, I was pretty convinced you did. But the thing with the Corden show hurt us here. It’s a drama, and they want an element of seriousness in their publicity. Like Millennium with ‘Unauthorized Contact’. You only have to look at Matt Damon’s public persona to see what they want in their stars. And they weren’t getting that from you on Corden.”

“What about the rom-coms? Are they dropping me too?”

“I haven’t heard anything about them. Yet. But be prepared for anything.”

“Dammit, Steve! This is so messed up.”

“I know, hon! I’m sorry.” 

“Graham Norton wants me on his show next week. That’s a good thing, right?”

“Did you accept?”

“Yes! Of course! I told PR to let them know I’ll do it. It’s virtual, but still a huge deal to be invited on his show.”

“Anja, things can get a little crazy on Norton’s show. Normally, I would say go on there, be sexy, show your tits, talk dirty, make an impact. But in light of the Corden thing, I want to caution you to be a little careful.”

“Is there anything we can do to save ‘Quantum Leap’?” The initial shock was starting to wear off, and as reality set in, she started to tear up. 

“Anja, honey. Don’t cry. I said I have good news. I put a call in to some of my contacts and there are some other big roles that I’m looking at for you. With all production stopping during quarantine, studios are going through a ton of scripts that were in the pipeline. There's a lot of good stuff out there, and some great roles. I’m getting more info from one of my insiders later this afternoon. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

“Okay,” she sniffed.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Once again, Jamie and Claire were relieved to have the anonymity of their face-masks as Claire led Jenny on a tour of some of Seattle’s best known tourist spots. They started at the Space Needle, where the clear, cloudless day afforded them sweeping views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic and Cascade Mountains from the observation deck. Jamie bought Space Needle t-shirts for his niece and nephews, and they walked the short distance to Chihuly Garden and Glass, technically a museum, but in reality an exhibition of blown glass that was truly fine art. 

“It might seem strange that I wanted to include a visit to a ‘glass display’,” Claire explained, “but everyone I’ve brought here absolutely loves it, and it’s always a highlight of any visit to Seattle.”

As they wandered through the display areas and outside displays, they were all awestruck by the spectacular beauty of the exhibits. Dale Chihuly was a Seattle legend and a visionary artist. His avant garde style was featured in top hotels and buildings around the world, in chandeliers, vases, bowls and other works of art.

“Those chandeliers are unbelievable! How much do you think they cost?” Jamie was awestruck by the vivid colors and shapes of the breathtakingly beautiful chandeliers. 

“Horribly expensive - tens of thousands for a small one, I bet."

“Hmmmm. Which one was yer favorite?"

“The one in the second display - the one with all the ambers, oranges, and pinks. The colors work so well together … and it reminds me of our first sunrise."

“Sassenach,” he smiled his wide, sweet smile. “You’re right, it was the same color palette.” 

They reluctantly left the Chihuly location and rode the monorail that took them within a few blocks of the waterfront and Pike Place. With Jenny’s culinary background, the fish market was an absolute must, and they bought mussels, clams, fresh pasta and a range of salad ingredients for dinner. As lunchtime approached, all three opted for a small bowl of Beechers’ famous mac and cheese, and some falafel from the market stalls. They ate as they explored, preferring to stay on the move, rather than risk getting too comfortable at a restaurant and chance a mask-free Jamie being identified. On the street, they could move the mask slightly when needed to eat or drink, and still maintain their cover. For the umpteenth time, Jenny grumbled about the lifestyle Jamie was forced to lead. 

“This is a load of bollocks, Jamie! I could never live like this. Walking around, sneaking food under my mask in case someone recognizes me.” 

By the time they got home, the girls were back from all their practices, and had just finished their weekly FaceTime with Frank.

“What’s for dinner?” Ella asked, looking at all the packages on the kitchen island.

“I’m cooking seafood pasta for ye tonight,” Jenny replied. “I hear you girls are fantastic cooks and bakers.”

“We do okay,” Beth acknowledged modestly. “Can we help?”

“Aye, that would be fantastic! Jamie, Claire, out with ye! You can set the table outside and then go and relax and enjoy some late afternoon chat. We’ll call you when it’s ready.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Late afternoon in L.A. was almost unbearably hot. Anja had hidden in the back of her housekeeper’s van as she drove through the gates, and as soon as she got to Hollywood Boulevard, she got an Uber to Rahim’s apartment, 20 minutes away. She wore her mask and newsboy cap, and large sunglasses that covered most of her face.

Rahim had done a decent job of cleaning up. His apartment was freshly vacuumed, the kitchen was relatively clean, and the whole place smelled of Pine-Sol. He was in black jeans and a fitted grey T-shirt that clung to his muscles. He wasn’t a big-built guy, but he worked out and he boasted some fairly decent definition that he liked to show off in skin-tight tees.

“Damn, Rahim! I never knew you were so ripped,” Anja purred, as she walked in, trailing her fingers across his belly as she walked past him into his kitchen. She was wearing running shorts and a lightweight tee, no bra.

“Uhhh, hi to you too.” He was not expecting her to get right to it, but since he'd been in ready-to-fuck mode all day, he was more than okay with her directness.

Anja pulled his fridge open. It was full of pizza boxes and takeout containers, but there were at least a half dozen beers, and some hard lemonade. She grabbed a bottle of hard lemonade, twisted the cap off, and drank thirstily from the bottle.

“I have an update for you,” Rahim said.

“I know. It can wait. I’ve had a rough day, and I need a friend right now.”

“What happened?”

“Movie shit. There was a role I really wanted, but I didn't get it.” 

She leaned up against the kitchen counter, and eyed Rahim up and down, her eyes lingering on his crotch. He certainly had a decent-sized bulge down there and would no doubt help her forget her woes for a little while. Her nipples hardened visibly under her tee, and Rahim’s eyes dropped to her breasts.

“Come here, baby,” she drawled. Rahim walked over to her and pushed her body hard against the kitchen counter with his. She reached down and took his bulge in her hand, feeling his growing arousal in her palm. Rahim slid his hands under her tee and thumbed her hard nipples, as she unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down over his hips.

“Commando, huh?” she smiled seductively, as her hands explored between his legs. 

“Fuck me now, Rahim, and fuck me hard.”

After removing and discarding his condom, and helping Anja off the kitchen counter, Rahim tipped his head towards the living room.

“You ready for an update from my guy in Seattle?”

“Sure - it had better be good news, though!”

They pulled their clothes back on, and Rahim gave Anja a stern warning first. “I’m going to call Nick and put him on speakerphone. You need to stay quiet.” 

She nodded as he tapped on his phone.

“Nick, I got your text earlier. What update do you have?”

“I don’t have 100% confirmation, but I think I'm on the right track.”

“Okay, share what you have,” Rahim urged. 

“So I narrowed it down to eleven likely Seattle-area colleges, and found four professors named Claire. I read the bios on all of them, and stalked Linked-In and Facebook pages as much as their privacy settings would allow. I think I’ve eliminated three of them. One is mid-forties and the other is early fifties, both married with kids. I don’t know if that fits the Jamie Fraser profile, but I didn’t think so.”

“Nah - doesn't sound likely. What about the other two?” Rahim pressed him.

“One of them is approaching retirement. Didn't think it was her either. The fourth one is an associate professor. Claire Beauchamp. She’s 34 and she’s pretty hot, I’m not gonna lie.”

Anja sneered and rolled her eyes.

“I'll screenshot you a small article I found from earlier this week.”

“Give me some bio details.”

“Widow, two kids, super smart, Fulton School of Business, teaches MBA students, has done a lot of work with big Seattle companies. She had some issues with students that caused a bit of drama for her. I’m still looking into that, because my Seahawks story is hotting up too and I didn’t have time to get into her stuff too much.”

“No worries, Nick. We’re not even sure that she’s the right one. Let me take what you’ve found, and try to get some confirmation that it’s her before we get ourselves in a lawsuit.”

“No problem. See you later, bro.”

“Good work here, Nick. I owe you!”

Rahim looked at Anja and said, “You can’t do anything with this information, Anja. This is my game, and I know how to play it. Let me do the groundwork, and I’ll do it properly to help you get some positive publicity again." 

She held her hands up in surrender. “All yours, Rahim. I trust you. Go get another condom.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

It took Jamie and Claire just a few minutes to set the table, and then they headed to the terrace, where they lay snuggled together on their sofa. Jamie ran his fingers absently up and down Claire’s arm. 

"I haven't thanked you properly for my beautiful horse! I still can't believe Calypso is mine."

"I'll get myself a good one too. It'll be amazing to ride the property together - you, me, and the girls. Greta put me in touch with some guys who can take care of the whole horse area. I want to get them on a Zoom call with us and the architects so we can fast track the stables. The sooner, the better, as far as I'm concerned. In the meanwhile, I’m looking forward to two whole nights and three whole days with you at the winery.”

“Mmmm. Me too. No drama, no social media. Just fun and family. And lots of time with you in the sun.”

“Can I pick out your swimsuits for the weekend, Sassenach?”

“Nope. I ordered some new ones. You'll like them.”

"I like everything you wear. But some of your swimsuits are especially ..." He reached down and squeezed her butt. “How about your lingerie. Can I pick out your lingerie?”

“Nope, got that covered too. Gotta have an element of surprise, lover boy.”

“Doesn't matter what you pick out, I’m going to be ready for you all weekend. In fact, I’m feeling a little movement between my legs already.”

“Oh my God, Fraser! You need to keep this guy under control,” she cupped his bulge firmly and leaned in to kiss him.

“Mom, Jamie! Dinner’s ready.” Beth called to them from the patio.

They both groaned slightly. “I’ll be waiting for you as soon as you’re done with your call to Colum.”

“You might already be asleep if the call drags on too long.”

“Then you'll have to find a creative way to wake me up.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Dinner was outstanding and Jamie and Claire heaped praise on the chef and her sous-chefs. 

“I hope you girls picked up lots of pro tips from Aunty Jenny,” Claire said. “This recipe is a keeper!”

“We have Bananas Foster for dessert. Is everyone ready?” Beth asked.

“Absolutely!” replied Claire. “After that, we’ll need to pack for our weekend. If anyone needs last minute laundry, let me know now.”

At 10:00 p.m. sharp, Jamie and Jenny sat down in the study to take Colum’s call.

“Good morning to ye! Or should I say good evening? It’s still nighttime there.” Colum greeted them enthusiastically. “It’s good to see ye Jamie.”

“You too, Uncle Colum. It’s been a while.”

“Aye, and I ken ye’ve been having a spot of bother with yer co-worker. I watched Corden’s show on YouTube after Jenny’s call earlier. This must be a right royal pain in yer arse. All the media hype that’s going on around it. It’s blown up here in Scotland too, I’m sorry to tell ye.”

“Ugh, I thought it might. I’m just holding on until it starts to die down. Ye ken Dougal is still causing us a few problems, aye? The intervention we did after his outburst at Claire helped for a while, but his drinking is out of control.”

“Aye, I’ve noticed.”

“Even if he’s not being deliberately malicious, his drinking will get him - and us - into trouble,” Jamie continued.

“I had a chat with him after Jenny’s call, and here is what we’ve decided. He’s flying out with Jenny next Tuesday. He’ll fly into Seattle in the morning, and ye’ll meet there for the onward flight to Glasgow. I’ve got the pair of ye in a first class seat back, because it’ll likely be an ordeal for Jenny, and she may as well fly comfortably.”

Jenny was a typically frugal Scot and always flew economy, but she was happy to make an exception in this instance. A long-haul flight with an angry Dougal was not a pleasant prospect.

“That’s very kind of you, Uncle. Thank you.”

“In my discussion with Dougal, I let him know that he had a phenomenal opportunity with this tourism venture - the ‘Clan Hearts’ tour. I promised him full financial support and other resources as he gets it off the ground, but first he has to tackle the drinking. If he doesn’t seek help, I will cut him out of the family business altogether. He will receive a comfortable supporting financial arrangement, but he will not be a part of anything related to Fraser or MacKenzie businesses.”

Jenny and Jamie nodded soberly. Jamie spoke first.

“Uncle, ye ken this is hard for me too. Dougal put his life on hold when we lost our Mam and Da. And when I started in this business, he supported and helped and managed me when I really needed him. It pains me to see how bad things are with him right now. To hear that he may be cut out of the family is very distressing. I know with absolute certainty that Claire would feel the same way. Neither of us wants him in our space at the moment, but we want to know that he's being taken care of until he resolves his issues.”

“Jamie, I’m not cutting him out completely. He will be supported financially and emotionally. But unless he gets his drinking under control, he cannot be involved in any of the businesses. I know it’s hard on ye, emotionally. After yer Mam died, we promised your Da that we would always surround him and you and Jenny with love and wisdom. Dougal’s been with you since your teen years. He has been great on many fronts, but he has failed on some of them too. That doesn’t sit well with me. All I can say is this, get him home Jenny, and we will take care of the next steps. Jamie can then focus on what he needs to do over there without the added worry of Dougal throwing a wrench in the works.”

Colum was decisive and firm in his approach, and as harsh as it seemed, Jamie and Jenny both agreed that it sounded like a good way to start tackling Dougal’s problems.

After the call ended, they both needed a shot of whisky. The strength of the drink warmed them and helped settle the emotional upheaval of the call and the heaviness they felt at having to determine the outcome of someone’s life. As angry as they were at Dougal’s propensity to mess things up, their strong sense of family and loyalty added a certain sadness to their mood after the call.

“Let’s get a good night’s sleep, Jamie. Tomorrow, we’ll set off on a fun weekend, and we’ll push all this aside.”

Jamie was eager to head upstairs and seek the warmth of Claire’s body and the comfort of her arms.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anja’s phone rang at 11:00 p.m, startling her as she lay in bed, scrolling through her Twitter feed. It was Steve Bonnet.

“Steve! What the fuck? It’s so late.”

“I know hon, I’m sorry. I promised I would let you know about some of the big roles I was working on for you. I spent a lot of time talking to my insider, and I may have one or two that will interest you.”

“Okaaaay ….?” She didn’t sound too convinced. Steve was probably just finding random crap to keep her happy.

“There's one you'll really like. I’m getting the script tomorrow. They are ready to start shooting some of the scenes quite soon, but have struggled to find the lead actress. They need someone athletic and hot, which is totally you, and I can get you an audition early next week.”

“Okay,” she said again, sounding more enthusiastic. “What’s the movie?”

“Superman.”

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

* * *

Friday morning got off to a great start with a pleasant two-hour drive to The Grotto. They had left the house before 8:00 a.m. to maximize their weekend time together. Everyone had agreed to stay off social media as much as possible, so that they could enjoy a weekend without additional stress and drama.

Jamie drove Claire’s SUV, and even though her car didn't have the Tesla’s Caraoke feature, Jamie and the twins created their own version of it.

Jenny sat between the girls in the back seat, and eventually pleaded for mercy.

“Ye ken, if ye sounded like a lovely children’s choir, or an a cappella group like Pentatonix, I’d be fine with this. But by God! Ye’re killing me - _and_ all the songs."

🎶 _Don’t let the sun go down on me yeaaaaaaah_

“You owe Elton John an apology - the lot of ye!” 

“Claire!” Jamie threw her a look of mock horror. “Are you not going to jump to the defense of yer girls - and yer man?”

“I am not! In fact, I couldn’t agree more with Jenny!”

Mercifully, the second hour of the drive was relatively peaceful, as the girls put in their earbuds and listened to their own music, while Jenny and Jamie updated Claire on the latest developments with Colum and Dougal after the previous night's Zoom call.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Anja jolted awake in her bed. A rumbling sound had roused her, and she was pissed off. She had hoped to sleep in. But hey, it was Friday! She needed to find a group of friends to party with after her rough week. It took her a few more seconds to register that the unfamiliar rumbling noise was the sound of Bonnet snoring. She rolled over and stared at his sleeping form in disgust, then threw a pillow at him. He stirred, rolled over and stopped snoring for a while. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to let him come over last night. It wasn’t like she was that desperate for sex - she’d been with Rahim just hours earlier. After the rollercoaster of the previous days, she had been so excited and relieved when Steve had called to tell her that he was working on an audition for the Superman movie. And of course when he'd suggested that he come over and help her celebrate that bit of good news, she was on a high, and only too happy to agree.

She wondered who else was auditioning for the role. It was important for her to get a handle on her competition. Too impatient - and selfish - to wait for him to wake up naturally, she poked him in the back.

“Steve! Wake up.” He grunted and stirred, and continued sleeping.

“STEVE!” Another couple of grunts, but he carried on sleeping. She reached over his hip and started to fondle him. He groaned deeply, and rolled onto his back.

“Who else is auditioning for Superman?”

“Huh? What?” Bonnet was trying to wake up and process Anja’s words and focus on his growing erection all at the same time.

“Who. Else. Is. Auditioning. For. Superman?” She repeated.

Now almost fully awake, and irritated by her tone, he snapped at her. “Jesus, Anja. You woke me up to ask me that?”

“Yes. And I’ll ride you hard in a few minutes. But answer me first.”

“My insider didn’t want to give me a ton of information, but I think they’re down to the last handful of auditions. I’d say you have a pretty decent chance. C’mon over here.”

“Patience, Steve!" She fumbled around in her nightstand drawer and tossed him a condom. "Who got the Superman role?”

“DC Comics hasn’t announced that yet. They’re keeping that under wraps. I couldn't even get a hint.”

“Okay - well, I’m sure it’s a big name.”

“Oh it will be. Are you getting on or not? I'm ready.”

She got up and straddled him, guiding his length inside her. She could do worse than start a Friday morning off with a good shag.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie drove down the long gravel drive to the reception area of the main Grotto hotel, and parked in the lot. Murtagh was already there, waiting for them. He grabbed Jenny in a tight hug, and did the same with Claire and Jamie. The twins stood awkwardly on either side of Jamie and watched the slight, energetic man with dark hair and a full black beard. He reminded them of a pirate in some of the movies they’d watched as kids. 

Jamie placed an arm around each girl’s shoulder and introduced them to Murtagh.

“Murtagh, I’d like ye to meet my … uh … the girls. This is Beth, and this is Ella. Girls, meet my godfather, Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser.”

“Uncle Murtagh,” Claire said helpfully. The girls would be wondering how to address him.

They extended their hands, and Murtagh shook them vigorously. 

“I’m never going to figure out who’s who.” He scratched his head in bewilderment, and the girls laughed. 

“That’s what I said too, Murtagh, but I got the hang of it verra quickly,” Jenny assured him. 

“Jamie got it right away!” Beth said.

“Of course he did,” retorted Murtagh. “Okay, here are the plans. Ye’re in three rooms - Jenny’s room and the girls’ room are adjacent, and they’re a short distance from the owners’ suite. I’ve assigned a golf cart to each room so ye can get around the winery more easily. I suggest you all take a half hour to go unpack, and then meet back up here so I can share today’s proposed itinerary with ye. Jenny I’ll take ye in your cart, and the lasses can follow. Jamie, you know yer way around already.”

When they met back at the main reception area, Murtagh led them to a table in the restaurant. It was sometime between breakfast and lunch, and they had the whole place to themselves.

“None of this is set in stone, but here’s what I thought we could do. We’ll have a light lunch soon. Jamie, Claire, I thought we could start going through those resumes right away, and get the work stuff over and done with so ye can enjoy the rest of the weekend.”

They nodded in agreement.

“While we do that, I’ve booked the spa for Jenny and the girls for a couple of hours. Ye can do whatever ye want there - manicures, pedicures, face stuff, massages - whatever ye want. Jamie’s covering all of that for you.” The girls beamed at Jamie, and Jenny gave him a thumbs-up.

“By that time it’ll be mid-afternoon, so I figured we’d take the girls down to the river to train them on the jet-skis. I have all the life-jackets down there. The restaurant will prepare our evening meal and bring it down to the dock, and we’ll take a sunset cruise and eat on the boat.”

“That all sounds fantastic, Murtagh! I don’t want to change a thing. Claire, does that work for you?”

“Yes. It actually sounds perfect! Very well planned. Thanks Murtagh.”

“Jenny, girls, does the plan work for you?”

“Oh, aye! I canna wait for a mani-pedi! I never have time for that back home.”

“It sounds great to us. We’re excited for mani-pedis with Aunty Jenny too. And the jet-skiing!”

Jamie and Claire sat with Murtagh in one of the meeting rooms in the conference center, poring over six resumes from well-qualified candidates. 

“I really like the sound of this one,” Murtagh tapped one of the resumes on the boardroom table.

Claire picked it up and nodded. “Yes, I starred this as one of my favorites. She interned at wineries in France when she studied Viticulture & Enology, and has worked in winery management in France and Italy. Great references too.”

“Her experience in Europe will be invaluable as we explore those markets,” Murtagh pointed out.

Jamie leaned over and looked at the resume in Claire’s hands. “Helen Matson. Yes, she stood out to me too.” He pulled two more from the stack, and handed them to Claire. “I liked those two as well. What do ye think? Murtagh, can ye set up some virtual interviews next week? I’ll work my schedule around them.” 

“I can be quite flexible too,” added Claire, glancing over the two resumes Jamie had given her to review. “If necessary, I’ll join the call from my office on campus.” 

“I’ll take it from here,” said Murtagh, standing up and gathering all the resumes. “And now, I declare the work portion of this weekend officially over. Time for some fun. Get yer swimsuits and meet me down at the boat.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

L.A. on a Friday afternoon was always bustling. After almost five months of pandemic restrictions, many celebrities were quarantine-fatigued, and a good number of them had started visiting their favorite haunts again. Celebrity spotters and tourists were also out in force. Bars and restaurants were still on limited capacity, and starting to fill up ahead of the weekend.

At TMZ, it was business as usual, and the paps, writers and staffers met online for their daily afternoon briefing. Most were indifferent and ready to end their work-week. Fridays were notoriously bad days for news. If there was a celebrity break-up, it was often announced on a Friday, and by the time Monday rolled around, it had almost become a non-story. Despite that, many news outlets still put out their breaking stories on weekends, for fear of being out-scooped by a competitor. The TMZ team eyed their boss, looking for signs that he was getting to wrap up the meeting so they could get out and start drinking and partying their way into the weekend. Certainly, Rahim was looking forward to a repeat performance with Anja at some point over the weekend.

“Rahim, before we go, what’s the latest on Anja and Fraser?”

“I’m working an angle,” Rahim replied. “Can I bounce it off you after the meeting?”

“Sure. Everyone else, go have a good weekend.”

One by one, the screens shut down as staffers and paps clicked out of the meeting. When it was just Rahim and Harvey, Rahim shared his information hesitantly. 

“I don’t know if this is a real story or not. I’m a little nervous, because if we reveal a name here, and there’s nothing, I don’t want to bring legal issues raining down on us.”

“Why don’t you let me worry about the legal situation? I’m the lawyer after all. What have you got?”

“Okay - following that first post we did about Fraser with some mystery women at Din Tai Fung in Seattle, Anja heard through Jamie’s grapevine that he is seeing a woman up there - she’s an associate-professor at a big college. Dr. Claire Beauchamp. She’s in line for a full professorship, but there was a big local scandal a few years ago when a bunch of her male students posted pictures of her in yoga pants and workout gear at a gym. She’s pretty hot. There was a hashtag that trended that got a lot of attention and she almost lost her job over it, from what I’ve read online.”

“What was the hashtag?”

“PILF. Like MILF or DILF, but ‘P’ is for professor.”

“And the school?”

“Fulton.”

“Shit! That’s a big name business school - on par with Wharton, Kellogg, and that ilk. This story could get bigger than you think, Rahim! So what happened - how did it all resolve?”

“There was a big feminist outpouring,” Rahim continued. “‘We stand with Doc B’ was trending, and there was a lot of grassroots support from female students in Seattle and other big cities. Big business also got involved and made some noise”

“I bet big business threatened to re-route funding. Sexism is not a good look for a college!”

“Yeah, it looks like Fulton took some heat in mainstream and social media, and backed down. She kept her job and now she’s looking at a big promotion.”

“Who’s the source for her name and the link to Fraser.”

“Fraser’s uncle, according to Anja.”

“Okay. Let me think about this. We’re moving into a bit of a rocky area with feminists still raging over MeToo stuff. I need to think about whether it’s worth it or not. We don’t need another lawsuit. Keep your phone on this weekend. I’ll be in touch. Go enjoy your Friday night.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

By the time dinner was loaded onto the boat, the girls had learned the basics of jet-skiing safely. Jenny had taken a turn too, but decided she preferred the tranquility of the moored boat rocking gently in the undulating water. The twins were exhilarated and exhausted after almost two hours of practicing their new-found water-sport skills, and were more than ready to slip into their cover-ups and enjoy a lazy dinner cruise on the boat. 

As they made their way down a rugged path to the river, Jamie and Claire marveled at the vision that Rob and Susan Raymond had years ago when they purchased the land overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. They paused to admire the landscape and views around them.

“Rob and Susan really lucked out when they snagged this land," Claire remarked. “It would be almost impossible to build a facility like The Grotto from scratch today! Unless you're Jeff Bezos. The property values around the Gorge are through the roof! The stars must have aligned for the Raymonds too, all those years ago.” 

Jamie pulled her into an embrace and murmured into her hair, “The stars have never aligned as well as they did when they brought you and me together.”

They shared a long, passionate kiss, pressed tight up against one another, and were interrupted by Murtagh, who had been walking a few minutes behind them.

“Let me know when ye're done,” he said, folding his arms over his chest with exaggerated patience. 

“Sorry, Murtagh,” Claire apologized awkwardly. The twinkle in his eye indicated that he was more than okay with their open displays of affection. He was thrilled that Jamie had found his ‘forever love’, as he’d described Claire several times. He was a little concerned about the effects of the media drama, but planned to speak to Jamie about that privately.

The three of them walked the rest of the way together, and by the time they boarded the boat, the girls and Jenny were ready and waiting, and their meal had been loaded and set up in the small galley below the main deck.

Murtagh took the helm, and headed out into the wide expanse of the Columbia River Gorge. It was a stunning geological wonder that had taken millions of years to form. The passage of time and slow-moving, unrelenting glaciers had hewn a meandering path through solid volcanic rock, leaving behind dramatic cliffs and rock faces that towered over the Columbia River as it flowed south, bringing with it power, recreation, transportation, and irrigation. This part of the river was a popular recreation area, but the river was unusually quiet for a Friday evening. Most of the winery staffers put that down to quarantine, and the fact that many areas were starting to gear up for back-to-school. Families just weren't traveling as much.

With most of the boating traffic gone for the day, Murtagh easily found a quiet inlet with a dock on the opposite bank, where they stopped and enjoyed a leisurely and delicious dinner of cedar grilled salmon and wild mushroom risotto. The girls created a playlist for the evening - a combination of their favorite songs by Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Khalid; some Queen for Jamie, and some of Claire’s favorites from the 90s and 2000s.

They all took a dip in the river afterwards. Murtagh arranged an impromptu swimming relay, which was won with much hilarity and splashing by Jamie and Beth. Afterwards, they all stretched out on various surfaces of the boat, soaking in the warmth of the slowly descending sun. Once they had dried off, Murtagh took them on a slow cruise up the river. They paused in front of The Grotto, and Murtagh pointed out some of the vineyards, and the varieties of grapes grown on the premises. 

They moved on, past the amphitheater and the popular campgrounds frequented by visitors to the concerts hosted at the amphitheater. The girls excitedly shared their experience at the Watershed music festival with Aunty Jenny.

“You should totally come next year, and bring Maggie,” Beth pleaded. “Even if she doesn’t like country music, she’ll have so much fun!” 

“Oh I bet she’d love it. I know she’ll love the pair of ye! She’ll be … what’s the expression ye taught me ... fangirling? She’d be fangirling over ye both.”

Murtagh navigated to a suitable spot for them to watch the sun setting over the river. He had selected an outstanding reserve Cabernet for the adults' sundowners, and Jamie had reminded him to bring some sparkling grape juice for the twins. They all savored their drinks in the quiet peace that descended over them as they watched the sun slip away and leave behind a warm orange glow above the waterline. 

By the time they returned to the dock at The Grotto, it was already dark, and Murtagh had texted some of the winery team to meet them at the top of the path with golf carts. 

“Murtagh, will ye please tip the guys a little extra - and the restaurant team too. That meal was fantastic!”

“Aye, no problem, Jamie. They have gone above and beyond,” agreed Murtagh. “Is everyone ready for bed? All this activity and sunshine and fresh air makes ye sleepy, aye?”

“I’m so ready for bed!” Beth exclaimed. “I want to be up early so we can jet ski again.”

“I want to get up early and do at least _one_ of the walking trails,” Ella said.

“I’m up for the walking trail too,” Jenny agreed. “Beth, how about we go for a hike with Ella along one of the trails, and by the time we’re done, we’ll be hot and sweaty and ready for a dip in the river. Followed by yer jet-skiing, of course.”

“Sounds great,” Beth said. “Jamie, are you joining us on the hike?”

“Ehm … I wasn’t planning on it. Quite fancy a lie-in, actually.” He carefully avoided looking at Claire.

Murtagh eyed him disapprovingly. “Nonsense,” he said. “No one has time for lie-ins. Jamie will join ye on the hike, girls.”

Jenny had to turn her head to hide her smirk, and Jamie fixed her and Murtagh with slightly narrowed eyes. Claire kept a perfectly expressionless face throughout.

“Of course I’ll join ye. Claire, you joining us on the walk?”

“I’ll see how I feel in the morning. I might go work out in the gym, or do some yoga on a mat down by the river.”

“Uncle Murtagh, today was so amazing! Thank you for everything. The mani-pedis and the jet-skis and the sunset cruise. It was the most perfect day. Goodnight.” Beth and Ella gave everyone a goodnight hug, and set off for their room in the golf cart. 

“Well,” Jamie began, “since ye killed my hopes of a long lie-in tomorrow, I’ll have to make it an early night.” 

Jenny and Murtagh grunted knowingly. 

“I’ll take Jenny up to the bar and get all caught up on the news from Lallybroch. You two enjoy yer early night.”

Murtagh and Jenny set off for the main hotel bar, and Jamie and Claire headed to the owner’s suite.

“Bolt the door,” she instructed him with a little smirk, “and wait for me in your room. I’ll be about twenty minutes."

They showered in separate bathrooms, and Claire took a little extra time to blast her hair dry. She slipped into a blush-colored babydoll, checked herself in the mirror, and padded quietly to the bigger bedroom. The bedside lamp was on, casting a soft light over the room. Jamie was standing in his bathrobe on the small patio overlooking the now darkened Gorge. He heard his door click and turned around, his face breaking into a wide smile when he saw her.

“Sassenach,” he said, holding his hand out, “Christ, you look beautiful.” His eyes traveled appreciatively over her body. “Come look at the stars."

She took his hand and he pulled her in close, wrapping a loving arm around her waist. They stood side by side and gazed up at the sky, awestruck at the profusion of glittering stars in the clear, night sky.

"They are so much brighter out here than in the city. It always amazes me."

“Aye. It’s the same in Scotland. Lallybroch sky is much more starry than Glasgow sky. Way less light pollution out there.” 

His fingers reached under the silky fabric of her babydoll to touch the soft, velvety skin of her waist and he turned her to face him. He cupped her face in his hands and stroked a thumb gently over her cheek.

“You are so beautiful, mo ghràidh. Tonight you look more beautiful and sexy and alluring than ever, and I’m the luckiest man alive.”

She melted into him, and his arms wrapped tightly around her. She hadn't realized how badly she needed to hear him say those words until now. It had been a tough week for her in many ways. No matter how she felt about Anja and her behavior, Claire had to acknowledge that she was stunningly beautiful and glamorous, with a perfect, surgically-enhanced body. No woman wanted to see someone who looked like that put her hands and lips all over her man. She knew that Jamie wasn’t attracted to Anja, but to know that millions of people around the world were now under the assumption that her Jamie, her forever love, was involved with a pouting, shallow, attention-grabbing starlet was a lot for her to bear. Yet she had done so stoically and with infinite love and support from Jamie.

“I believe I’m the lucky one, Ja-”

Her next words were swallowed by Jamie’s kiss. He pulled her towards him and devoured her mouth with his lips and tongue, his hands on her butt, gently cupping and holding her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they clung to each other, their bodies perfectly aligned as they kissed feverishly under the stars. His tongue teased her mouth with slow, probing kisses that made her arch her back and press her breasts against his chest, gently scraping his skin with the lace of her babydoll.

"I've been aching to make love to you all day. And seeing you in this lingerie … see what you do to me?”

He pulled her hips against his groin, and she felt his erection, hot and hard against her. She smiled slowly, and rolled her hips gently against him, her own arousal becoming evident in the heat and dampness between her thighs. 

“I’ve been yearning for some alone time with you all day, my love. Do you have any idea what the sight of you in your swimsuit does to me? Jesus, Jamie! Your body is pure art, and I get to claim it and own it every night.”

She tugged at his belt and slid her hands under his robe, feeling the contours of his muscled back as she held him close. His hands continued to caress and stroke the soft, yielding flesh of her arse. He slid a finger under the thin strip of thong fabric, and slowly traced it all the way down her butt into the space between her thighs. He reached her entrance, hidden in her now slick folds, and inserted just his fingertip, fixing her with a teasing gaze and tiny quirk of his eyebrow. He withdrew his fingertip and dragged it infinitely slowly through her folds towards her swollen clit, tormenting her as she willed him to push his fingers inside her. She moved her hips, but he shook his head. He moved his fingers slowly through the warm wetness between her legs, and brought his other hand up to the back of her head. Winding his fingers gently into her curls, he tipped her head back and kissed her greedily, assailing all her senses and setting every fiber in her afire with longing. There were sensations going on in her mouth and between her legs that made her breathless with desire, releasing a new surge of wetness that Jamie could feel immediately. He smiled against her mouth, teeth grazing her parted lips as she gasped and moaned.

She rotated her hips against his groin and gripped his butt hard. 

“Not yet, babe.”

“I want you so badly, Jamie … “

“I can feel it. And ye ken I want you badly too. We both need the release after a stressful week. But I want to enjoy your body. I want to savor the way you look and feel and taste.”

“Let’s go inside,” she whispered. 

Sliding an arm behind her knees, he swept her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. He lay her on the bed, and quickly shut the patio door, slipping out of his robe before returning to her.

“God, Sassenach, I still have a hard time believing ye’re mine.” 

He straddled her, his body taut and defined, every contour perfectly lit in the soft lamplight. His hair-roughened legs felt warm and strong against the creamy soft skin of her toned thighs, and she reached out to smooth her hands along the lean lines of muscle along the back of his legs. Placing a hand on either side of her head, he bent down to kiss her hungrily, his tongue pushing into her mouth, licking and tasting and teasing every recess, and savoring the warm wetness within. He dropped a trail of kisses down her neck, pausing to softly brush his scruff in all the areas that he knew would drive her mad with desire. He licked and nipped her, and grazed her all along her collarbone as she whimpered and moaned.

“Jamie … you know I want you. Please don’t torture me.” 

“I know, mo ghràidh. I’m desperate to feel you take me inside ye too. But I mean to adore you and love you and worship you first.”

He slid her shoulder straps down, and gently tugged at her babydoll to expose her breasts. 

“God, you’re so beautiful, Claire.” He nuzzled his face in the valley between her breasts, tickling her nipples, and awakening her every nerve ending as his scruff brushed tantalizingly over her breasts.

“Oh God, Jamie. That feels so good. Please …” 

She arched her back, pushing herself closer to him, closing the gap so that they were skin to skin. Gently pressing her back down with his body, he returned to her mouth and kissed her tenderly again. 

“I love you so much, Claire.” He gazed into her eyes, and she smiled slowly.

“I love _you_ , Jamie,” she whispered, bringing her hands up to his face, gently caressing him with her fingertips. “I’m never going to stop loving you.”

He kissed her with a gentleness that made her want to weep, but his hand was doing too many distracting things between her legs, and she arched her back, pushing against him anew. He eased his lips away from hers and traced a path of licks and pecks all the way down her neck, pausing at her breasts. 

“I want you so much right now,” he breathed, taking a nipple into his mouth and flicking his tongue over it, prompting an immediate reaction in the rolling of her hips against his. She dragged her hands across his back, gently scraping her nails on his skin, feeling the movements of his muscles beneath her fingertips. Her hand drifted into the russet curls at his groin and she spread her legs wider, reaching between his legs to gently touch the soft, sensitive area between the base of his erection and his balls. Her fingertips explored and caressed and teased, eliciting involuntary sounds of pleasure from deep in Jamie’s belly. 

“Claire,” he breathed, “ye’re going to send me over the edge.”

She closed her hand around his erection and slid it gently towards the head. She felt him throb beneath her fingers as she thumbed gently over the tip, feeling the moisture there and desperately wanting him to push himself inside her. 

He cupped a breast in his hand, and took as much of it as he could into his mouth, circling his tongue over her nipple, while his fingers lavished attention on her other breast. He sucked harder as she bucked her hips firmly into his groin, her hand still wrapped around his cock. 

He eased out of her grasp and gently pulled the babydoll off, exposing her near-naked body. 

“Sassenach,” he breathed as he kissed her neck, “my beautiful Sassenach.”

He pressed a path of soft, wet kisses between her breasts and down her abdomen, his scruff leaving a trail of sensations that launched new surges of desire deep inside her. His kisses reached her blush-colored thong and he slid a finger beneath the triangular patch of fabric and traced it down between her legs. The fabric was damp with her arousal, and he moaned with satisfaction as he felt how ready she was for him.

He eased her thong off and buried his face in the warm, slick space between her legs. She wound her fingers in his hair, gasping and moaning as his mouth brought her unimaginable pleasure. The vibrations of his guttural moan added to the sensations that his scruff and tongue and lips evoked as he took his time exploring every recess and niche. His tongue sought and found her swollen nub, and he licked and teased her to the edge of ecstasy and then pulled back as his tongue explored her opening. He took his sweet time, immersing himself in the sensory delights that his exploration was bringing both of them. The now familiar scent of her, taste of her, sounds of her - all melded together to drive him wild with desire.

“Jamie, please!"

“Tell me what you need, Claire.”

“I need you … I need you all the way. Hard.” 

He lifted himself off her and stood at the side of the bed.

“Sassenach, I’m on the verge here, if you want me hard, I’m not going to able to stop.”

“I don’t want you to stop. I want you and I need you now.” 

He grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her towards him, bringing her hips to the edge of the bed. Holding her hips, he guided himself to her entrance, and she wrapped her legs around him. Slowly, inch by inch, he pushed himself inside her, adjusting the angle of her hips to reach parts of her that would bring her to the verge of ecstasy. She gasped and clutched the bedding in her fists.

“Okay?” He searched her face for confirmation.

“Yes! God, yes!” she cried out.

He pulled out almost all the way, and pushed back in, hard and firm, and she gasped again. They fell into their rhythm and he thrust deep and hard inside her, guiding her hips to maximize their shared pleasure. She moaned in delight at the sensation of him reaching areas inside her that only he had reached, and only he could. 

Watching and hearing her pleasure brought him even closer to his own release and he fought to restrain himself and prolong their mutual enjoyment.

"Harder, Jamie. Don't be gentle ..."

He pushed harder still, grabbing her hips for leverage, and giving her everything he had, stretching her and filling her just the way she needed. Her hips were meeting him thrust for thrust, and little rhythmic grunts escaped her as he filled her completely with each deep push. Her back arched and her hands grabbed his thighs, nails digging into his flesh, and he knew she was getting closer to peaking. He leaned over and placed a hand on either side of her shoulders, and they locked gazes. Jamie adjusted his angle and rhythm, and she cried out as his movements reached every part of her that ached for the friction that would bring her to her climax. She clenched hard around his length, and he groaned at the sensation of added tightness.

“Claire …” he breathed.

“Jamie, oh God, Jamie ...”

She grabbed his arms, fingers pressed hard into the muscles there. He watched her closely, completely attuned to her unique signals and sounds. He knew that she was almost as close as he was. Her hips rocked up hard against him, and that was the sign he needed. Grinding hard against her, his mound pushing against her swollen nub, and plunging as deep as he could, he maintained his rhythm tirelessly until he felt her go over the edge. Waves of bliss washed over her and she pulsed tightly around his length. He let out a deep groan, and as she continued to shudder and clench, he lost himself in her, reaching his own release and emptying himself in her in deep, satisfying gushes, as they both reached a shattering peak.

In the immediate afterglow, she moved back up the bed, and slipped under the bedcovers. He lowered himself into bed next to her. They rolled to face each other, and kissed, keeping their lips pressed together as they came down from their mutual high. Their breathing eventually aligned, and they remained there, gazing at each other, lips still lightly touching. 

“I love you, Jamie. I love you so much, my heart hurts.”

“I love you too, mo chridhe. And I ken what ye mean. It's a good kind of hurt, though. Nothing will ever come between us to make us hurt differently.”

She nodded. “I can’t imagine that we would ever allow that, Jamie. I love you eternally. Whatever we have to face, we’ll do it together.”

“We will. I will always love you, Claire. I will always protect our love and I will always protect you from anything that threatens your happiness. Our happiness.”

They kissed again, and as sleep started to push into their consciousness, he reached for her hand, and laced his fingers through hers. He brought their joined hands up and held them between their chests, forming a bridge between her heart and his. They finally fell into a sound, restful sleep.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rahim was already asleep when his phone buzzed just before midnight. He never used ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode in case he missed a scoop. He fumbled for his phone, and checked the caller ID. ‘Boss’.

“Fuck!”

He sat up and tapped his phone.

“Rahim! You weren’t sleeping were you? It’s Friday night! Why aren’t you out partying?”

“Quiet night, Harvey. What’s up?”

“I’ve been chewing on that story a bit. The source is reliable - I mean, Fraser’s uncle knows who he’s dating for sure, right? The only thing I’m not comfortable with is that we don’t have picture evidence that confirms it. Nonetheless, I want you to run a story early tomorrow. Write a skeleton with what you know and submit it. One of the editors will finesse it.”

“On a Saturday? It’s an even worse day for news than Friday!” Rahim was incredulous. 

“If we don’t get on it, someone else will. I‘ve just got a hunch about this story.”

“Okay, Harvey - give me the gist and some of the language you want me to use, so that we’re covered.” 

“Something like this: ‘Sources close to Jamie Fraser confirm romantic ties with a Seattle-based college professor. Fraser’s spokesperson was unavailable for comment.’ Because you know they’re gonna tell us to take a hike if we ask them.” 

“That post is going to piss Anja off. A lot!”

“I really don’t care what she thinks, Rahim! It’s about the story, and right now, Jamie and Anja are falling off the trending trajectory. This will bring a surge of interest in the Jamie story. I’m sure Anja will do something next week that gets her back in the news.”

“Yeah, in this case she’s not as bothered about getting publicity as she is about convincing everyone that she and Jamie are a hot item.”

“Even better! Now we have a love triangle. This will be awesome! Get on it, Rahim.” Harvey hung up, and Rahim tossed his phone across the room.

“Fuck!” He cursed aloud again as he rolled out of bed to get his laptop. “Hopefully, the story dies over the weekend.” He gave himself a pep-talk as he contemplated Anja’s tantrum if she found out he was behind the story. “She’s on Norton’s show next week and she will push the Jamie agenda there, and all will be good in her world.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie awoke first. Claire had rolled onto her back during the night, and Jamie raised himself up on one arm to look at her. She looked so peaceful and content, her lips slightly parted and her body completely relaxed. Her long lashes flickered slightly as she subconsciously registered the movement next to her. She continued sleeping, and he bent down to whisper in her ear.

“I love you. My sweet forever love.” He smoothed her curls away from her face, and dropped tiny kisses below her ear.

She smiled and squirmed a little, but kept her eyes shut. “Good morning, my love.”

“It’s always a good morning when I wake up with you.”

“I can't wait to wake up with you forever, and not have to sneak in and out of my room.” She turned her face towards him, and opened her eyes.

“Me too.” He wound one of her curls around his finger. “Once we get past this insanity, we can really focus on our future. The house, Paris for your birthday, the horses, so many things to think about as we plan our forever."

He leaned down to kiss her lips. "We missed the sunrise," he said ruefully.

"It's okay. We'll try tomorrow. Or on another visit."

"I was thinking that we really need to talk to the girls about the house today. Would you be willing to Zoom with the stable builders and architects later, if they're available?”

“Absolutely!" she agreed. "We could talk to the girls a little before that, and ask them to participate in the call. They might have ideas for the stables too.”

“Hundred percent agree! I’ll try to set it up for after lunch. I just hope they're okay with everything. I hope it doesn't spoil the weekend for them - the fact that we're moving them out of their much-loved home."

"I have a feeling that they will be totally okay with it, my love."

"Have you decided whether you’re walking with us or doing yoga this morning?”

“I think I’ll head down to the river and do some yoga and meditation. I need a little solo re-set after this crazy week.”

“Okay, mo ghràidh. I’ll keep an eye on the girls. We should be back by 11:00’ish.”

“Mm-hmm. But first …”

She rolled over to face him and trailed her fingers from his chest, past his abs, and into the recesses of his V-line. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

They all met in the parking lot of the main hotel. Saturdays were somewhat busier at The Grotto, as people came for their famous weekend brunch. It was a good time to go for a hike. By the time they got back, the brunch crowd would be gone. Claire left them to walk down to the river with her yoga mat, while the rest of the group headed for the start of the hiking trail. As expected, the girls led the way, setting a good pace and gaining some distance on the three adults. 

“Ella, Beth,” Jamie called out to them, “It’s okay to be ahead of us, but please don’t go so far ahead that I lose sight of ye.”

“Okay, we’ll keep checking back,” Ella waved cheerfully.

“They’re braw lasses, Jamie. So polite, friendly, and canty. And clearly verra fond of you,” Murtagh said sincerely.

“Aye, I’m verra fond of them too. Claire has done an amazing job of raising them, largely without input from their father. Even though her late husband was much more involved, I can see her strong influence in almost everything they do and say. She’s a terrific mother.”

“Clearly the two of you have spoken about bairns then, Jamie,” Jenny said. “Ye’ve included a playroom in yer house plans.”

“Aye, we have spoken about children. Claire and I are in complete agreement on that.”

“Wait a minute there, Jamie,” Murtagh interrupted. “Are ye sure ye’re reading her signals right? It seems to me that any woman who has raised two children almost to adulthood would not want to start all over again. Are ye pressuring her because you’re crazy about children?”

“Oh my God, Murtagh!” Jenny exclaimed. “Spoken like a man who has refused to date any woman who even mentioned the word ‘baby’! I canna speak for Claire, but typically, most women would not plan on having twins at the age of eighteen. Especially with a man who was already showing signs of being disconnected. I truly feel that these two mush-piles are deeply in love and canna wait to start a life together, and share that love with as many bairns as they’re blessed with. In addition to continuing to love and nurture the twins.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Jenny,” Jamie agreed.

“Fatherhood always seemed so daunting to me,” Murtagh said somberly. “When yer Da passed, the pair of ye were so broken and I worried that I was not up to the challenge of helping to raise ye. I think it made me wary about ever fathering my own bairns. I’ve nothing against children at all. Ye know how much I love your squad, Jenny.”

“Aye, and ye’re brilliant with them,” she responded.

“I’ll be brilliant with Jamie’s too. Jamie, ye really look happy and content now. So different from a few years back. Meeting Claire seems to have changed ye, even though ye havena known each other verra long. But I see some stressful times ahead. I know ye feel like this will be over in a few months, once ‘Unauthorized Contact’ hits the circuit and the Oscars are over. But it’s likely to be the most stressful few months ye’ve ever known. Are ye sure you and Claire can withstand that kind of constant media bombardment. Have ye prepared her well?”

“My main aim through all of this, is to get Claire through it unscathed. She is in all my meetings with Tara and my PR team. She has my back and I have hers. I fully trust my team to help us through this.”

Murtagh shrugged. “The problem is that ye want a regular life. A normal life, out of the spotlight, and that’s not going to happen until a few years after ye leave the movie business. The sooner ye’re out, the better. Why can’t you wriggle out of Superman like ye did with Bond. It’s not like you need the money. Your syndication income from Clan Hearts and box office percentage from other work is plenty. Not to mention the winery. Ye’ve seen the 5 year projections here. Ye’re not exactly hurting for money. Your net worth exceeds Colum’s now.”

“The money’s irrelevant. What matters is that I protect Claire and the twins from all the mess that Anja caused. Jenny asked me the same thing about walking out right away. There’s nothing I’d like more than to walk out of the industry tomorrow. But I’ve committed to ‘Superman’, and I canna go back on my word. It’s not only the contractual obligations - and there are some stringent penalty clauses in it. It’s also out of loyalty to Tara. It was hard for her to have to go to the Bond people and tell them I was no longer interested. She’s a force in the industry, but that kind of thing definitely affects her credibility. I canna do that to her with Superman. And we picked Superman very intentionally, as ye well know. There’s not a lot of intimacy in it - and whatever there is, is mild. The fan base is all about the action and the effects, not the sex. I’ll not be expected to put on a big display with the female lead.”

“Who’s the female lead?” Murtagh asked.

“She’s not been cast yet.”

“Well, I wish ye luck, Jamie. It’s going to be a bumpy ride, and ye’re lucky to have someone strong and resilient like Claire. Last time you were up at the winery, ye told me all about her disastrous run-in with the pictures and social media. She bounced back from that, so I’ve got faith that the pair of ye can withstand all this crap.”

“What are ye talking about - what did she bounce back from?” Jenny asked, concern all over her face.

Jamie told her about the PILF saga, and Jenny came to a halt.

“Dear God! The pair of ye have to balance so much shite with this Anja situation. If she outs Claire on social media because of the information she picked up from Dougal, it could put an end to her hopes of the professorship.”

They resumed walking, keeping an eye on the girls in the distance. “We’re well aware of that, Jenny. Claire and I have spoken about that a lot. Fulton took a lot of criticism because of their approach to the PILF saga, and they might be more circumspect this time around. We looked at what happened last time with the backlash movement - I stand with Doc. B - and we think that might come back into play if anything happens to derail Claire.”

“I swear to God, Jamie, the movie business is just not worth the money and fame. It consumes every aspect of yer life. Ye can barely focus on other things - have ye even had the talk with the twins about the house you’re building and how their lives will change because of it? How ye’re moving them out of the home they’ve grown up in? I bet ye havena yet! Ye’re so focused on the Anya bullshit! Give me Lallybroch and the Highlands, and four snot-nosed bairns any day of the week!”

“We’re talking to them today. This morning, I managed to scramble together a Zoom for later today with the people who will build our stables, and our architects will join us. Claire and I thought we’d bring the girls into that Zoom, but we definitely need to talk to them first.”

“Why don’t ye take a picnic lunch and go out on the jet skis with Claire and the girls. Ye can find a quiet beach and talk about it over lunch and then come back for the Zoom call. I’ll give Jenny a full tour of the vineyards, tasting rooms and whatever else she wants to see here.”

“That sounds fantastic! Thanks for the suggestion.”

“I’m texting the chef now about a picnic lunch.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anja awoke alone in Bonnet’s bed with a colossal hangover after a night of tequila shots and Lemon Drops. He had thrown a last-minute Friday night party and invited her, and she was only too happy to attend a gathering with lots of alcohol. Drowning her sorrows and forgetting her woes was her sole plan this weekend. Her fan base was still supporting her on social media, but she was concerned about the adverse reaction from within the industry. Having to apologize publicly, and losing her spot in the shortlist for ‘Quantum Leap’ were huge blows. And that ass-hat Bradley dissing her in his break-up announcement did nothing for her credibility and reputation. She dug around in Steve’s closet and grabbed a Yale t-shirt.

_Nice one Steve. Everyone knows you didn’t go to Yale!_

She headed downstairs to the kitchen. It was a mess after last night's party, and instantly made her hangover worse. 

_Don’t think I’m cleaning any of this up Stevie-boy, because I’m not!_

She spied Bonnet through the kitchen window. He was in his swim trunks at a table next to his pool, surrounded by devices - laptop, iPad, phone, another laptop. Anja pulled the sliding door open, and he looked up. Shit! He was hoping she would have buggered off by now. He’d have to tell her about the Millennium email from yesterday. And the TMZ post from this morning.

“Hey beautiful,” he called out, a big fake grin plastered to his face. “My shirt looks good on you.”

She stretched out on a lounger near him and groaned.

“Don’t talk to me yet. I need Tylenol. Or Advil or something.”

“Drink a lot of water.”

“Can you go get me some?”

Bonnet sighed in annoyance. 

“I’ll grab you a couple of to-go bottles.”

“I’m not going anywhere, but whatever.”

He got up to grab her Tylenol and water from the kitchen, and when he returned, she was throwing up in his flower bed.

“Sorry,” she groaned, and eased herself back into the lounger. Bonnet suddenly remembered that he had an appointment. 

“Anja, I have to run in about a half hour, but there are a couple of things I wanted to talk about.”

“Do we have to talk now?”

“Yes, I need you to put a few important things in your schedule. You don’t want to forget these - they are important meetings. I’ll text you the dates and times too. First, Millennium wants to see us - you and me - on Wednesday at 2:00.”

“Probably want to thank me for getting all that advance interest and publicity for the movie on Corden’s show,” she said sarcastically.

“Like I told you the other day - be prepared for anything. Next thing is your Superman audition. That’s on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. You need to stay sober on Monday night. Can’t be arriving all hungover for your audition.”

“Jeez, Steve! You think I’m a dumbass or something?” 

“Nope. I know exactly how smart you are. You’ve got Graham Norton next week too. Please watch what you say - Millennium doesn’t need any more ammunition to start enforcing penalty clauses.”

“Uh huh.”

“Before I go, there’s a TMZ post that relates to Jamie.”

She shot up into a sitting position. 

“Read it to me.”

“The headline reads _Is Fraser Frolicking with Smart Seattle Sweetheart?_ God, that’s really bad writing!” 

“Just read the damn thing, Steve.”

“ _Is Jamie Fraser hooking up with an unnamed woman in Seattle? Reliable sources close to Fraser maintain that he has been romancing a college professor while spending time in Seattle during quarantine. Fraser’s latest movie,_ _‘Unauthorized Contact’, as yet unreleased, was filmed in Washington state. TMZ exclusively reported a sighting over a week ago when a Twitter user posted a picture that apparently shows Fraser and his sweetheart lunching at Din Tai Fung in a Seattle suburb. Fraser was also in the news earlier this week after his appearance on James Corden’s Late Late Show took an unexpected turn. His co-star, Anja Baranov, caused an uproar by kissing him on the show, setting off an avalanche of tweets and social media backlash because of her apparent disdain for quarantine guidelines. Baranov was forced to issue an apology hours after the show aired. TMZ has been unable to verify claims that Baranov and Fraser have been in a relationship. Baranov’s spokesperson said he does not comment on her personal life, and Fraser’s spokesperson was unavailable for comment.”_

“Ugh! Why would they even publish that now! Aren’t weekends bad for posting news?”

“Generally yes. TMZ probably wanted to be first out of the gate with this, I guess. I wouldn’t worry, it’s not going to generate anywhere near as much interest as the Corden show. Get your stuff, Anja. I’ll drop you at home. You can get your car later.”

His client was becoming a liability and he was ready to cut her loose. He just needed to time it well. There was no telling what the unpredictable bitch would do when crossed.

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	38. Chapter 38

* * *

It was almost noon, and everyone was ravenous. Claire had finished her yoga and meditation a good hour before the rest of the group returned from their hike. She felt invigorated and relaxed, and ready to continue a weekend of fun and family, amid their self-imposed social media blackout. Only Jamie and the girls and Jenny and Murtagh mattered for the next two days. Spending time with them was the perfect antidote to the difficult week they'd had. Jamie was in complete agreement, and had turned off all his social media notifications, accessing his phone this morning only to text the architects and guys from Idaho about meeting via Zoom later. Whatever was going on in Hollywood would be dealt with by Cal and Simon, and Tara would step in if absolutely necessary. Everything else could wait until after their weekend.

Claire sat on the patio outside the foyer of the main hotel, and waited while the hikers showered away the dust and exertion of their long walk. She was in her swimsuit and coverup, and ready to head out to one of the beaches and chat with Jamie and the girls about the house plans. One of the servers had brought her a mimosa and she sipped it while enjoying the views over the Gorge. The only sounds were the distant hum of the jetskis and the occasional muffled roar as a powerful boat engine started up and sputtered lazily, waiting for its driver to put it through its paces. 

"There's my Sassenach!" The patio door glided open and Jamie led the group out to join Claire. He leaned down to kiss her tenderly, and helped himself to a sip of her mimosa. He was in his swim trunks and a T-shirt, and ready for a day on the river.

"Hey Mom! The hike was awesome! How was yoga?" The twins were in swimsuits and tees, and chomping at the bit to get out on the jet-skis again and practice the skills they’d learned the previous day. 

“Girls, Jamie and I are taking you out jet-skiing and we’ll have an early picnic lunch out on the beach.”

“What about Aunty Jenny and Uncle Murtagh?” asked Beth.

“Sweetheart, that’s so kind of ye to think of us. Murtagh would like to show me all the amazing amenities of the winery. You lasses go ahead and have a lovely time.” Jenny gave them both a hug.

“We need to speak with you girls about something,” Claire explained, “and then we’ll come back to handle some business. But we have at least two hours to enjoy some jet-skiing fun, and then I believe Murtagh has arranged for some interns from the winery to take you wake-boarding this afternoon. We’ll all reconnect for dinner.”

“Let’s drive our carts over to the parking area, and we’ll walk down to the dock,” Jamie suggested.

The girls drove a short distance behind Jamie and Claire.

“What do you think they want to talk to us about?” Ella asked.

“I don’t know. Weird, huh? I mean … they’re always holding hands and Jamie’s always ‘babe’ this and ‘babe’ that, so I don’t think they’re having a fight or anything,” Beth mused.

“Maybe it’s something to do with all the social media stuff and the talk show.”

“I don’t think so, Ella. They both said they were staying off social media for the weekend. We’d have heard them say something about it.”

Both went quiet as they mulled it over for a little.

“Do you think Jamie's planning to propose here? It's kinda romantic with all the vineyards and great views and stuff." Beth sighed deeply. "They should totally do the wedding here at The Grotto. They could set up tables through the vineyards, or maybe on the plateau area by the cliff that overlooks the Gorge.”

Ella shook her head. “I don't think so. I'm not getting proposal vibes for this weekend. He's going to wait for when it's just the two of them.”

"Yah, you're probably right," Beth shrugged. "That makes me wonder even more what this talk is all about."

She suddenly gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth, then grabbed Ella’s arm. Startled, Ella took her foot off the pedal, and the golf cart lurched to a stop in the middle of the path.

“Jeez, Beth! Why did you grab me like that?”

“Oh my God!” Beth said in a dramatic whisper, eyes wide as she processed her new thought. “Do you think Mom might be pregnant?”

“What? No! Why would you even think that? They've literally known each other for five or six weeks!”

“A lot can happen in that time, Ella! Seriously, think about it. What else would be so important that they have to take us out and have a whole big special event around it? A whole beach picnic to tell us something.”

“Dang! You need to get your head out of romance novels. I mean, I don’t know. It seems really fast.”

“Also, Mom didn't come out for the hike this morning. Pregnant women get a ton of morning sickness. And Jamie’s been extra schmoopy with her lately.”

“That might be because of how stressful this whole thing is with social media. I don’t know. I mean … I guess she could be.” Ella was not totally convinced.

“Why don’t you seem excited, Ella! I thought you would be super happy. You always comment on how awesome Jamie is to her, and how perfect they are together!”

“I would be super happy - are you kidding? A baby would be so awesome. I just don’t want to get my hopes up. How would you feel about it?”

“I’d be soooooo excited,’ Beth replied enthusiastically. “Remember how we used to bug her to have babies a few years ago?”

“Yeah. She always laughed it off and said it would be too crazy. I mean, she was two years older than we are now when she had us. Sometimes I think of that and I can’t even imagine how she coped. It must have been pretty tough. Nonna tries not to show how pissed she is at Dad, but it's obvious from what she says that he left most of the parenting to Mom.”

“Yeah,” sighed Beth. “He’s always so disconnected, even with us, sometimes.” 

“Jamie is totally different. He’s going to be an amazing Dad!”

“Heck, yeah! He’s going to be the funnest Dad ever! And he’s going to make it so much easier for Mom this time around.”

“Yeah, I can see him being totally involved in everything.”

“God, I hope he doesn’t sing lullabies to the baby.”

“Haha! We'll volunteer to do that. Wait!" Ella's eyes widened as a new idea formed. "What if it’s _babies?_ You know? Twins?”

“Oh my God - I never thought of that!”

They looked at each other with huge excited grins. 

“I feel a squeal coming on,” Beth said.

“No! We can’t - they’re literally down the path waiting for us, and they’ll see and hear us.” 

“Okay, but we’ll have to act surprised when they tell us the news at the picnic.”

Ella pushed the pedal and they set off down the hill again, towards the parking area.

At the dock, Beth took control of one of the jet-skis and Jamie took the other. With Ella and Claire holding on tight, they rode over the waves and boat wakes, the girls squealing with delight as the watercraft bounced across the river. There was more river traffic today, and after some boisterous fun, they made their way carefully across the river to the opposite bank. 

“Are you okay, Mom?” Beth asked as Jamie helped Claire off the jet-ski.

“Sure! Why?”

The girls watched attentively as Jamie helped Claire off the jet-ski and onto the beach.

“Oh, Jamie’s always a gentleman about helping me in and out of cars, and opening doors and such. I'm totally fine.” She looked at the girls quizzically, but brushed it off.

Ella and Beth gave each other their twin look and quietly unlatched the storage areas under the jet-ski seats. The restaurant team had filled them with blankets and cooler bags packed with their meals. They spread out the blankets and sat down to enjoy a lunch of Asian chicken salad, and shrimp pot-stickers with dipping sauce. 

When they had eaten their lunch, Claire asked them to scoot in closer so they could talk. They sat cross-legged in a small circle on one of the blankets.

“Girls, we wanted to talk about some long-term plans that Jamie and I are working on.” She looked at Jamie and hesitated for a second. Jamie wasn’t sure if she wanted him to jump in and take the conversation from there, so he wavered too.

_Dammit, we should have spoken about the specifics of how we would start the discussion._

Ella and Beth waited expectantly, and Beth, always empathetic and intuitive, quickly jumped in to break the awkward silence. 

“It’s okay, you guys. We think we know what this is about. And we’re pretty excited about it.”

“Oh!” Claire said, a little taken aback. She and Jamie looked at each other in surprise. Had the girls overheard them talking about the house plans?

"How are _you_ guys feeling about it?" Ella asked.

“We're really excited, actually. I just want you lasses to be totally okay with it. It’ll mean big changes for all of us - family-wise. But your Mam and I are very excited to share this all with you.” 

"Yes!” Claire chimed in, “I’m as excited as Jamie is, and so happy to hear that you are too. It's going to be a few months before it all starts to emerge and take shape, but it'll be amazing. How did you know that we-"

Ella interrupted her, “You made such a big deal about talking to us about something important, and the fact that you opted out of the hike this morning … we just figured it was a sign. Do you … do you think it might be twins again?”

“What?” Claire and Jamie were perplexed for a moment.

Jamie recovered first. “Ehm … girls, your Mam’s not expecting a baby - or babies.” 

“Oh my God, girls! What gave you that idea?” She looked down at her flat, toned belly and grimaced.

Beth jumped in. “We didn’t think you _looked_ pregnant, because it would be too early to show yet anyway, but when you said you wanted to talk to us, we knew it was important.”

“Yeah, and since we already had serious talks about you two dating, and Jamie’s career plans, and the social media stuff, we figured this might be the big news you had. A baby.”

“Oh, girls,” Claire worked at hiding her amusement. “No, it’s not a baby. Wait ..." she looked from one to the other, frowning slightly. "Why do you both look so sad and disappointed?”

“Because we were talking about it on the way down to the dock, and we had almost convinced ourselves that you were having a baby. We know it was hard for you when you had us. You were so young, and you didn’t always …” Beth trailed off, not wanting to say anything disparaging about her father. 

“I think Beth's trying to say that Dad wasn’t always around,” Ella added. “Nonna said he traveled a ton and you had to do most of the parenting. I’m sorry, Mom, I don’t mean to throw shade at Dad, but he’s always a little detached - even with the littles.”

“So we were really excited because we know Jamie is the exact opposite. He loves you so much, and he’s going to be the best Dad ever,” Beth said.

“And we were so happy for you to have a very different experience this time around. Jamie would pamper you and take care of you, and he would never just leave you to raise the baby on your own.”

“But I guess since there's no baby, we were getting excited for nothing.”

Jamie looked down and swallowed hard a few times. He looked up at Claire. Her eyes were welling with tears and he pulled her towards him, so she could rest her head against his shoulder. 

“We need a minute to pull ourselves together, girls,” Jamie said, his voice thick with emotion. 

“We didn't mean to upset you guys. I’m sorry, Mom.” Beth reached over and held Claire’s hand.

“No, I’m not sad, sweetheart. I’m just floored at the maturity and resilience you two have. And how perceptive you are. You’re right, it wasn’t always easy for me - or you - when you were tiny, but I wouldn’t change any of it. You are fighters and survivors, and you are both the blessing of a lifetime.”

The girls listened thoughtfully, their expressions serious and earnest.

“I’m a mess right now, girls,” Jamie started, and then stopped to clear his throat. “Your words have touched my heart. I’m so moved by how excited you were, thinking that there might be a baby on the way. And at some point your Mam and I hope there will be a baby. Or babies. You have both blessed my life too, ye ken. I love every minute I spend with you. You make me smile and you add to the happiness that your Mam has brought into my life. You’re such a joyful presence and positive energy in our lives.”

“We love having you with us, Jamie. It feels like a complete home and a complete family with you in our lives,” Ella said, and Claire was struck by how unusual it was for the usually stoic and no-nonsense teen to speak so openly from the heart.

Jamie looked down again. The conversation had wandered into unanticipated and new territory, and he was unexpectedly emotional. 

He looked at Claire again, and she nodded slightly. 

“Actually, yer home is exactly what we wanted to speak with you about. Ye ken we’re in the process of designing the house on my property? We wanted to let you know that we have factored you into every aspect of the design. Yer en-suite bedrooms, study area, sport court, garages, horses.”

They both nodded and waited patiently for Jamie to get to the point. He had been expecting some consternation, maybe even mild protests, but they were calm and relaxed. He looked to Claire for guidance.

“I think what Jamie is trying to say is that his new home is really _our_ new home.”

“Aye, that is exactly what I want to say. You will always have a home with us - even though ye’re just a couple of years from college and making a life for yourselves. You’ll always have your own dedicated space in our new home. You’ll never be a ‘guest’ there. You will always belong there, and you can live there as long as ye want, or need. And I realize that it might be difficult ... thinking about leaving -” 

“Wait,” Ella interrupted, “so this is the big thing you wanted to talk about? The fact that we’re moving to a new house?”

“Yes,” Claire replied. “Jamie was worried about how you would feel ... moving from the house you’ve always considered your happiest home.”

“Well, like we said earlier, our home feels more complete because Jamie’s there," Beth pointed out. "It’s not because we grew up there. We're not attached to the house - it's just a building. And yeah, we get that we're pretty spoiled, and it's an awesome house, with amazing features, and a pool, and court - all that stuff. But home is where family is. You taught us that when we left Boston, Mom. And if our family is in Jamie’s new house, then that is where our home is.” Beth looked at them earnestly. 

“Also, we’ll have to stop calling it ‘Jamie’s house’.” Ella added. “It’s _our_ future home.”

“I love the sound of that,” Jamie smiled.

“Okay,” said Claire, brows raised in mild surprise. “Jamie and I were a little nervous to talk about this, but you’ve made it so easy.”

“We just assumed that it would be our new home,” Ella said. “Jamie includes us in everything.”

“Yeah, we know how much you care about us, Jamie.” Beth looked at Claire. “Did Dad ever ask you for the video or pictures of the day we got our Tesla?” 

Claire pressed her lips together, and shifted uncomfortably. 

“I thought so. I know Jamie did, because that was one of the first things he mentioned to us in our FaceTime call that day. He’d already seen the video. We notice this stuff.”

“He flew us home on a private jet so that we’d be more protected against exposure to Covid.”

“And found out what our favorite candy was ahead of the flight.”

“He protected us from the guys who were bothering us at the market, and even took us for driving practice.”

“Jamie, you’ve basically been treating us like family since our first FaceTime call. You almost introduced us to Uncle Murtagh as ‘my girls’.”

“I caught that too,” smiled Claire. “Thought it was very sweet.” She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. The girls smiled in agreement.

Jamie quickly changed the subject. “Well, I’m delighted that we’re all on the same page. Would you like to join us for a Zoom call with the guys who will be building the stables, and the architects? They will take us through 3D renderings and video walk-throughs and we’d like your input on some of the areas.”

“Yeah! We’d love that!” Ella was instantly enthusiastic. She loved design, and Claire had suspected for some time that she was moving towards an architecture degree at college.

“I’m in, too!” Beth added.

“Okay, ye can take a little spin on the jet-skis for a half hour or so. Your Mam and I will gather all the picnic stuff, and then ye can pick us up.” 

After they set off on their jet-skis, Jamie helped Claire gather all the picnic things together and set them at the end of the small dock. 

Jamie took Claire in his arms and held her tight.

“That was a little bittersweet. On one hand, I’m delighted that they didn’t think the house discussion was particularly newsworthy. It was just a given that we’d all be moving there. Such a relief to know that they’re okay with it. But on the other hand, they seemed crushed that there was no baby.”

“Oh God! I had no idea their imagination was going to take them there! It’s reassuring to know that when we do have a baby, they’ll be excited and happy for us. And you’ll be the ‘best Dad ever’.” They smiled at that gem from the girls’ conversation. “I’m just amazed at their maturity and how intuitive they are. They see all the dad-like things you do for them, and they notice how profoundly Frank is lacking in so many ways. It makes me sad in a way, but so happy that they have you to love them. And I know they will lean on you and learn from you as their characters and personalities continue to develop and mature. I couldn't ask for a better father figure in their lives.” 

“Claire … I’m going to get choked up here again.” 

She held him tight as he worked through his emotions.

“The last thing I want is for you or the girls to think I’m trying to replace Frank. Or Henry. I will be whatever you need me to be for the girls. Ye ken I already love them and consider them my girls. They’re a part of you Claire, and that makes them a part of my heart and my soul too.”

She looked into his eyes, so full of love and sincerity and raw emotion. “I love you,” she murmured on his lips.

They were still locked in their embrace when the girls pulled up on the jet-skis to take them back to The Grotto. 

Murtagh had asked the winery's conference center team to set up the Zoom call in a meeting room so that they could watch the presentation on a large screen. Mark and Michelle tuned in a half hour before the Idaho brothers, and Jamie introduced the girls to the architects.

“As I mentioned to you, Beth and Ella might have some requests or suggestions as we go through the plans.”

“Sounds good, Jamie! Mark and I thought we’d do a complete run-through, and then we’ll go through it area by area or room by room.”

They sat back and watched the presentation. The software provided an amazingly good impression of what the house would look like when completed, and when the run-through was over, they all applauded. 

“That was outstanding! Everything looks so realistic.” Jamie complimented them. “Let’s go through the areas individually.”

They spent time looking at each area critically, asking questions and making suggestions, while Mark and Michelle took notes or made minor adjustments. When they reached the girls’ rooms, Ella had a request. 

“How much of a pain would it be to make my big window a bay window? I’ve always wanted one for a reading nook. Beth, do you want one? Because our rooms are side by side, and it would look more symmetrical.”

“Yeah, I love that idea too!”

Ella continued: “Only if it’s not a huge change for everything around our rooms, and if it’s okay with Jamie.”

Michelle pulled up the plans for the west-facing facade of the house. “Your rooms are on the sunset side. They overlook the wooded area, with mountain views in the distance, so a bay window would be an awesome addition. They’re pretty wide windows too, so it would mean a lovely extra space for you girls. You can create something really cozy there and watch the sun go down, or read a book. I’ll make the changes and show you next week. Jamie, Claire, I would extend the bay window structure down to the lower level, so that it is fully integrated and doesn’t look like an after-thought. It means that both your offices would have a bay window too. Which is actually pretty cool. You could make it a little alcove with a sofa, or two club chairs and a small table.”

“I like that idea!” Claire said. “Jamie, what do you think? Obviously there’s a cost consideration.”

“Sounds like all three of my girls want a bay window. Please go ahead and add them. I’m totally okay with that.”

Claire reached for his hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. He squeezed back, and gave her his two-eyed wink. 

“Mark, Michelle, the guys I mentioned to you - the stable builders from Idaho? They’ll be joining us on the Zoom in a few minutes. They want to start working almost immediately on the horse area, before the rainy season sets in. They’ll show us their stable plans and I let them know that you’ll be looking over the design. I know the stables are a good way from the house, but I still want them to be aesthetically appealing, and their design should work well with the design of the house.

“Roger that, Jamie,” Michelle said. “We’ll also arrange a site visit on your property with them so we can get a sense of how big the overall footprint of the horse area will be.”

“That would be fantastic. I would really like to fast-track this project. It looks like we’re very close to getting the house plans finalized and ready to submit to the city for approval. Can ye recommend some builders and perhaps a project manager who can handle all the contractors and all the little issues that come up? I’m going to start working on a movie soon, and Claire will be busy in a new role at work. There's no way we can handle all the day-to-day questions and issues that will arise.”

"We can certainly recommend some builders," Mark replied. “And I’ll give you a list of project managers specializing in residential builds. You may not know this, but Michelle is an experienced project manager too. She has her PMP certification, and has managed over a dozen of these big custom home builds, and countless smaller ones. There are a lot of moving parts to a project of this magnitude and her attention to detail is outstanding. I can give you a list of clients that she has worked for.”

Jamie looked at Claire, and she gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

“Not necessary, Mark, thank you. We’d like to appoint you to manage the project, Michelle. We have a good gut feel about it. I’ve worked with ye both for a few weeks now, and you know exactly what we want. I can’t think of anyone better qualified to take this off our hands and run with it. You can send us the logistics later. What do you need from us now, and what are the next steps?”

“I’ll send you all the details via email. It looks like the Idaho guys are waiting to join our Zoom.” 

By the time they started to wind up the call a half hour later, they all had a good feeling about brothers, Beau and Colton Calhoun. They shared a strong family resemblance - high cheekbones, wide-set eyes, and tan leathery skin from hours spent outdoors. Both wore stetsons, which they removed as the meeting started.

The Calhouns shared their stable design, and their plans for paddocks, grazing areas, and a long, meandering, looping horse trail. Mark and Michelle expressed their immediate approval at the stable design and the footprint of the horse trail. The property was so large that none of it encroached too close to the main house. The Calhouns had even designed a small apartment in the roof cavity of the stable, in case Jamie and Claire ever felt the need for a stable-hand on a short-term basis - a summer intern, perhaps. Michelle set up meetings and site visits with the Calhouns, and assured them that she could expedite permits for the stables and have earth-moving equipment there a week from Monday. House permitting would take a little longer, but work on the stables and horse trail could start almost immediately.

Jamie asked for contract paperwork and payment information, and promised to have it all signed and returned to them by the end of the following week. The Calhouns advised that they would be driving into town from Caldwell, Idaho next week with a couple of Airstream trailers, which they would establish as temporary field offices on the property. They would also look for an Airbnb house to rent for 6 - 8 weeks, so that they could be in close proximity to their worksite. 

As the meeting ended, they all stood up and Jamie scooped Claire into a tight embrace. “That could not have gone better! I know we made some hasty decisions here, but I have a really good feeling about Michelle managing everything, and about the Calhouns. Who wouldn't want some real cowboys setting up their stables for them?”

“I have a good feeling about all of it too.”

Jamie turned towards the girls, and extended an arm to pull them into a family hug. Murtagh walked in at that moment and tried to look exasperated, but failed dismally as his heart melted at the sight of them celebrating a successful planning session for their new home.

“I take it that went well?”

“It went great, Uncle Murtagh! We’re getting some beautiful bay windows.”

“The horse area is going to be absolutely amazing. There will be eight stables and a huge paddock and riding trail with multiple different surfaces, depending on what part of the property it's on. It's going to be beautiful.”

“That all sounds verra braw. You lasses will enjoy having yer horses nearby. I have the winery interns ready to take you wake-boarding, if ye like?”

“Yes, please! We’ve been looking forward to that all day!” 

“Jamie and I will join you down on the river in about a half hour. We need to go over our meeting notes and ensure we didn't miss anything. Go have fun. We’ll take some pictures of you when we get there.” 

It didn’t take the twins long to learn how to get up on the wake-board. They were strong, athletic young women and once they had mastered the art of getting out of the water, they were trying some more adventurous maneuvers under the guidance of three of the winery’s summer interns.

The interns were all juniors in Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology Degree course, and The Grotto’s internship program afforded them the opportunity to learn from the best. WSU was on the far eastern side of the state, and enjoyed an intense rivalry with UW. The Cougars and the Huskies vied for athletic dominance, and almost any social gathering in the state would eventually bring up friendly competition between alums on opposing sides. The girls teased the interns that they would have to stand down when they met Claire, who was employed by UW, and an ardent Huskies fan.

"How's she going to feel about the fact that three Cougs taught her daughters to wake-board?"

"Oh, she'll never admit to that!"

Jamie and Claire completed their post-meeting review and walked down to the dock, still excited about how well the house and stable planning was moving. 

“I had no idea the Calhouns were real cowboys. Did ye see their stetsons?”

Claire explained that parts of Idaho still had a thriving cowboy culture. "They have huge rodeos, country music festivals, and county fairs. Not to mention men in chaps. Which are second only to kilts in the sexiness category. Just sayin’.” She raised her eyebrow and smiled a lascivious little smile.

“If ye find me a pair of chaps in Fraser tartan, I’ll wear them just for you, babe. Best of both worlds.” He dodged her swat, and pulled her in for a quick kiss. 

They walked to the end of the dock and watched the girls as they took turns wake-boarding. Jamie took pictures and video to show off at dinner.

“Okay, I’m exercising my mom bragging rights. I’m really impressed with how well they're doing out there in such a short time!”

“I agree! They have great balance. I could never do half the things they’re doing.” He couldn't hide the pride in his voice as he watched them take turns skimming over the wake in wide arcs behind the boat. They were already starting to do toe-side jumps over the wakes. 

“Want to take a ride up the river on the jet-ski?” Jamie suggested. “We can go up just past the campground, and then come back and catch up with the girls.” 

Claire settled in behind Jamie, wrapping her arms around his middle and holding on tight as he negotiated the choppy waters. There was more boating traffic than Friday afternoon, and more wakes to tackle. It was exhilarating and fun, and by the time they slowed to a halt near the campgrounds, both were ready to take a few moments of relaxation and enjoy the calmer waters near the beach. Claire moved to the front of the jet-ski and sat facing Jamie so she could talk to him face to face. 

“This weekend has been incredible, my love. You and Murtagh have thought of everything. I cannot thank you enough for making it particularly special for Ella and Beth.”

“It’s been fantastic, Claire. We’ve had a lot of fun with the girls, and I love to see them enjoying themselves so much. I hope they come back again and again, and we get to spend more time with them here. Of course, I also plan on bringing just you for some ‘us time’ every now and again.”

His little half smile was a good indication of what the ‘us time’ would entail. They leaned in and shared sweet kisses, melting into each other as the jet-ski bobbed gently in the water. 

“I could stay here in your arms all afternoon, my love. But we should be getting back soon to get ready for dinner. Murtagh went to so much trouble for tonight.” 

When they drew closer to The Grotto, they pulled up alongside the wake-board boat, which was anchored a little way from the dock. All five occupants were sitting in the rear of the boat drinking water or soda. Jamie cut the engine, and he and Claire could hear the laughter and chatter coming from the youngsters. Five heads appeared over the side of the boat as they greeted Jamie and Claire. Beth introduced them all by name.

“They’re all Cougars - sorry, Mom - and they’re studying the wine business at Wazzu.”

“Is that right?” Claire was instantly interested. As an educator, she was always intrigued by what made young people choose their areas of study. She also knew that these tough decisions would soon be a reality for the twins, as they entered their junior year of high school, and college applications and decisions started to loom large.

“Which degree course are you doing?”

“Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology,” replied one of the interns. She went on to explain that students could take a more general course that covered areas like grape-growing, harvesting and processing, or they could opt to focus on Wine Business Management, if they chose.

“Mom, it’s so interesting!” Beth enthused. “They do so much cool stuff, including chemistry, horticulture, soil studies! Can I do a college visit there?”

“Of course! We can absolutely do that.” It was very early in the college selection process, but like many mothers, Claire would prefer to have her college kids closer to home, rather than clear across the country. Wazzu was just over four hours’ drive away from home, and half of that from The Grotto.

She couldn’t wait to share her excitement over that with Jamie later. She would wait until they were alone to discuss it, but she knew that he would understand her happiness at the idea of at least one of the girls staying nearby for college.

Murtagh had arranged for dinner to be set up and served in one of the vineyards. He selected one that provided tree coverage, and some of the winery employees had loaded up picnic tables and chairs on a winery truck, and set them up in a small clearing at the end of a vine row. 

The restaurant team had done a great job of setting up everything else. The table was simply but elegantly set, and the overall mood encouraged a relaxed family dinner. Claire asked the girls to dress up a little.

“Just a pretty dress and nice shoes, as I suggested while you were packing. Uncle Murtagh has gone to a lot of trouble, and it would be nice to make the effort to look your best.”

The girls were only too happy to oblige. Not only did they enjoy dressing up and doing their hair and makeup, but they were also really fond of Uncle Murtagh, and wanted to show him how much they valued all his hospitality and help this weekend. 

Beth opted for a red on white floral print dress with flutter sleeves, and pulled her hair up in a messy bun, while Ella wore a navy floral-print, dropped-shoulder dress. She straightened her hair and added a few braids for extra flair. They both selected wedge sandals, as they knew they would be walking through the vineyards. 

Claire, in the meanwhile, tamed her curls, and applied her date night makeup. Jamie had already dressed in a summer-weight navy suit and white open-neck shirt. He was at the counter in the kitchenette, going through the emails that Mark, Michelle, and the Calhoun brothers had sent. Claire had bought some underwear specially for the weekend, and decided it would be fun to titillate Jamie a little, and give him a glimpse of what he had to look forward to later. 

“Jamie?” 

“I’m in the kitchenette. You ready? We still have a few minutes before we have to meet them in the foyer.”

“Almost. I just need your help for a second.”

She heard the chair scrape, and he walked into the room, strikingly handsome in his suit; the slight tan from the weekend’s sun exposure setting off his ocean blue eyes. 

His jaw dropped for a moment, and he let out a long, low whistle.

“Jesus! I think I’m the one who might need a wee bit of help. There’s some mayhem going on in my pants right now!”

She was in a black lace thong and matching bra, holding her mass of wavy curls up on top of her head with both hands. He fixed his eyes on her perfectly proportioned rear end - his 8th Wonder of the World. He would never tire of seeing it.

She turned to look at him and her eyes dropped deliberately to his groin. She bit her lower lip, and shook her head slightly.

“Oh, Jamie. What are we going to do with you? Can you come over and help me with my necklace?”

He moved in behind her and pressed himself up against her body, hands cupping her butt. She was standing in front of the mirror, and he gazed at her reflection. 

“You’re so beautiful," he breathed. "So sexy and so gorgeous. How did I get so lucky?"

His eyes were on the swell of her breasts peeking out over the cups of her bra. She was wearing the ruby earrings he had given her, and he dropped his head down to kiss her earlobe, before nuzzling her shoulder, knowing that would arouse her almost instantly. He held his hand out and she dropped the necklace in it. With his groin still pressed up against her back, he quickly fastened her necklace, and pressed a row of kisses along the nape of her neck. He wrapped his arms over her abdomen and pulled her tight up against him so that she could feel his growing arousal against her back. 

“Jamie,” she whispered. She had only wanted to tease him a little and hadn’t expected this level of arousal in him - or in herself. His hand slipped beneath the black lace triangle of her thong. Both of them watched in the mirror as his hand moved down into her hot, wet slit, already slick with desire. She ground her butt up against his erection, and he gasped slightly.

She released her hair and gripped the back of his thighs, as he smiled his half-smile into her hair. 

Dragging his hand back out of her panties, he lowered his head again and kissed her jawline, nuzzling her and making her whimper as his scruff dragged across her sensitive skin.

“We have something to look forward to later. My God, Sassenach, I can make love to you morning, noon, and night, and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

“Morning, noon and night sounds wonderful to me,” she sighed. “Will you help me with my dress, please.”

“Of course!”

He slipped her dress over her head, and while she adjusted it over her breasts and waist, he smoothed it down over her rear - a few more times than was strictly necessary. 

“I’d rather be taking it off, ye ken.”

He turned her to face him, and kissed her. Deliciously and sweetly and deeply. A kiss full of the promise of the passion that would lead them to fulfillment later. 

“I love you. You look stunning, as always. Quick bathroom stop and then let’s go join the others.”

Minutes later, she took one last look in the mirror. Her red floral dress was a perfect fit, and just right for the occasion. She slipped into her nude Cole Haan heels, took Jamie’s extended hand and let him lead her to the golf cart. 

The outdoor dinner in the vineyard was a special, memorable, laughter-filled family affair. Over a starter of smoked salmon and shrimp with lime vinaigrette, Jenny shared a series of naughty young-Jamie stories, and the twins laughed heartily at the tales of how often he got in trouble at school. As the restaurant team cleared the starter plates and got ready to bring the entrée, Jamie asked one of them to take some group pictures of them at the table. Then he stood and asked Claire, Ella, and Beth if they would be willing to take a family photo too. He guided them to a great background against the rows of vines, and one of the servers took several beautiful shots, perfectly lit by a sun that had not yet settled over the maintains in the distance. Later, they would look at the pictures and comment on how perfectly co-ordinated they were as a family - all in shades of navy, red, and white. 

The girls took some selfies with Uncle Murtagh and Aunty Jenny, and then they settled down to enjoy a dinner of perfectly cooked filet mignon over a bed of couscous, served with fire-grilled zucchini, grown in the chef’s vegetable garden on site.

They took their time over the meal, and as the sun set, staff turned on the fairy lights that they had strung up earlier, and they lit citronella candles nearby to stave off any unwanted tiny visitors. Jamie proudly showed off the pictures and videos he had captured of the girls on their first wake-boarding outing. They glowed in the praise from Jenny and Murtagh, and asked Jamie to send them the pictures so they could post them on Instagram. 

Dessert was a spectacularly delicious champagne crème brûlée, made with The Grotto’s own sparkling wine. By the time it was served, the effects of all their physical exertion and the residual warmth of a 90º day had them all yawning and ready for bed. The interns who had taught the twins to wake-board were almost at the end of their shift, and they arrived in a series of golf carts to ferry everyone to their rooms. Before they did so, Murtagh announced that there would be a volleyball game in the hotel pool after breakfast, and the interns would be joining them. There were whoops of excitement from the girls as they high-fived the interns. Beth and Ella looked at each other and grinned - even if they were placed in opposing teams, they knew it was going to be a fun morning. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire awoke first this time. Her head was resting on Jamie’s arm, and their hands were clasped together. She could feel his warm, steady breath on her shoulder, and drew comfort in the familiar feeling of waking up protected and safe in his arms. 

She sighed deeply, and felt him stirring behind her.

“Good morning. Why the big sigh?”

“Sigh of contentment, my love.”

He caressed her shoulder and snuggled closer.

“I love you so much, Claire. Wish we could stay in this bubble a while longer.”

“We’re going to be okay, Jamie. It’s going to be okay.”

She rolled over to face him, and rested a hand on his face, gently stroking with her thumb.

“Whatever is coming our way, we’ll face it together, my love.” She raised her head and leaned over to kiss him. “Should we hit the gym together? I’ll do yoga, while you get that hot body of yours Superman-ready. And ye ken I already think you’re Superman, but I know you have a whole lot of workouts that your personal trainer gave you.”

“'Ye ken', huh? I think ye’re surrounded by too many Scots lately. Let’s get in our workout gear.” 

After breakfast, they all walked down to the pool, where Murtagh split them into two teams of four and presided over the game, while also handling texts and phone calls from staffers around the winery. It was an energetic and hard fought game, punctuated by shouts of triumph, despair, and joy.

Ella, Claire, Jenny and one of the interns won a decisive victory over the rest of the group, and exerted their bragging rights for the rest of the day.

“Next time, I’ll have to order winners’ T-shirts,” Murtagh said, congratulating the winners. 

Jamie gathered the group together, including the interns, who were enjoying the opportunity to abandon their weekend duties in favor of hanging out with Ella and Beth.

“Girls, we’ll probably leave here a little after lunch. So ye have a few hours to do whatever ye like. Ye can jet-ski, wake-board, hang out at the pool. Your choice. Yer Mam and I are going to stay at the pool and chat with Jenny and Murtagh.”

Claire added, “If you go down to the river, please be sure to observe all your safety training guidelines, and whatever instructions the team has for you.” 

Ella and Beth looked at each other and in their uniquely twin-like way, they turned back to Jamie and Claire, and Ella said, “We'll go to the river.”

Beth added, “We’ll probably do a bit of both - jet-skiing and wake-boarding.”

“Enjoy it, girls. We’ll likely leave around 2:00 or 2:30.” 

While the girls were enjoying the river, the adults sat around the pool and spoke about Murtagh’s plans for The Grotto.

“Initially, you said ye would do the intensive on-boarding here for about six weeks, Murtagh. It seems to me that ye’ve done an amazing job of learning the ropes already. I ken ye have a long way to go, but how are you feeling about the next few weeks of your intensive training period?”

“I’m loving it here, Jamie. Honestly, the team is amazing. Rob is always available to answer questions when I have them, and I’m looking forward to interviewing candidates for the COO position. I might want to stay here a little longer.”

“Murtagh, ye’re our right hand man here. Ye can stay as long as ye like. How do ye like your living quarters? If ye’re thinking you might want to make this long term, we should consider building you a proper house on the property. There’s loads of available land.”

“Jamie, my quarters are fine. Perfect, in fact. We can revisit that later, if necessary.”

“I’m so grateful to you, Murtagh. This is a big part of our future right here - mine and Claire’s and the girls’ - and we’ve handed the entire thing to you to incubate and look after until I can get more involved. And ye’ve already done a stellar job. We just want to make sure ye’re really comfortable.”

“Ye’ll be the first to know if I get uncomfortable. Now then, Jenny and I have had some time to talk about a tasting room at Lallybroch, and we have some ideas to bounce off you and Claire.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The first hour of the drive home was much more animated than Claire and Jamie had anticipated. They had expected the girls to put in their earbuds and listen to music all the way home, but they were too excited, and wanted to rehash some of the weekend highlights.

“You guys! Those interns were so much fun! And unbelievable wake-boarders!”

“We’re following each other on Instagram so that we can reconnect next time we come up.”

“Jamie, when are we coming up again?”

“Mom, one of the interns said that if I come to Wazzu for a college visit, she’ll be my host and guide.”

“Every single meal we had was amazing! They have a really good culinary team, didn't you think so, Aunty Jenny?”

“Oh my gosh - the dinner cruise and dinner in the vineyard! It all felt so special!”

“Jamie, thank you again for getting the jet-skis for us to use. We can’t wait to share them with Aunty Jenny’s kids when they come.”

“Jamie, thanks for the whole weekend. It was the best time ever.”

“And Aunty Jenny - thanks for hanging out with us so much!”

Eventually, they talked themselves into exhaustion, and Claire turned around to find them both asleep. Beth’s head was propped up against the side window, and Ella’s head had lolled over onto Jenny’s shoulder. Jenny raised her finger to her lips in a silent message to Claire to let Ella continue sleeping. 

As they got within twenty minutes of home, Jenny and Claire decided that after a weekend of indulgence, they would collaborate on a simple meal of Nonna’s minestrone soup recipe and ciabatta bread. 

“While I help ye with that, Ella and Beth can babysit Jamie and keep him out of mischief.”

“Ye hear that, babe? My big sister gives me such a bad rap.”

“Well, after hearing some of your childhood stories last night, I tend to agree that you should not be left unsupervised while we make dinner.”

“Hmmm.”

While the girls and Jamie played a loud and rambunctious game of Heads Up on the patio, Jenny and Claire pulled the ingredients for a hearty minestrone from the fridge, and spent the next half hour chatting comfortably as they chopped and sliced and diced, and got the soup simmering on the range.

“Let’s relax at the end of the island, Jenny. It sounds a little too wild out there. I’ll pour us a glass of wine.”

“Thank you Claire. For everything over the past few days. Ye’ve been an amazing and gracious host, and I know you and Jamie are in the middle of so much!”

“Oh, Jenny,” she sighed. “Jamie is bearing the brunt of it for now, and I do worry about how much more crap will come his way.”

“His main concern is protecting you and the girls - as it should be. I wouldna be saying that a few months ago, I tell ye, Claire. I would have been telling him to take care of himself first. A few years before that, I thought we were going to lose him to the industry. The change in him is unbelievable. I have never known him to be this content and happy. And bursting with love for ye. He’s not shy to shout it from the rooftops either - well, as much as he can with this situation. He canna go five minutes without kissing ye, or holding yer hand, or touching yer hair. I’ve never seen him like this. You’ve brought him so much joy, Claire. You and yer beautiful lasses, and I’m so verra thankful.”

“He has brought so much to me and Ella and Beth too, Jenny. I never thought I’d find love again. And when I found it with Jamie, it was unlike anything I’ve ever known. It knocked me sideways. We have such a deep connection, almost from the day we met. I can’t imagine my life without him. And the girls love him too. They are so excited about the house, Jenny. They just want us to be together as a family, regardless of the house itself. Jamie’s so good with them. He doesn’t try to be a dad, but they look up to him and admire and respect him. He is a great example of what they should expect in a man. He has made my life whole and complete in so many ways.”

“I pray ye can weather the storms ahead, Claire. Know that I am just a phone call away. Or a flight. If ye need me, ye have but to ask.”

“Thank you, Jenny. You have always been his rock. It’s a comfort knowing that you know everything ... and that you have such amazing clarity in your understanding of this whole situation. I deeply appreciate all your support.”

“Always, Claire, always. Smells like the soup is ready.”

After dinner, they sat around the fire table on the middle terrace, and the girls gave them a lesson in making perfect s’mores. 

“Who knew these would be so good!” Jenny exclaimed. “When I saw the ingredients, I was horrified, to be honest. It looked like sugar overload. Which it is, really. But it’s delicious. Beth, will ye make me another please?”

They sat around the fire table chatting long after the dark had set in, and long after they’d had their fill of s’mores.

As they all started to succumb to sleepy yawns, Jamie stood up and helped them all to their feet. The girls wrapped their arms around his waist and thanked him again for an awesome weekend. He patted them gently on the head, and winked at Claire and Jenny. 

“Ye’re very welcome, girls. Your Mam and I are so pleased you enjoyed it. It has been a remarkable weekend.”

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	39. Chapter 39

Anja rolled over in her bed and prodded Rahim in the shoulder.

“Can you go get Starbucks?”

He grunted, and opened one eye. “Huh?”

“Can you go get us Starbucks? C’mon - I hate Mondays! A large coffee will help. I’ll take a venti vanilla latte, extra foam.”

“You’re kidding me, right? You’re waking me up to get you Starbucks?”

“It’s the least you can do. I’m still pissed at you about that post from Saturday. You could have warned me. So fucking embarrassing. Makes it seem like Jamie would prefer to date a college teacher or lecturer or whatever, rather than a movie star. You basically kicked me when I was down. Completely trashed my weekend!”

“For fuck’s sake, Anja! How many times do you need me to explain this to you. Harvey likes this storyline. He thinks you've been shagging Jamie for a while, and that's what caused you and Bradley to break up. And now with this professor, he thinks it’s a love triangle. He’s going to push this story. What are you complaining about - you’re getting tons of exposure!”

“It’s not the kind of exposure I want.”

“Tell that to Harvey.”

“What if I get him some really good material?"

“What are you talking about? What kind of material?”

“He wants to push his storyline, right? What if I get him some material that will really attract some attention. Guaranteed clicks and views.”

“What do you have in mind?” 

Her lips curled into a smirk.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie and Claire left for a morning run before the rest of the household woke up. It was Jenny's last day in Seattle, and they wanted to get an early start. They returned from their run just before 7:00 a.m., and by the time they had showered and made their way to the kitchen, the twins were already in there, gathering ingredients for a baking project.

“Good morning,” Beth greeted them brightly. 

“It’s Aunty Jenny’s last day, so we wanted to make a special breakfast. We don't have volleyball or cheer today,“ Ella explained the busyness in the kitchen. 

“You girls are the best! Thank you for doing that. Your Mam and I will be in the study, meeting with my PR rep. Let us know if you need anything.”

The first text Jamie had tapped that morning - when he finally accessed the long list of messages that he'd ignored all weekend - was from Cal, asking Jamie to call him on Monday morning. Jamie sent him a quick text to let him know he was available.

**You up yet? Claire and I are ready to chat whenever you are**

**_Yes. Before you call, click on this link and read the piece that TMZ posted on Saturday morning. We’ll talk about it in the call._ **

Jamie and Claire read it together. 

_Is Jamie Fraser hooking up with an unnamed woman in Seattle? Reliable sources close to Fraser maintain that he has been romancing a college professor while spending time in Seattle during quarantine. Fraser’s latest movie,_ _‘Unauthorized Contact’, as yet unreleased, was filmed in Washington state. TMZ exclusively reported a recent sighting when a Twitter user posted a picture that apparently shows Fraser and his sweetheart lunching at Din Tai Fung in a Seattle suburb._

_Fraser was also in the news earlier this week after his appearance on James Corden’s Late Late Show took an unexpected turn. His co-star, Anja Baranov, caused an uproar by kissing him on the show, setting off an avalanche of tweets and social media backlash because of her apparent disdain for quarantine guidelines. Baranov was forced to issue an apology hours after the show aired._

_TMZ has been unable to verify claims that Baranov and Fraser have been in a relationship._

_Baranov’s spokesperson does not comment on her personal life, and Fraser’s spokesperson was unavailable for comment._

“Shit! Exactly what we all predicted after Anja extracted whatever she could from Dougal,” Jamie shook his head. 

“I think we all knew it was coming. I don't get it though! Honestly, Jamie, how interesting is a story about a college professor from Seattle?"

They initiated the Zoom call, and Cal appeared on the screen.

“Hey guys, how was the weekend away?” 

“It was great, Cal. We stuck to our social media blackout and only saw the TMZ post now - after you sent us the link.”

“I’m glad you guys stuck to it. We’re handling some things on our end.”

“We appreciate that. Can you fill us in on what you know?”

“I’ve had Simon running analytics since it was posted. Initially, your name trended on a few of your usual hashtags, along with some short-lived hashtags like #seattleprof #jamieandanya and even #frasercheater. The post implies that Jamie is, you know, romancing Claire and Anja, for want of a better word. TMZ knows that will draw attention - cheating stories always do. The public is fascinated by that. There were a lot of angry tweets about it - Jamie cheating, Jamie being a player, that sort of thing. By Sunday afternoon, the story was trending downwards. There really wasn't enough substance to hold readers' attention for long. No pictures or statements. It started to fizzle out."

"This fucking pisses me off!" Jamie could barely contain his annoyance. "Can we issue a statement about the 'cheating'? I need to deny that, it's complete bullshit, and not the image I want to project."

"The team spoke about that over the weekend too. We knew you'd be mad, Jamie. We feel that since the story is already dying, if we come out and issue an official Jamie Fraser denial or statement, it will bring the story way more attention than it got originally. I know this goes against your character and your instincts, but the best thing right now is to let this story die."

“So let's imagine this story dies for now, what are the chances that TMZ will revive it later?" Claire asked. "The publicity for 'Unauthorized Contact' hasn't even started, and we're already dealing with this mess."

"It depends on whether TMZ gets more material. They didn't post your name, Claire, so it’s likely that they simply need more proof that you and Jamie are together. Harvey’s a lawyer, and they’ve had to deal with multiple lawsuits over the years, so he’s probably a little gun-shy about posting names until he’s got firm proof - either a statement from a solid source that they can verify, or photographic proof. So far, the picture they have - the one from Din Tai Fung - is useless in terms of identifying Claire. I know this is all very upsetting, so I just want to remind you that it's a new week, and new stories are already trending. Yours will be old news by lunchtime.”

“Well that’s some good news in all of this. Thank you, Cal. Jamie and I appreciate that you took time out of your weekend to work on this.” 

Cal continued, “Just a few more things to tell you - we found out from some of our insiders that Anja will be on Graham Norton this week.”

Jamie groaned. “Shit! I love Graham - his show is always a riot. He’s very socially and politically aware, but he’s also very fond of scandal and gossip.”

“Yeah, we’re a little worried about that. Anja’s segment will be virtual and will likely tape on Thursday. The show airs at 9:00 p.m. on Friday nights, UK time, 1:00 p.m. our time. We’ll stream it here at the office and we’ll report back to you immediately.”

“I appreciate that,” Jamie said, “I have no desire to watch her myself.”

His thumb gently caressed Claire’s hand.

“We’ve also heard from a few people that Anja seems to be coming unhinged a little. Drunk at parties. Smack-talking other actresses. That sort of thing. She’s not endearing herself to any of the Hollywood crowd at the moment. We’ve all been predicting that she will self-destruct, so it’s a wait-and-see game. I don’t want to rely on that alone, though. She can still cause more damage. We’ll be watching her every move, and collecting info from inside sources to hopefully preempt whatever she is trying to do. Tara is speaking to Millennium's PR in the next day or two about the Norton show. They won't be happy about it at all."

“No kidding! What’s her next film? Is she working on anything right now?” Jamie was hoping that she would have a new project that might shift her focus away from him.

“She was on a shortlist for ‘Quantum Leap’ with Matt Damon, but they dropped her last week, after the Corden show debacle. She’s also been dropped from a rom-com that she was almost guaranteed to get.”

“Hmmm. Thanks for the update, Cal. We’ll stay in touch.”

After a breakfast of Beth’s French toast bake and Ella’s perfectly crisped bacon, Claire, Jenny and the twins went shopping at Bellevue Mall. Maggie had a long list of requests for ‘cute clothes from America’, and the twins were going to help Jenny select cool things that young teen girls would wear.

Jamie spent much of the morning going over the contracts and paperwork from Michelle and the Calhouns. Michelle had already arranged a site inspection by county inspectors for later that afternoon. She reasoned that with so many construction projects on hold or slowed down by pandemic restrictions, the inspectors' workload was lighter and they would likely approve her expedited application by Wednesday, rather than the usual five days. She had conveyed this information to the Calhouns, and on the rationale that approval was a mere formality, they were planning on driving out from Caldwell on Tuesday morning. They had already found an Airbnb in nearby Preston, and were packing and planning to move in for the next six weeks - at the very least. 

On their return from the Mall, Jenny and the twins donned their swimsuits and went out to the pool. Claire went straight to the study, where she wriggled into Jamie’s lap, and pulled him into a long, tender kiss.

“Missed you, babe,” he said softly, smoothing her curls behind her ear. “Thanks for taking Jenny shopping, It makes me happy that the two of you get along so well. Watch out for her sharp tongue, though.”

“Don’t worry about me, Jamie, I can hold my own in most arguments. What have you been up to while we were out?”

“I’ve been through all the contracts and highlighted some areas for you to review with me. The rest is pretty straightforward.”

They spent the next couple of hours going over some of the finer details of the contracts, and when they emerged from the study, Jenny and the girls were in the kitchen. They had come up with dinner plans while they sat at the pool, and the girls had just returned from the grocery store. It was Jenny’s farewell dinner, and she was banned from helping, so Claire and Jamie stepped in, and together with the girls, they prepared a simple but delicious meal of ribs and grilled summer vegetables. 

After dinner, Jamie and Claire updated Jenny and the twins on the TMZ article and their discussions with Cal.

“Cal texted me earlier this evening to let me know that the weekend hashtags have dwindled to almost nothing. There’s a huge new story that completely overshadowed it - Kanye's decision to run for president. Now that in itself seems quite bizarre, but at a rally last night he said some shocking things that point to mental health issues or extreme stress, so I’m not about to disparage a man who needs help. I’m just saying that the story has become huge in L.A. and around the world, and as a result, many other TMZ stories are petering out, including ours.”

“TMZ doesn’t mention Mom’s name, right?” Ella's brow creased in a worried frown, and Claire was quick to reassure her.

“No, they might know my first name, but they don’t have anything else that verifies my identity.”

“What if they find out her name?” Beth directed her question at Jamie. “How can we stop them posting this stuff? What should we be doing to protect Mom?’

“My main focus is to protect you girls and your Mam through all of this. My PR team is keeping an eye on trending hashtags and anything that might affect us. But I have to be honest, it's very hard to predict what news outlets like TMZ will post. And once they put a story out there, it's too late to do anything. I’m hoping that this new Kanye story will help suppress the one they just put out about me and your Mam.”

“Girls, I want to emphasize that Jamie's team is working hard to try and track what's going on, but no-one can prevent these posts. I know that the last time I was all over social media, things were tough for all of us. My gut feel is that this is not a big enough story for TMZ to continue to focus on. Especially now that there is a huge story breaking and growing. Anything to do with this vague ‘college professor’ will hopefully just go lower and lower down the rankings.”

Jenny watched and listened to the discussion, and before she could add her thoughts, a FaceTime call came in on Jamie’s phone. It was Murtagh. The girls nudged everyone out of the way, and greeted him excitedly.

“Hi Uncle Murtagh! Is it awesome and peaceful without us there?”

“Hi lasses! Och, it’s way too quiet here. I miss yer noise and energy.”

“Jamie says we can come back sometime in the next couple of weeks. Thanks again for everything. We’ll see you soon!"

They waved goodbye, and headed indoors to clean up in the kitchen and continue watching Grey’s Anatomy in the media room.

“Oh, I do miss those sweet lasses! I was calling to say goodbye to Jenny and update you on the candidate interviews. The earliest I could get them scheduled is next Monday. I’ll email you the details.”

Claire nodded in response to Jamie’s questioning look. “Thanks, Murtagh,” he said, “that works for me and Claire.”

Jenny promised Murtagh she’d FaceTime with them on Wednesday to report back on the flight home with Dougal.

“If he gets cranky and annoying, order a few shots of whisky. For yerself, not him.”

“Great advice, Murtagh! I’ll not hesitate,” Jenny chuckled.

Jamie, Claire, and Jenny moved to the stone patio with a bottle of whisky and some glasses. As soon as they had made themselves comfortable, Jamie poured each of them a shot, giving Claire a little half smile as she took it from him. He knew the effect whisky had on her.

“I just want to say something and then we can move onto more pleasant conversation,” Jenny announced.

Jamie recognized her tone and braced himself. He took Claire’s hand and held it firmly.

“I was watching the girls when ye spoke about that TMZ article. They both looked verra concerned for Claire. They tried to hide it, but I sensed it as well as saw it. They would have been around 13 when the PILF story broke, aye?”

“Yes,” Claire replied, “and I kept them informed of what was happening even at that age. In the era of social media and instant access to the sort of YouTube content that I can’t imagine seeing at their age, they mature so much faster. I told them as much as I thought they could handle because I wanted to prepare them for the possibility of bullying or snide comments at school.”

“And how did that go?”

“There were a few incidents of online bullying, where classmates took screenshots of tweets that included the pictures and hashtags and sent them to the girls. When it moved into the classroom, and some classmates mentioned it in the middle of math class, I went in and spoke to the school principal. They attend the Cascadia Academy. It’s an independent school, and the consequences for violating the school’s touchstones and tenets are swift and harsh. There were some detentions and when the threat of suspension was dangled over their heads, the bullying stopped very fast.”

“Hmmm. And no doubt those incidents left some scars. I’m asking you again, Jamie. Please explore every avenue to allow yerself to get out of the business sooner rather than later. I know ye have to consider yer integrity because you’ve given yer word and signed contracts, and ye have yer loyalty to Tara. I understand all of that. I’m just asking ye … watch out for the girls if this gets any bigger. It will be hard on them to see their Mam go through another social media disaster.”

Jamie looked directly at Jenny, “I’m watching this carefully, Jenny. I won’t risk my girls’ safety and well-being. Trust me on that.”

The conversation moved on to other topics, and they stayed up until way past nightfall, enjoying their last few hours of Jenny’s company. As the whisky warmed and mellowed them, they started to feel more sluggish and the conversation slowed. They finally picked up their glasses and went indoors. Jenny headed up to bed, while Jamie and Claire locked up downstairs.

Moments later, a slightly tipsy Claire took Jamie's hand and led him up the stairs and into her bedroom.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire and Jamie were up early on Tuesday morning. Jamie dropped Jenny off at Sea-Tac, where she would connect with Dougal for their onward flight to Scotland. Claire went into her office on campus. She needed to get caught up on a few things after taking time off during Jenny’s visit. She ran into several of her colleagues getting early morning coffee in the break-room, and they were abuzz with excitement about the impending announcement of her professorship.

“Looks like the announcement is coming down next week. We’re so excited for you, Claire!”

“It’s not a given that the position is mine,” she pointed out.

“Oh, there’s no way you’re not getting this! Not only do you deserve it, but it also brings a slightly better male-female balance of professors to Fulton.”

“They finished interviewing the guy from Wharton last Friday. I heard it went well, but the preference is for someone who knows the local landscape.”

“The Wharton guy doesn’t have the donation and funding connections you have.”

Claire smiled and thanked them for their support, but did not contribute much to the discussion, nor did she participate in the speculation.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Los Angeles was still abuzz with the news about Kanye. His ties with one of the city’s most prominent families kept his story trending, and there was no respite in sight. Anja woke up earlier than usual. She had taken Steve’s advice and stayed sober on Monday night - despite a desperate desire to celebrate her success in securing the material she had promised Rahim. This morning she looked refreshed and well-rested, and as she got ready for her audition, she took a lot of care with her hair and makeup.

Bonnet met her at the Panther Entertainment complex. She suddenly felt inexplicably nervous, and he noticed. As annoyed as he’d been with her over the past week or two, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat sorry for her. Maybe this opportunity would be the one she needed to pull herself together. Maybe he’d been a little hasty in writing her off. She looked amazing today. He could see her as Lois Lane. A good dye job, the right makeup team - she would blow it out of the water. If she landed this role, he would benefit professionally in a huge way. He rubbed her back comfortingly, and leaned down to mumble in her ear.

“Listen honey, you are going to kill this. You’ll blow their minds.”

She squeezed his arm tightly, almost painfully.

“Miss Baranov?” A production assistant appeared in the waiting area, a tight, fake smile on her face. “Follow me.”

Bonnet took her out for brunch after the audition. Anja ordered a jug of mimosa, and threw the first one back in record time.

“Jeez, Steve! That was the most nervous I’ve been since my first few auditions.”

“While you were signing the NDA paperwork, I spoke to the casting director and Luke Beyer. He’s Vice President of Production at Panther Entertainment. Normally they don’t have VPs in the auditions, but they’re getting nervous about finding their female lead, so he’s taking a more active role. They both said you were awesome! Beyer said he liked the physicality in your audition. Which is probably code for he thinks you have a hot bod, but he can’t say that.”

Bonnet couldn't have been further off the mark in his assessment of Beyer, but nonetheless, Anja squirmed with pleasure when she heard that. “So my odds are good?”

“I’d say 80-20, if I were to guess. Not bad considering you’ve lost some big stuff in the past week.”

Anger flashed in her eyes. "Do you have to fucking mention that?" She poured herself another glass of mimosa. "When do you think they’ll announce me?”

“The announcement is next week. They’re working with the events company that plans most of the awards ceremonies. It's going to be a huge, splashy announcement.”

“Exciting! Still no hint about the male lead?”

“Not even a whisper. NDAs everywhere, and no-one’s talking. They want that big reveal. Between you and me, I’m wondering if it’s Liam Hemsworth. Chris played Thor for Marvel, so casting Liam would bring a cool brother and franchise rivalry. Chris vs Liam. Marvel vs DC Comics.”

“Hmmm. Intriguing …” Anya smiled her approval. “Liam’s a hottie! And he and Miley are history. Not that it would stop me. Oh my God, Steve! Superman is sounding better and better. You need to make sure I get this!”

Just a few blocks away, at the TMZ offices, Harvey waited for Rahim. 

“You’re late!” Harvey grumbled, as Rahim strolled in with his Starbucks.

“Sorry - literally three minutes, though.”

“Before you show me your big scoop, take a look at this.”

Harvey swung his monitor around to face Rahim. He was looking at a zoomed-in picture of a man in a kilt and a woman in a backless black dress. It had been captured while they were dancing, their eyes fixed on each other, bodies pressed together from chest to thigh, hands held between their hearts. 

“This picture came into the email tipline late last night, from a hotmail address. Sender claims it’s the Seattle professor and Fraser at a recent gala dinner. If you look closely at her bio picture from Fulton and this picture, you can tell it’s her. It’s a good, clear picture, and a good angle. They’re slow dancing, clearly. Looks like they were about to kiss. Not a lot of room for Jesus there.”

Rahim nodded. “Damn! This is the verification we needed. And this new material I got from Anja is pretty wild. Let me show you.”

Rahim inserted the flash-drive Anja had given him last night. He clicked through the files, and Harvey was riveted by the images and video clips on the screen.

“Fuuuuuuuck! How did she get this stuff?” 

“I didn’t ask,” replied Rahim, “but I gave her some of the hundred dollar bills you gave me, and she spent the day bribing someone to get this. I’m sure she used some of her other talents too.”

“Write the story, focus on the love triangle, and include the professor’s bio picture and the dancing picture and some of the stuff from the flash-drive. Get stills from the video. I’ll vet your piece for legal, and then the editors will finesse it. The Kanye thing will eventually drown it out, but I want to get on this before anyone else does. I want anything with Anja and Fraser to post pronto. My insiders tell me she’s on Graham Norton this Friday. You know that’s gonna be another shit-show. We need all the Anja/Jamie scoops and exclusives. I expect you to continue schmoozing Anja. Here, catch!" Harvey tossed another small wad of hundred dollar bills at Rahim. “Keep getting all the dirt. I need that story in an hour."

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire had just finished her pasta salad lunch at her desk, and was putting the finishing touches to a draft email, when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Tonya, the loyal young intern.

**Dr. B, I heard you’re on campus today.**

**_I am. How can I help you?_ **

**Are you in your office?**

**_Yes. Why?_ **

**I’m coming to see you.**

Six minutes later, the door to her office flew open, and then slammed shut again, as a panting Tonya leaned up against it, trying to catch her breath. Alarmed at the sight of the panicked young intern, Claire went to her immediately.

“Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“Dr. B!” she panted, “I’m fine! Please … gimme a minute.”

“Come and sit down.” Claire pointed at the visitor’s chair at her desk, and walked around to sit at her chair.

“Catch your breath, and then tell me what’s happened.”

Tonya took a few deep breaths and looked straight at Claire. Her chin wobbled a little and her eyes glistened. 

“Dr. B, something came up on my phone, and I don’t know if you’re aware, so I wanted to check with you.” 

Claire’s thoughts flew to the TMZ post from the weekend. 

“What came up on your phone, Tonya?”

“Some tweets and retweets of a post from TMZ. Fulton was tagged in it. And I track Fulton and UW tags.”

“I saw the TMZ post yesterday. How is Fulton tagged in it? There was nothing identifying me in the piece.” 

“No,” she shook her head vigorously, “this was posted less than an hour ago.” 

Tonya unlocked her phone and slid it across the desk.

Claire looked at the phone and felt the color drain from her face.

The headline read: _‘Decision Time for Jamie Fraser: Prim Professor or Racy Russian?’._

“PILF has started trending too,” Tonya said quietly.

Claire looked up at her, still stunned by what she had seen. The tears that had welled up in Tonya’s eyes were now balancing precariously on her lower lashes. Claire stared at the tears, frozen. One of them finally spilled over. Claire’s eyes followed it. It coursed down Tonya’s cheek, reached the edge of her jaw, hovered there for a moment, then plopped down onto her T-shirt. 

Claire blinked sharply and pulled herself out of her daze. She picked up Tonya's phone and scrolled. Words and phrases swam disjointedly in front of her.

Dr. Claire Beauchamp … Fulton Business School … love triangle … who will Fraser choose…

She scrolled more, and her hand flew to her mouth, a deep groan escaping from the depths of her belly. Tonya let out a small sob, and tried hard to compose herself. Her tears were flowing now.

Claire felt nauseous and dizzy, and took several deep breaths. This could not be happening. There was no way she was looking at a TMZ article that featured her bio photo from Fulton’s website, and a picture of herself and Jamie dancing at the Caledonian dinner. 

She sat back in her chair and closed her eyes, trying to block out everything so she could think clearly. Tonya looked at her in concern. Was she hyperventilating? She was so pale. Was she going to pass out? 

Claire stood up, and stepped over to the window, where she looked down onto the courtyard from her second floor office. The lawn was perfect - lush and green. The flower beds were thriving. And a hummingbird was flitting from petunia to petunia. So strange … the things one noticed when one’s mind was in complete turmoil. 

She knew there was a vague possibility that this might happen … that someone might leak a picture. But seeing it in front of her was a complete shock to her system. She had mentally placed herself in a safe bubble, convinced that Hollywood would not be interested in a college lecturer from Seattle. Not when there were so many other big stories to report on. 

“Dr. B? Dr. B, are you okay?”

Tonya’s voice filtered through layers of shock, and Claire finally turned around and sat at her desk again, looking at the black screen on Tonya’s phone.

“Would you … would you unlock it for me, please?”

Tonya unlocked her phone and handed it to Claire. She scrolled past the two pictures of herself, and after a short section of text that she skimmed over, pictures of Jamie appeared. A standard professional headshot. His coppery hair gleamed rich and deep, and his blue eyes looked right at her. Heartbreakingly handsome. 

She scrolled some more and froze again. She was looking at a picture of Jamie and Anja, with Anja clearly in the throes of an orgasm. A crumpled sheet was carefully draped over part of Jamie’s rear-end, but he appeared to be naked, and Anja’s legs were wrapped around his hips. Jamie was supporting himself on his forearms, his chest on hers, pressing into her naked breasts. Her head was thrown back, eyes shut, mouth open, Jamie's eyes fixed on her face. Another wave of nausea swept over her as Julio’s words at the Rainier club roared in her ears. 

Her hands felt cold and clammy, and she forced herself to scroll a little more. The last graphic was a GIF - a close-up of Anja and Jamie kissing. It was slowed down and zoomed in, and captured the slow progress of their parted lips moving towards each other. Just as their lips made contact, the GIF looped again. But the implication was there. Anja and Jamie were, at some point, locked in a passionate kiss. 

“Tonya, I’ll be right back.”

She hurried down the hallway to the restroom, and made it just in time. Holding her curls back with one hand, and supporting herself against the wall of the cubicle with the other, she threw up violently and painfully. Her retching finally ceased and her throat felt raw. She leaned against the cubicle wall and took deep, slow breaths, trying to quell another wave of nausea. Vomiting had always been her body's reaction to extreme emotional stress and there had been several bouts during the Frank years and during the most anguished moments of the PILF incident. 

It took a few minutes for her nausea to abate, and she emerged from the cubicle, washed her hands and splashed cool water on her face before returning to her office. Tonya was still seated in the visitor’s chair. She had grabbed a box of Kleenex from one of Claire’s shelves, and a small pile of crumpled tissues had started to form on the desk.

“Dr. B, I’m so sorry, but I had to come and tell you. I just wanted you to know. The article is trending, so it’s just a matter of time before the university’s media team picks up on it.”

“Tonya, please don’t apologize. You did exactly the right thing. It’s so much better that I know and I’m prepared for …” She trailed off - she had no idea what to prepare for. Where was this all going?

“I’m sorry about being so emotional. I know how hard it was when the PILF thing happened, and then they shelved your hard work, and now the tabloids are posting things that might affect your professorship. Dr. B, you work so hard, and …”

“It’s okay, Tonya I appreciate your loyalty so much. When you’re ready, go on back to work. I’ll be okay.”

“Ok,” she sniffed. “I’ll call you if anything happens that you should know about.” 

The minute she was alone, she texted Jamie, and he responded right away. 

**What’s up?**

**_Please check TMZ and call me ASAP_ **

He pulled up the website on his phone, and froze when he saw the headline.

“You fuckers!”

The first chunk of text named Claire in full and mentioned Fulton Business School. He reached the pictures of Claire and ran a hand angrily through his hair. 

_Fuck! They even posted her bio pic from Fulton’s website._

Skimming the text, he grew angrier with every word. TMZ was just not going to let this go. A love triangle was always a big attention-getter. He knew this would trend - Kanye story or not.

He scrolled down, and then stopped. A deep, guttural sound came from somewhere within his body. 

How the fuck had they got their hands on footage from ‘Unauthorized Contact’. It wasn’t even released yet. Taken out of context, it looked like hot sex between himself and Anja, and most readers wouldn't stop long enough to think about the fact that it was clearly a styled and arranged studio set. He looked at the GIF and clenched his teeth. This had Anja written all over it. He had no idea how, because getting hold of this footage would have taken some doing, but he was almost certain she was behind it.

He shot off a text to Cal, and then tapped Sassenach and called Claire. 

”Oh my God, Jamie.”

“Claire, you know that's a still taken from ‘Unauthorized Contact’?”

She fell apart the minute she heard his soothing, comforting voice.

“Yes, I know. But the millions of people who will see this won’t care. They will see just Jamie and Anja. Oh my God, Jamie, Ella and Beth will see this. I hate this love triangle narrative. She's in the middle of a fucking orgasm! I think I'm in shock, Jamie. Jamie … my full name, my picture, us dancing, Fulton. It’s all my nightmares from the past couple of weeks rolled into one. I can’t stop shaking, Jamie. Am I even making sense?”

His heart contracted at the disjointed phrases and sentences that spilled from her. His usually articulate, composed Claire was clearly in extreme emotional distress, and he had brought this upon her. A ripple of anger and guilt surged through him.

“I’m coming to pick you up. Right now. We can get your car tomorrow. I’ll GPS my way to you and I’ll call you when I’m near.” 

In the thirty minutes that it took for Jamie to reach her, Claire had composed herself a little. She directed him to the nearest parking area, and he drew to a stop when he spotted her waiting near the curb. She looked pale and fragile, and his heart hurt at the turmoil she must be in. Before he could get out and open the car door for her, she quickly got in and sat in the passenger seat looking at him. She reached out her hand, and he took it gently and brought it to his lips. Her pained eyes met his inscrutable gaze. His expression was a mix of anger and concern, and she felt the tension radiate from him. 

“Claire … where do you want to go? Home?”

“No. Drive out of here, and I’ll let you know when to stop.”

She directed him up a winding, tree-lined street with stately homes on either side. Eventually the homes gave way to an open park with stunning views over Lake Washington. 

“Park anywhere here, and we can grab our masks and sit on a bench. I need you to hold me, and I need fresh air.”

He walked around the car and opened the door for her with one hand, the other extended to help her out. She threw her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms firmly around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, head turned towards his neck, where she could breathe in his comforting, familiar scent. She melted into him, allowing his body to support her. His muscled arms and chest and shoulders felt strong and reassuring, and for a fleeting moment she pushed aside the turmoil in her head and reveled in that quiet strength. He rubbed her back in long, slow sweeps, and whispered his sweet everythings in a mixture of Gaelic and English. Neither of them spoke for a while - they didn’t really know where to begin.

Finally, Claire murmured into his neck.

“Jamie?”

“Yes, mo ghràidh?”

“I don’t want you to blame yourself. I can sense your anger. It will make this so much worse for me if you blame yourself.”

He was quiet for a while. His instinctive reaction when he had seen the TMZ post was that it was he who had brought this upon her. His career, his fame. She would not be in this predicament had it not been for him.

“Jamie, we have said all along - and we reiterated at The Grotto - that whatever lay ahead, we would face it together. I don’t blame you and I can’t bear it if you blame yourself.”

“Babe, it’s hard for me to see what this is doing to you.” She raised her head to look at him.

“Let’s go and sit down and talk it through.”

“He kissed her forehead and held her for a few moments longer. As long as she was in his arms, she was safe.

He reached for her hand, and they walked through the near-deserted park to a bench nestled in large hydrangea bushes. The bench afforded them a sweeping view of Lake Washington in the distance, but they were too focused on the discussion at hand to really notice. 

They sat quietly for a while, his arm around her shoulders, holding her close. His other hand held hers, and his thumb caressed her wrist soothingly.

She rested her head on his shoulder. “Tonya came to my office as soon as she became aware that Fulton was tagged and trending.” She spoke softly, and he gave her shoulder a gentle, encouraging squeeze. “When she saw PILF rolled into the mix, she literally ran across campus to tell me.”

“I'm glad you had someone trusted with you. It must have been so hard to see that. I heard the pain and distress clearly in your voice, and that's why it’s hard not to blame myself for all of this. This new post is Anja’s doing. I can’t think of anyone else who would be able to access that footage - and who knows what she offered in return for the material. Millennium will likely investigate, and their PR and mine will do what they can to downplay all of this because of the Oscar drive. If they uncover and confirm any involvement by Anja, they will come down hard on her. It’s unlikely that she will pull any more of these stunts once they throw all the contractual stuff at her. For me, the only concern is you, and how you come out of this. It will trend here because of the link to Fulton, and I fear you will be dragged into a full-blown social media fiasco again.”

“I had some time to think while I was waiting for you. Let’s try to look at this pragmatically. One of my profs at NYU always encouraged us to envisage the worst-case scenario and decide how we would deal with that, and work backwards from there. That way, you have a plan for the worst possible outcome and everything else seems a lot easier to deal with it.”

“That’s a good approach - for almost anything. What would the worst case scenario be for you here?”

“Worst case is that PILF blows up badly, the Board decides they don’t want another scandal, and they offer the professorship to the other candidate.”

“And if that were to happen, how would you deal with it? Practically and emotionally?”

“That’s a tough one. Emotionally? I'm not going to sugar-coat it - I would be gutted. It would be devastating for me go through that after all the work I've put in. Practically? I wouldn’t lose my job over this - and I don’t mean to sound immodest. I’m good at what I do. I have beefed up the Communications Department and strengthened the overall MBA degree course. I also have all those published works. More than some of the senior professors. And there are the donations - I still bring in a decent amount. So in my worst case, they would appoint the other guy, and I would plod along for a few years until he moves on, or until another business school headhunts me. In academia, people tend to stick around for years and years, unlike the corporate world, where career advancement is much faster. So my best hope to keep moving up would be an opening at a different business school.” 

“Claire, you wouldn’t want to leave Fulton. I know that. But at the same time, I know you also want to progress and grow in your career. You’ve so much potential. Honestly, it would kill me to see you lose this professorship.”

“I think we need to be ready for that possibility.”

“What about the ‘I stand with Doc B’ grass-roots movement. I believe there’ll be a resurgence in that. There has been so much more rampant sexism, harassment, anti-feminism since PILF broke a few years ago. There’ll be more support for you than ever before.”

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens over the next few days, Jamie. It’s out of our hands now. Can I ask for one thing?”

“Anything, mo ghràidh.”

“Can we try to keep things as normal as possible at home? I’d like to talk to the girls tonight and let them know what’s happened. I want them to see the TMZ post so they can ask us questions if they have any. This will blow up here in Seattle, and their friends will see it. They need to be prepared.”

“Claire, can I make a suggestion? I think it might be better if ye had this discussion with the girls without me. There’s some nudity in the picture, mostly Anja’s, and part of my backside. And the sex. I don’t want them to feel awkward and embarrassed, as that will just hamper a good discussion. Once they've processed that with you, if they have any more questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.”

“That makes sense, Jamie. I want them to know that we’ll try to keep things as normal as possible. We’re not going to walk around moping. We still have so much wonderful and positive stuff going on. The horse trail and stables start this week! That’s something to look forward to.”

“Agreed. You amaze me more and more every day. Thank you for always finding the positive side of every situation."

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

After dinner, Jamie excused himself from the patio and went to the study to call Cal. Claire briefed the girls on the day’s developments.

It was excruciatingly embarrassing asking the girls to read an article that revealed Jamie’s partially exposed rear-end, not to mention showing him in the midst of simulated sex, but she knew that they would likely see the pictures on social media posts. She had feared that some of the twins’ friends might even take screenshots and text them to the girls before they’d had a chance to have this talk. So far, that hadn't happened.

“I realize that this is uncomfortable, but this whole situation is going to become a whole lot more uncomfortable, and Jamie and I want you to be prepared. There are some pictures with partial nudity, nothing you haven’t seen in movies and TV shows before - but this time it happens to be part of Jamie’s rear end. I know that’s awkward girls, but he’s an actor - it’s part of what he does. Sometimes his roles call for shots of his butt. Just like my modeling pictures back in the day.” 

The girls pulled up the TMZ article on their phones, and started to read through it. Beth gasped a few times, and Ella’s mouth tightened as she scrolled through.

When the twins had read through the whole article, Claire addressed it with them. "There are some ugly things written about a love triangle, which as you well know is a load of garbage. Jamie already told you that there was never anything romantic or physical between him and Anja. In order to reach more readers and viewers, and to keep all the click-throughs coming, and to keep their stories trending on social media, celebrity gossip sites will post the most scandalous stories they can find. A love triangle is always a good one, and this is the angle they've chosen to pursue."

“How are they allowed to do that when it’s all a bunch of lies?” asked Ella angrily.

“It’s so complicated, sweetheart. They’re somewhat protected by freedom of press, which is a fundamental right in our Constitution. But at the same time, people have a right to privacy too, so there’s always so much room for argument there.”

“Okay, so I understand the constitutional stuff and freedom of press, we did that in US Gov at school last year, but it’s still hard to understand how they can get away with this type of reporting. It can destroy lives.” Beth was indignant and fired up.

“It's a good thing to question things like this and to explore them philosophically. But for now, we need to look at it practically, girls. It’s out there and it’s trending. PILF is trending again too. This may affect my professorship.”

“Oh my God,” Ella groaned. “Mom, you’ve worked so hard for that.”

“Let me worry about that, girls. What I want you to do is think about how you might respond if anyone posts snarky comments on your social media, or if anyone says anything to you directly."

Ella looked at Claire, anger flashing in her amber eyes. “Let them bring it!”

“Ella, that’s exactly the reaction we can’t have. That will make it worse for you. On social media, you need to ignore all rude and snarky comments. Don’t reply. And if it’s in-person, try to ignore it too. Your friend interaction is down to mostly your cheer and volleyball practices, and I can't see your teammates being mean about this. But if anything does come up, you just need to say something that will cut the discussion short.”

“If any of my friends comment on the TMZ thing, I’ll remind them that we spent a lot of time studying credible sources in class.”

“That’s a good comment, Beth,” Ella agreed. “Subtle bit of shade there.”

“Someone will definitely ask if you guys are dating.”

“We can’t lie about that, Mom. There’s a picture of you slow dancing!”

Claire’s phone buzzed before she could answer. It was an incoming call from Joe Abernathy. 

“Girls, I have to take this. It’s my boss. We’ll talk more about it later.”

She stood up and walked towards the terrace, where she could speak more privately.

“Dean Abernathy, good evening to you.”

“Good evening, Claire. This is a ‘Joe’ call, not a 'Dean Abernathy' call. I just dropped my son off at a sleepover about 20 minutes from where you live. Do you have some time to talk to me in person? I realize this is short notice, but I wanted to chat off the record. Is there somewhere near your home where we can talk in private? Preferably not in your home.”

“We have a heavily wooded walking trail in our neighborhood. It's normally quiet at this time, and we still have at least an hour and a half of daylight left. Would that work?” 

“Yes, it sounds perfect.”

“As you drive through the gates, you’ll see some tennis courts to your left. There’s a parking area there. The trail starts just behind the courts. I’ll meet you in the parking lot in twenty minutes.”

She returned to the patio and apologized to the girls. “I’m sorry to do this - we were in the middle of an important discussion. I have a short but urgent meeting to go to. I’ll ask Jamie to come out and sit with you. He’ll answer any questions you may have. And as soon as I’m back, we’ll continue.” 

She pulled on her running shoes, poked her head in the study to tell Jamie about this unexpected development, and asked him to sit with the girls, as she’d left them hanging in the midst of an important discussion. Jamie gave her a quick hug as she hurried out the door. 

Claire walked briskly towards the tennis court parking lot, her baseball cap, sunglasses, and mask protecting her identity.

She leaned up against a large maple tree and waited for only a few minutes before Joe’s Buick swung into the lot. He emerged from the car, and walked towards her, his expression neutral. Like Claire, he wore sunglasses, a cap, and a reusable mask.

“Claire, how are you doing?” He sounded concerned and sincere.

“It’s been a rough day, Joe.”

“I know it must have been. Let’s walk and talk.”

They made their way to the start of the trail, and entered the rugged path side by side. 

“Claire, I know you are a woman of integrity, and you might be a little concerned about why I am meeting you off the record. I want to assure you that there is no impropriety in this meeting. I am not providing you with inside information or anything like that. I am merely touching base, as your friend, and checking in on your personal well-being. Today's events must be very distressing.”

“Yes, Joe. It has been a stressful week or two for me, to be honest. I am mortified that details of my private life have become embroiled in a public scandal that is pure fiction.”

“UW’s media team became aware of the situation early this afternoon, and immediately notified me and the Board of Trustees. As you can imagine, there was a flurry of activity within the Board. I imagine a lot of Zooming and texting went on amongst them this afternoon. Maitland called me early this evening." Martin Maitland was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and would no doubt be leading the charge to get the situation under control at the earliest opportunity. 

"After we wrapped up the interviews last week, we scheduled a vote for this Friday at 2:00 p.m." Joe explained. "Every board member will be there in person or via Zoom to vote on which of the two candidates should get the professorship. Maitland instructed me to invite you to a meeting with the Board an hour before the vote. You’ll receive an email tomorrow morning requesting your presence at 1:00 p.m. It's your choice whether you attend in person or via Zoom.”

Claire nodded and a feeling of dread settled over her. “I expected that they would call me in to discuss this. They did the same thing during PILF.”

“Amid all this stress, Claire, I want to remind you that Fulton came under fire about the way they handled you and PILF a few years ago. There was an outcry about sexism. Donors threatened to withhold funding, and business and political leaders spoke out against the school. For a while there, we didn’t look good. I will be reminding them about all of that on Friday - they will need to bear all of that in mind no matter what action they take, or what votes they deem necessary.”

Claire didn’t respond immediately, as she was deep in thought, and something gnawed at the back of her mind.

“I guess what I’m trying to say to you, Claire, is that I don’t think this is as bleak as it may seem to you right now. We have an ‘old guard’ of Trustees who are conservative and very focused on maintaining Fulton’s image as an established, solemn institution; but there are also some newer board members who are forward thinking, and appreciate the innovative ideas you have brought to our MBA program. I’m an ex officio member of the Board, so I can’t vote. However, I am allowed to talk and express my opinions as much as I like, and I fully intend to show my support for you. I'm confident that my words will have a positive effect. I’m relying on the more progressive Trustees to do the right thing.”

Claire took a deep breath before speaking.

“Thank you, Joe, I appreciate your faith in me. But ... I’m afraid it might not be as straightforward as you’re hoping.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was at the Rainier Club last week, and I was made aware of a conversation that took place there between one of the Trustees and the rest of his party.”


	40. Chapter 40

“Are you in a position to divulge the nature of the conversation?” Joe asked, his interest piqued.

“I’ll reveal what I know. It was shared by someone who heard the conversation directly. I know UW's media team will have given you a full briefing, so you are probably aware of which news outlets and parties are involved.”

“I am.”

“Before I start, I need to tell you that I am in a relationship with Jamie Fraser. It is a loving, monogamous, and very un-Hollywood relationship.”

It was an uncomfortable admission for her to make. Joe and Henry had been friends and colleagues. She and Henry had occasionally socialized with Joe and his wife over the years and they had been supportive and kind throughout Henry’s illness.

Joe dispelled her discomfort immediately. “I’m happy to hear that, Claire. It was time for you to find happiness again.” 

She nodded her appreciation and continued. “A couple of weeks ago, TMZ posted a story that they pulled from a random Twitter post with a picture of Jamie Fraser lunching with an unidentified woman in Seattle. That was me, but it was impossible to identify me from the picture. A few days later, they ran another story that featured Anja Baranov talking informally with a paparazzo about her most recent movie with Jamie. The pap mentioned Jamie’s alleged woman in Seattle, and Anja dismissed it. But the story got a fair amount of interest, and we learned that she had just been through a break-up, and to protect her femme fatale image, she hinted at an imaginary relationship with Jamie. Almost immediately after this, Jamie and Anja appeared on the Late Late Show. I’m sure you’re aware of the fall-out from that. It made the mainstream media too.”

“Yes, I caught a short piece about that in my news-feed. UW Media gave us just the known data from TMZ’s posts, so it’s good for me to know some of this backstory.”

“The night after Corden aired, Jamie and I took his sister and the twins to the Club for dinner. I was approached discreetly, out of earshot of everyone else, and a conversation was shared with me. I hope you understand that I can’t reveal my source, and he couldn’t reveal names.”

“Of course.”

“One of Fulton’s Trustees had played golf with his wife and another couple that day, and enjoyed some post-game socializing.” Claire carefully avoided mentioning the fact that they were in the bar for fear of implicating Julio. “I admit that I checked the members-only online golf schedule that night, and the only Fulton Trustee who played golf that day was Jack Wolverton. His co-players were his wife, and Club member, Leo Greenberg and his wife. Evidently, the couples socialize together a lot.”

A small frown crossed Joe’s brow. Leo Greenberg was a wealthy, retired Seattle business icon whose family had made its fortune in the glory days of the timber industry.

“The four of them were discussing the uproar that Baranov caused on Corden’s show. Greenberg’s wife mentioned that she had been following TMZ’s posts because her sister attended the Caledonian dinner and snapped pictures of Jamie and me on the dance floor. She had copies of them on her phone. They all looked at the pictures that Greenberg’s sister-in-law had sent to his wife’s phone. Jack made some disparaging comments about Jamie and me. I believe that his comments were about how unseemly it was that a Fulton professor was involved with Jamie, and the words he used were ‘the slut and the porn star’. It’s a reference to his intense sex scenes in a TV series a few years ago.”

“Hmmmh.” Joe grunted in annoyance. “Completely unacceptable terminology for a man of his standing. And a Fulton Trustee!”

“Greenberg agreed with him and his words were, and I’m quoting my source, ‘Time to get rid of the bitch.”

Joe’s brows shot up, but he allowed her to continue.

“Jack replied that I bring in too much money, and Greenberg told him not to worry, he was still working on FARCE or FARSE. My source wasn’t sure what that was, but he wrote it down phonetically. He heard Jack’s wife ask what it was, and Greenberg’s wife said ‘boring Foundation business.”

“Were you able to find out more about this Foundation?” Joe asked.

“I tried, but was unable to find anything pertinent.”

“It might be too late to dig anything up - the vote is three days away. I will be addressing the Trustees ahead of the vote. Sexism will be a major theme of my address, you can be certain of that.” He shook his head in disgust. "The derogatory sexist terms Wolverton and Greenberg used are not sitting well with me."

“I had to grow a thick skin during PILF.”

“Claire, again, I am so sorry this is happening. I’m pleased you have Jamie to lean on. How has he been faring through all of this? I imagine it’s just as stressful for him.”

“He’s been my rock. He just wants to protect me and the twins through all of this. I’m so blessed, Joe.”

“I imagine he feels the same way, Claire. Let’s head back. I’ll give you a ride back home.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie sat at the patio table, and looked at the girls, his face serious and full of concern.

“Your Mam shouldn’t be too long. I wanted to come out and see if there were any questions I could answer. I feel terrible about all of this, girls.”

“It’s not your fault, Jamie,” Beth said. “Websites like TMZ should not be allowed to publish lies like this.”

“Mom says we have to move past our anger and think of ways to respond politely but firmly if we’re confronted by friends.”

“Aye, that’s wise advice, Ella.”

“Do you think Mom will lose the professorship because of this.”

He was quiet for a moment, trying to think of the best way to answer her question. Both he and Claire knew that it was a strong possibility. His silence told them more than words could have done, and Beth's eyes filled with tears. She dashed them away angrily.

“That can’t happen, Jamie! She has worked so hard for it.” Her voice broke and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Ella brought her fist up to her mouth and tried hard to blink away her tears. Jamie was nearer to Beth, and he reached out and took her hand.

“Don’t cry, leannan," he said softly. “I know this is hard on all of ye, but we are going to get through this. Please don’t cry, Beth.”

“How are we going to get through this, Jamie?” Ella asked angrily. “Yesterday, we all sat right here with Aunty Jenny, and you and Mom said that it would be okay. That the Kanye story would pretty much kill Anja’s story about you. And that your PR guys would get on it. And that was for a story without Mom’s name in it. Now there are pictures and her full name. And even Fulton is mentioned. This is worse than PILF.”

Seeing the twins in tears was more than his heart could bear. He glanced through the window into the kitchen, but there was still no sign of Claire. As soon as he could get back in that study, he would get Cal and Tara on a Zoom call. He was close to his breaking point, and it was time to get in front of Anja’s bullshit and TMZ’s fabricated storyline once and for all. But until Claire returned, the girls needed his comfort.

“Ella, I will do whatever I can to fix this. You have my word on that.”

He stood up and pulled Beth gently to her feet. Drawing her close with one arm, he reached out to Ella, and she allowed herself to be drawn into his comforting hug. Both girls stood weeping softly into his shirt. There was no awkwardness - the twins needed his reassuring strength at that moment and he was intent on providing it for them. Claire spotted them as soon as she entered the kitchen. Her heart ached at the sight of her girls’ distress, and at the sight of Jamie soothing them. She stepped out onto the patio and quietly joined in the embrace.

As the girls’ emotions settled, they all moved to the patio sofas, where Claire gave them a brief summary of the meeting with her boss. When Jamie was satisfied that the girls had asked all their questions and were on a more even keel emotionally, he and Claire said goodnight to them, and he asked Claire to join him in a late night call to Tara and Cal. Both responded immediately. Their client was in crisis, and it was their duty and responsibility to be available for him. They shared more than a mere sense of professional responsibility to Jamie, and were more personally involved than they cared to admit. Jamie’s humility, humor, and strength of character endeared him to everyone he worked with, and Cal and Tara and their teams were no exception.

Jamie didn’t have time to brief Claire on the nature of this discussion, but she sensed a shift in him, and the determined set of his jaw told her that he was on edge and ready to fight for her. Despite the gentleness with which he took her hand, she could still feel the tension radiating through his skin.

Dispensing with greetings and niceties, he got straight to the point.

“I’m done with this crap. I just had my heart crushed this evening. My girls were in tears over what’s happening with Claire and I’m responsible for their pain.”

Claire tried to interrupt, but he turned to her, and pleaded gently, “Please hear me out, babe.”

“Cal, I appreciate what you and Simon and your team have done, but we’re well past the point where tracking hashtags is serving a purpose. We need to do something definitive and bring TMZ’s storyline to a crashing halt.”

Tara and Cal were caught off-guard by the resolve and anger in his voice.

“Did you have an idea or strategy in mind?” asked Cal.

“I want to go public with our relationship.”

Claire looked at him in shock.

“Jamie …” she started, “we-”

“Hear me out, Claire. Please. It makes sense, I promise. Cal, I’m happy to do interviews with a reputable journalist like Hoda Kotb or Robin Roberts. We could offer People magazine an exclusive. We have personal photos and selfies that we can share that will prove we’ve been together for almost two months. Okay - closer to six weeks, but by the time they publish, it’ll be a couple of months.”

“Jamie, are you sure you want to go this route?” Tara was concerned about his impulsivity.

“Tara, at this point, I don’t care about the Oscar nom." There was a stunned silence from Claire, Tara and Cal, and Jamie continued, "Truly - the possibility of an Oscar nomination is not going to be the driving factor for all my decisions. I won't allow it any longer. Claire and the girls are everything to me. I can’t bear them having to deal with this over and over again until I’m out of the industry. Going public will shut down TMZ’s storyline - conclusively and permanently. Hopefully Anja’s too.”

“It’s definitely a strategy we’ve spoken about within my team,” Cal admitted. “Remember all the rumors flying around a few years back about a Hollywood superstar who was purported to be HIV-positive. There was an insane amount of speculation, and names were thrown around like confetti. He was even blackmailed by people threatening to expose him, and finally, Charlie Sheen came out and gave an interview to Today. The craziness died down very quickly. It’s a great example of how going public takes the wind out of the tabloids’ sails. Can you give me an idea of the content you’d want to include in the initial draft.”

“We’ll leave all the details to you and we’ll vet the drafts when they’re ready, but I’d like to fast-track this. Claire’s professorship position is up for a vote on Friday.

“Wait, Jamie.” Claire’s frown was the first indication that his strategy was about to hit a brick wall.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring any more attention to myself right now. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you about my chat with Joe, but he feels confident in his ability to use his voice to influence votes in my direction. More publicity - even positive publicity - before the vote will just cloud that. It’ll give some of the voters more ammunition against me and support their argument that I keep bringing unwanted attention to Fulton.”

Jamie rubbed a hand over his face. He was emotionally drained and exhausted by the onslaught from TMZ over the past couple of weeks.

“God, Claire, I am so sorry. I didn’t think to ask you what ye thought first.”

“To be honest, I think it sounds like a good idea, but the timing isn’t right for that yet. Can we wait until the announcement has been made next Tuesday, and then revisit the idea?”

“Of course.”

“I also want to say that while I understand your instinct to protect me and the girls, I don’t want you to jeopardize your Oscar nomination by doing or saying things in public that might anger Millennium or the Academy. I know how much the Oscar has meant to you, and there's no need to throw away your opportunity. Your Oscar nomination is as close to my heart as my professorship is to yours."

Tara had been listening to the back and forth discussion, and she wanted to give Jamie a chance to get some of the anxiety and stress out of his system before she spoke.

“Jamie, I think it’s wise to wait a few days longer. Give it until after the professorship announcement. You can sleep on it until then and think about it a little more.”

“I’ll give it some more thought, Tara. Are ye still meeting with Millennium tomorrow?”

“I am - in the morning. And a little bird told me that Anja and Bonnet have been called in to a Millennium meeting later - with the powers that be. My main purpose in meeting them is to rat her out about going on Graham Norton. Sorry, not sorry. She thinks she’s covered that up well, and I know for a fact that it violates their stipulations after the Corden nightmare. I will also drop a word in their ear about investigating Anja for the leaked footage from ‘Unauthorized Contact’. I’ll also speak to Millennium about you going public.”

“Let me know how that goes, Tara. I’m interested in learning Millennium’s reaction to all of this.”

“Before you go, Jamie, look out for an email today or tomorrow from DC and Panther regarding the Superman announcement next week. They are making a huge splash with this, unlike any cast announcement I’ve seen.”

“Will do. I’m flying in and out the same day, right?”

“You’ll have to overnight on Tuesday. They’ve set up a press conference for early morning. All the details will be in the email.”

Jamie ended the call and took both of Claire’s hands in his.

“Claire, I didn’t mean to spring that on you. I should have let you tell me about the conversation with Joe first. When I saw the girls in tears, I couldn't take it. I know they are concerned about you - that’s what sparked their tears. Their anguish is killing me, Claire.”

She caressed his face, and nuzzled his neck. “I know. It melted me when I walked in and saw you consoling them. They really needed that and I appreciate you so much, my love.”

“Let’s go chat on the patio, leannan. I want to hear about your chat with Joe.”

“Yes. I have a few other details to share with you.”

“I’ll make us some chamomile tea. It’s supposed to be calming, and Jenny made me gallons of it when I was going through some rough times. It might also help us sleep better.”

While Jamie made the tea, Claire checked the texts that she had been avoiding since the story broke. She opened texts from Armando, Melissa, Milo, Suki, and a handful of neighbors, colleagues, and book club friends. All of them had sent supportive, positive messages, and she sent quick replies of thanks, promising to call them in a day or two.

She ignored messages from Jeff Campbell and some of the moms on the twins’ cheer and volleyball teams. She’d deal with them later.

Jamie handed her a mug of tea, and eased himself onto the sofa next to her. Drawing solace from his warmth and strength, she snuggled in as close as she could, and sipped her tea.

“Tell me about Joe.”

“I’ll try to share verbatim as much as I can, so that you know why I was reluctant to go public right away. But I also want to let you know that our conversation included some information that Julio gave me at the club during lobster night last week.”

Jamie looked at her, eyebrows raised in question.

“I didn't share with you because it was about some of the members discussing us in harsh and derogatory terms, and after the horrendous day you’d had right after Corden aired, I didn’t think you needed to hear yourself described as a …”

“As a what, Claire?”

“As a porn star,” she replied quietly.

He nodded slowly. “I can tell that upset you. I got it a lot during and after ‘Clan Hearts’, and it still follows me around. Most second-rate interviewers bring it up, even now. Claire, I love you for trying to protect me against that kid of offensive talk, but I can handle it. Don’t ever feel you can’t share something that is rude, hurtful, derogatory - whatever description you want to give it. It’s my responsibility to protect you, not the other way around.”

“No, Jamie, we  _ do _ need to protect each other. When we said ‘I love you’ for the first time, I spent a lot of time thinking about how it took us to a very different - and beautiful - place in our relationship. We went from ‘you and me' to ‘we and us’. It anchored us and deepened our connection. What I’m trying to say, my love, is that I know your warrior instinct is to protect me and the girls. But we’re a ‘we and us’ now. I do feel a need to protect you, in a very different way than you want to protect me and the girls. We should protect each other in whatever way feels right and necessary.”

He set his mug down, and took hers from her.

“Come here, mo chridhe,” he said gently as he pulled her close and tipped her head back for a slow, loving kiss.

“I love you so much. I love you for reminding me that we are a ‘we and us’. I love you for wanting to protect me from more stress. I love you for weathering this storm with me. Because in weathering it with me, you've become embroiled in an even worse storm yourself. And that hurts my heart.”

“I love you, Jamie. And whatever comes at us, we can handle it together. These are tough times, but I do feel slightly more optimistic after speaking with Joe tonight.”

"I'd like to hear what else he said."

She continued with her account of the discussion with Joe, pausing when he interrupted her fiercely.

“What! They used those words? Those exact words?” He was enraged at Wolverton and Greenberg referring to her as a ‘slut’ and a ‘bitch’.

“I heard a lot worse during the PILF drama.”

“Surely it’s completely unacceptable for a Trustee to refer to one of the faculty in those terms? Even if it was in a private conversation. They’d better hope I never run into them on the golf course.”

His body was taut with rage, and he clenched his jaw hard. Claire quickly continued her summary to give him something else to focus on. As he listened to her talk about Joe’s plans to show his support for her when he spoke to the Trustees ahead of the vote, his body relaxed more, and he interrupted her again to ask about the make-up of the Board.

“There are 23 members on the Board of Trustees; two of them are ex-officio faculty representatives, and because of the way Fulton’s Articles and Bylaws were set up, they can’t vote. They are there to represent the interests of the faculty. Joe is an ex-officio member and the Board relies on him heavily for guidance. We have an ‘old guard’ as he called them, who are conservative and rigid, and want to maintain a more stuffy image for Fulton. There are also some more progressive members, who want to revamp the image and make it more attractive to applicants who seek innovation and a stronger emphasis on 21st century competencies, which have been a big focus of my work.”

“Why would this old-guard be so locked into traditional views of what a university should be? It makes sense that the next generation of business leaders is going to seek cutting-edge education in degree courses that prepare them for a changing world. How confident are you in Joe’s ability to convince the swing voters?”

“He’s a compelling speaker, I’ve heard him many times. And he will be reminding them about how hard they had to fight accusations of sexism during PILF. The only thing nagging at me is the discussion between Wolverton and Greenberg, and whether they have something up their sleeves.” She sighed deeply. “It’s out of our hands, Jamie. My only hope is that nothing new emerges before the vote. I hope Millennium can silence Anja.”

"Aye, I'm counting on that too. Let's go talk in bed. I just want to hold you in my arms right now, and lose myself in those curls and yer soft skin."

They lay in bed and chatted late into the night, intentionally focusing on the positives in their lives. Jamie let her know that the county had approved Michelle’s expedited permit applications, and the Calhoun brothers were almost ready to start their long drive to Seattle. He teased her with his secrecy around her birthday trip to Paris, holding steadfast even when she promised him a whole repertoire of titillating favors to get some of the details out of him. They laughed, and kissed, and talked, and laughed some more; until he took her in his arms and made love to her with his mouth and hands and body.

She slept in his strong, protective arms, enveloped in his love, and when he stirred, she awoke with him.

“Babe, we’ve overslept! It’s almost 7:30. I’m so sorry - should have set my alarm.” He started to extract himself from the tangle of her arms and legs, when they heard a sound from the door. Both of them froze.

“Mom?”

It was Ella.

“Yes, sweetheart? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, totally. I made lattes for you and Jamie. I’ll leave them here outside the door.”

There was a slight pause as Jamie and Claire stared wide-eyed at each other.

“Thank you! I’ll grab them in a second.”

“Ok. Beth and I are off to practice. We’ll see you guys later.”

Jamie had been holding his breath, and he released it slowly.

“Sorry, Claire. I should have woken up earlier.”

“No, it’s okay, my love. It’s their way of telling us that they know we’re in here together. And that they’re comfortable with it.”

“God, I love those girls,” Jamie said in relief. “They always make things so much easier for us than we imagined.”

“I’ll grab the lattes, and we can start getting ready for whatever today brings.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Tara walked out of Millennium’s Executive Suite looking extremely pleased with herself. It wasn’t even 10:00 a.m. yet, and the day was already off to a great start. She had a really good feeling about the rest of the day. The minute she arrived at her office, she invited Jamie, Claire and Cal to a Zoom call. Claire and Jamie were anxious for some good news, but were prepared for anything.

“This was a good meeting and I'm feeling pumped!" Tara began. “A lot of things fell into place. Millennium’s getting ready to throw the book at Anja. Jon Corzak led the meeting - he’s on the board of directors, so it doesn’t get much higher than that. And he also brought in Geillis Duncan, VP of Media Relations. Neither of them was aware of Anja's appearance on Graham Norton, and Corzak immediately reached out to Norton’s people in the middle of our meeting. Of course, Norton’s people took the call right away. When Millennium Studios calls, you drop everything. Corzak gently but firmly pressured Norton’s producers to drop Anja from this week's show."

"That’s a big ask!" Cal exclaimed. "She’s been in the news a lot, and she’ll bring in the viewers. How did Norton's team respond to that?"

“There’s no way Graham’s going to go for that!” Jamie agreed with Cal. “He loves drama. The whole reason they wanted Anja on the show is that they're hoping she'll create another spectacle. It’ll get fantastic ratings and viewership.”

“Not so fast, Jamie. Graham has a lot of control over what goes on in his show, so they’re going to talk to him urgently and get back to Millennium by lunchtime. My guess is that Norton’s team wants to strategize amongst themselves about getting some Oscar exclusives-”

“How did they know about the Oscar campaign?” Jamie interrupted.

“Millennium dropped it in the discussion. They did that very intentionally. Right now, I bet Norton’s team is salivating at the idea of snagging Oscar scoops, and they may agree to drop Anja this week in return for guaranteed interviews with you and the movie director. We’ll see what they come back with. Corzak will call me with an update after their meeting with Anja and Bonnet. They should have heard from Norton’s people by then too.”

“Were you able to broach the subject of going public with my relationship with Claire?"

“I raised that with them, and they were genuinely sympathetic to the difficulties you and Claire have been going through. They appreciate the professionalism with which you have conducted yourself throughout Anja’s crazed self-promotion campaign, and they are willing to work with you and Cal’s team on how to correct the damage she has done to your image.”

“What does that mean, practically? What are the next steps?”

“That will likely depend on this afternoon’s discussions - with Anja and with Norton’s team.”

“What are their thoughts on the footage leak?” Cal asked.

“I left the best for last. They launched an immediate investigation yesterday. I didn’t have to implicate Anja, she was already in their crosshairs. Corzak told me they have never regretted a casting decision as much as they regret casting Anja in ‘Unauthorized Contact’. They found out a few months into shooting that she was in a full blown affair with the casting director, despite the fact that she was seeing Cooper at the time. She basically seduced him into giving her the role. But that’s beside the point. The big news is this: Millennium’s legal team is leaning heavily on TMZ to remove yesterday’s post.”

“Isn't that just shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted?” asked Jamie.

“That’s what I thought, but they explained their rationale. Even though the post has been tweeted, re-tweeted, screen-capped - thousands of times, taking it off the site will still prevent thousands of potential views and help this mess die down a lot faster. Of course TMZ generally ignores requests like this, but this is different. Millennium’s legal team is throwing copyright infringement and theft of intellectual property and a host of other breaches and infringements at this. Their legal team worked through the night to counter every possible argument that TMZ might throw at them, including First Amendment rights and fair use. They’re ready to fly in constitutional law experts from the East Coast if TMZ doesn’t comply. Millennium doesn't mess around - not when there are Oscars at stake. Incidentally, they are not asking for a retraction. That will just bring more attention. They want the post removed quietly and without fanfare.”

“Dang! Not sure I’ve ever heard of that happening before.” Cal was impressed with Millennium’s approach. “Jamie, once we get an update on this afternoon’s meetings I’ll reach out to Millennium’s PR team to work on a plan for going public without jeopardizing the Oscar nom, and without bringing negative attention to Claire.”

“Thank you both. We'll reconnect this afternoon."

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Working on campus that day was out of the question for Claire. She knew it would be horribly awkward, despite the professionalism and support her coworkers would unfailingly show her.

Buoyed by the positive slant of Tara’s update, Jamie and Claire chatted light-heartedly in the car as he drove her downtown to pick up her SUV from campus.

“Let’s call Jenny. This will be blowing up in Scotland for sure, and she’ll be worried.”

By her account, Jenny’s flight home had been mostly uneventful. Dougal drank himself into a stupor as soon as they were in-flight and slept for most of the way. This gave Jenny an opportunity to enjoy all the little luxuries of first class travel, and she regaled Claire with enthusiastic descriptions of the high-end toiletries and bottomless cappuccinos and endless champagne.

Jamie broached the subject of the TMZ post cautiously, knowing that Jenny would have some strong opinions. She was already aware of the entire TMZ debacle, and had been expecting their call and an update on what was being done to tame this seemingly unstoppable beast. Jamie and Claire pictured her stern expression as her exasperated tone filtered through the car’s speakers. She was somewhat encouraged by their brief account of Tara’s meeting with the studio, and as expected, she asked how the girls were handling it.

Claire assured her that the girls were their top concern, as always, and that they planned on keeping them informed every step of the way. They promised to keep Jenny abreast of any news from Tara’s ongoing discussions with Millennium.

The covered patio beckoned them as soon as they returned from picking up Claire’s car. After a quick lunch, they remained on the patio, focusing on their laptops as they worked through emails, winery spreadsheets, student enquiries, and the texts that slid in with vexing regularity.

Claire responded to all the messages of support she received. Armando wanted to meet her for coffee, but she suggested that he stop by the house on Thursday, as she wanted to lie low for a few days to avoid being recognized in public. He was relieved that he would get to see her and hug her - and excited at the thought of meeting Jamie at last. Melissa was in the middle of a client meeting but promised to call on Thursday too. Suki texted that she had been meaning to call Claire for days, because she had a gut-feeling about her and Jamie, and she expressed how sorry she was that this had gone so bad and so public.

The support and love from her friends was uplifting and encouraging. Even the official email from Dean Abernathy, requesting her presence at Friday's meeting with the Board of Trustees, didn’t dampen her spirits too much. She spent some time working on a list of questions that she anticipated the Trustees might ask, and when that was complete, she drafted some responses to those questions. Preparing thoroughly for the meeting would boost her confidence, and she was determined to go in - and come out - strong.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Anja met Steve Bonnet in the ground floor lobby of Millennium’s office building. He smelled the alcohol on her breath as she hugged him, and glared at her in fury.

“What the fuck have you been drinking, and how much?” he demanded through clenched teeth.

“Oh my God, just chill out, Steve. I had a couple of martinis with lunch.”

“Christ! Martinis! Pure alcohol, basically. How stupid are you? You know this meeting is critical to your career, and you think it’s okay to come in drunk?”

“I’m not drunk,” she giggled, “and you know that, because you’ve seen me trashed before. Lots of times. I’m just a little … buzzed.”

“Try to shut the fuck up and let me handle the meeting.”

“Okay, baby, it’s all yours,” she shrugged as she stumbled into the elevator.

Bonnet knew they were in trouble the minute he entered the conference room. Jon Corzak was there, as was Geillis Duncan, one of the bitchiest Hollywood executives he’d had the misfortune of meeting. There was nothing soft and feminine about the woman. She was tall, lean, and bony, and had an angular, strikingly attractive face, framed in tumbling red waves, almost as fiery as her temper. There wasn't an ounce of spare fat on her. Her tongue was sharp enough to castrate the men who crossed her, but soft enough to pleasure the women she lusted after. She looked fierce and formidable and her reputation as a tough negotiator was legendary.

Four other attendees, dressed to intimidate and with expressions to match, sat at the table with thick folders in front of them.

Bonnet had expected it to be just Corzak and one or two of Millennium’s PR team. He figured they would review Anja’s contractual obligations and Millennium’s conduct expectations for publicity appearances related to the movie. He knew right away the four people dressed in dark suits and dresses were from legal. The threat of enforced penalty clauses loomed heavily over him.

And clinging to his arm was his drunk client who literally didn’t give a shit at that moment.

Geillis’ eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of Anja in six inch heels and a tight, short shimmery dress that clung to her body. Had the circumstances been different, Geillis would have been quite happy to remove that ridiculously inappropriate dress and explore all those surgically enhanced curves, but she felt nothing but disdain and anger towards this train wreck, who had just caused the studio massive PR damage.

Bonnet tried gamely to cover up Anja’s intoxicated state by immediately guiding her to a chair and seating himself between her and the rest of the meeting attendees.

Corzak introduced everyone, and announced in a tone that brooked no protest, “Let’s get right to it.”

The next hour was the most uncomfortable of Bonnet’s career. Had he known what they were about to throw at his client, he would have brought his lawyer to the meeting, but it was too late for woulda, coulda, shoulda. The legal team passed out copies of the penalty clause section of Anja’s contract.

"Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the contents,” one of the lawyers suggested.

While Bonnet read and made some annotations on his pages, Anja gazed at the paper in front of her. She wasn’t in the least bit concerned - Steve had got her out of all sorts of sticky situations before, and she trusted him to do it again. She reached for her water glass and glanced at the men in the room.

Which of them looked like he might be worth spreading her legs for?

She raised the glass to her mouth, missing entirely and causing the water to dribble down her chin and splash audibly all over the papers in front of her.

“Oops,” she giggled, and Bonnet groaned quietly. Grabbing her page, he shook the water off, and fixed her with an angry stare.

“We have spare copies.” One of the legal team slid another copy across the table.

“I can request a sippy cup, if you prefer,” Geillis fixed Anja with her icy glare.

Bonnet intervened quickly before Anja could process the sarcasm. “She’s good. Let’s just get this done.”

Corzak summarized the list of contractual infractions they had accumulated on Anja. Their prime concern was that she had repeatedly spoken out about ‘Unauthorized Contact’ before the studio had even launched the promotion campaign.

“You can’t deny that she has brought a lot of publicity and awareness to the movie,” Bonnet interjected.

“We were not ready to throw out publicity yet. She jumped the gun by several weeks. It’s also not the type of publicity we want or need for UC - we refer to ‘Unauthorized Contact’ as UC in-house. We’re going after Academy Awards here, and we’re not going to get them on TMZ.” Geillis impaled Bonnet and Anja with her icy glare.

“Ms. Duncan is right,” added Corzak. “We’ve been working on our publicity campaign for months. We have a very targeted approach, and a very specific audience and demographic in mind. It’s a serious film, and one that will inspire a lot of thought and discussion amongst a certain caliber of viewer. Anja’s over-sexualized messaging about UC is in sharp contrast with what we want to convey.”

“The issue,” Geillis continued the two-pronged Duncan-Corzak attack, “is that Anja has disregarded our requests to remain silent about the film until we are ready to reveal our campaign. And since she has brought so much unwanted attention to the film, we will have to accelerate the campaign - even though we’re not 100% ready.”

“The Corden debacle was rough,” Corzak said sternly. “It rained negative publicity on her and reflected badly on UC."

Anja rolled her eyes.

“Anja, let me give you a little lesson in PR basics,” Geillis said in exaggerated sugary tones. “You need to understand the difference between your public persona and your industry persona. The public - your fans - might like all the titillating little things you throw out there, and the talk shows love it because it boosts viewership. But the industry - the studio owners, the directors, producers, co-stars - they don’t like that crap. No one wants to act with someone who’s going to trash their name in public. No studio wants to cast an actor who flouts state-mandated guidelines in the middle of a health crisis.”

“Why are you guys-”

“I think what Anja means,” Bonnet cut her off and kicked her foot under the table, “is that she regrets any negative publicity and attention that her recent actions have caused. I looked through the penalty clauses, and while some are borderline, she really hasn’t violated any of them outright.”

“I think you might have a hard time defending that position in court,” one of the lawyers pointed out.

Bonnet back-pedaled the minute he heard the word ‘court’.

“Look, I acknowledge that Anja hasn’t been her best self lately.” God, he sounded like his ex-wife when they were asked to meet the principal to discuss their son’s bullying. “I think this is all fixable. What are you looking for from Anja today?”

“We’re ready to enforce the penalty clauses, and as you know they run into the millions,” Corzak said. “However, we have an option that might appeal to you.”

Geillis took over, “We have some addenda to add to the contract. Please review them, and take some time to discuss with your client. Once you are familiar with the terms, please decide whether you will sign the addenda or not. If yes, we will hold off on enforcing the penalty clauses. Until they are violated again.” She paused and locked eyes with Anja. “If you opt not to sign the addenda, you are in effect agreeing to Millennium enforcing the penalty clauses.”

“I’ll summarize them for you, Mr. Bonnet, and then you can take some time to review with Ms. Baranov,” one of the lawyers suggested. “First, no more talk shows, unless specifically arranged and requested by Millennium. Second, no more statements or interviews with TMZ or any of the celebrity gossip websites, tabloids, blogs, vlogs - there’s a whole list that you’ll need to initial. Third, social media presence. There are several paragraphs there, restricting what Ms. Baranov can post during the UC promotion tour, which is coming up soon, and during Oscar Season, which starts in the fall and ends on December 31st, but may be extended due to the pandemic. Fourth, code of conduct. It’s very rare that we request a code of conduct addendum from one of our assets, but in this case it’s prudent that we do so. It covers public behavior, intoxication, and several other categories that you will need to initial.”

“So basically, I’m a nun for the next few months? A mute, sober nun?” Anja blurted out.

Six expressionless faces stared wordlessly back at her, and Bonnet buried his face in his hands.

“Can you give me 10 minutes with my client?” 

When the Millennium team walked back in, Bonnet looked fraught and Anja looked defiant.

“Oh no she didn’t,” Geillis mumbled to Corzac under her breath.

“Might be time to bring in the big guns,” Corzac retorted.

“Against my advice, my client is refusing to sign.” Bonnet sounded frustrated and weary.

“What you guys don’t realize,” Anja began in a combative tone, “is that I am about to land the biggest role of my career. All this publicity that I am getting for you - for free - is working in my favor too. I’m not up for any UC Oscars, so I really don’t care about your Oscar campaign.” The buzz from her earlier drinking had largely worn off, but the lingering effects of the alcohol made her bold and rebellious. “Not only did I just land this incredible, iconic role, but I’m also short-listed for three other roles.”

“Word on the street is that you just lost three roles you were being considered for,” Geillis said, looking at her steadily.

“They weren’t great roles anyway,” Anja brushed off the embarrassing exposure of her lies. “I have a new amazing role that will put my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”

Geillis almost choked on her vitamin water and quickly composed herself.

“Well, congratulations to you on the new role. However, we need to know your final response to the addenda.”

“Sure! My final response-”

“Wait!” Geillis interrupted, “I almost forgot. We know that you must have been upset by the appearance of stolen, proprietary footage from 'Unauthorized Contact' on TMZ yesterday. I know Jamie was upset that the footage appeared before the promotional excerpts were released.”

“Uuuhhhh … yeah, I saw that on TMZ,” Anja squirmed slightly in her seat.

“It was quite shocking for us to see the screengrab and the GIF - scenes that involved just you and Jamie. Distressing, right?”

“Sure! But it did create buzz for the movie,” Anja rationalized.

“Again, not the sort of buzz and exposure we want for UC,” Geillis explained with undue patience. “So we launched an internal investigation before we call in the FBI.”

“The FBI?” Anja looked panic-stricken.

“Yes, Anja, the FBI,” Geillis cooed in a mock soothing voice. “You know how at the start of every movie, there’s a copyright infringement warning and an FBI notice? It’s not there for decoration, they actually do investigate incidents of piracy, intellectual property theft, even incidents of footage from an unreleased movie appearing on TMZ. Feel free to school your paparazzo friend on that.”

Corzac added, “We have our internal security team looking at security cam footage from the past week to see who might have been around Building C, where most of our post-production takes place.”

Bonnet blanched at that. When he saw the TMZ post the previous day, he had a gnawing suspicion that Anja was involved, but he was clean out of patience for her shenanigans, and pushed it to the back of his mind. Now he was facing it head-on, as Geillis, that fake-ass bitch, was clearly pointing to Anja as one of the parties behind the footage leak.

“How far are you with the investigation, and what action are you planning to take?” Bonnet asked Corzac. He did not want to deal with the ice queen for now. But the ice queen knew that, and took nefarious pleasure in answering his question.

“Obviously we’re going to press charges, Steve. It’s theft! Our security team has reviewed everything through Sunday night, and they were starting to trawl through Monday’s footage this morning.”

Anja cracked her knuckles, which Bonnet immediately recognized as a sign that she was anxious.

“Can I have 10 more minutes with my client please?”

The studio team left the room, and Bonnet pounced.

You dumb bitch! I know you're behind the leaked footage - and so do they. I know damn well they already have you on their security footage. When were you at Building C?”

“I didn’t go inside!”

"When were you there?”

“Monday. But I stayed in my car.”

“And then?”

“And then one of the tech guys I know from when we filmed UC met me and got in my car.”

“And then?”

“And then we drove out to a quiet parking lot behind a strip mall.”

“Stop right there. I can imagine the rest. He gave you some files on a drive, right?”

“Am I going to be arrested?” She had gone quite pale, and her bravado had disappeared.

“I’ll do my best to prevent that. You’re going to owe me big-time.”

“Steve, baby-”

“Don’t ‘Steve baby’ me! I don’t want sex. This is going to cost you money! As soon as I’m done here, you’re signing an addendum to my contract. I’m taking 20% of box-office from your cut for UC.”

The ferocity in his tone and his wild-eyed anger made her keep her mouth shut.

Shoving the Millennium addenda under her nose, he growled, “Sign these. Now! Initial everything. Then get an Uber and leave - I’ll handle the rest.”

Anja strutted out of the conference room, past Corzac, Geillis and the lawyers without even a backward glance.

They walked back into the conference room and a defeated Bonnet slid the signed papers across to the lawyers.

Corzac nodded to dismiss them, and he and Geillis sat down opposite Bonnet.

“Why didn’t you just take this all the way to the prosecutor’s office? Get her out of your way for good?”

“C’mon Steve!” Corzac scoffed, “You know our legal system and you know she’s a loose cannon. So, say we get charges against her. Then there's a prolonged investigation, and then the FBI and a bunch of Department of Justice task forces start fighting for jurisdiction, and in the meanwhile, she’s still running around for months, creating drama.”

“Obviously we’re not happy about our footage being leaked,” added Geillis, “but to pursue legal and criminal avenues would bring more bad publicity. How would it look for UC to have its female lead arrested for violating copyright law? We’d rather focus on the Oscar campaign than an actress who’s about to become persona non grata in Hollywood. We basically wanted to scare the shit out of her here today - that’s the only way we can think of to subdue her. That and hopefully these addenda tighten up all the loopholes too.”

“She was supposed to be on Graham Norton this week.”

“That’s not going to happen - we spoke to Norton’s people.”

“Thanks for coming in today,” Geillis smiled brightly, “I’m glad we got that resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.”

Bonnet left the studio’s premises knowing that he would never secure another role from Millennium, no matter who the client was.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Eagerly awaiting some good news, Claire and Jamie hastened to the study the minute Tara and Cal’s late afternoon Zoom call came in. Cal was excited to share his news, so he updated them first.

“I’m happy to share that Millennium’s PR texted me a few minutes ago with good news. They leaned heavily on TMZ today, and the post was quietly pulled from the website about a half-hour ago. Anyone looking for that post, won’t find it on the site. Although pictures and tweets will still be findable in various corners of the internet.”

“That’s definitely a step in the right direction,” Claire said, and the relief in her voice and body were palpable.

“I just got off the phone with Corzak” said Tara. “Some interesting new developments, Jamie. I’ll come right out with it. Graham Norton agreed to drop Anja if he can get you for a short interview for Friday’s segment. Six to eight minutes. Millennium agreed to it, so it’s up to you now. Norton’s people are sending the questions so that Cal and Millennium’s PR can prime you. What do you think, Jamie? I know it's really short notice, and Cal's PR reps in Seattle would set up the background and the tech side of things for the taping - which would be done tomorrow."

"I'm willing to do it if it keeps Anja out of talk shows for a while. I'd really like a look at their questions as soon as possible."

"Cal will send them as soon as he gets them. Norton also wants to know whether you’re open to some questions about men being subject to sexual harassment and objectification in the entertainment industry. Based on the events on the Corden show, he thinks it would make for a good discussion, and he feels strongly about it. He interviewed Terry Crews last week - he’s been very open about being sexually harassed by an industry big-wig. Think about it and discuss with Claire. Whether you want to or not, Norton is excited to have you and it will be a positive experience. I sense that.”

“He is a great host. Claire and I will talk about it. What happened with Anja?”

“For starters, she arrived drunk. Seems she and Bonnet were a little reluctant initially, but they ended up signing addenda and tightening the overall contract.”

“And they think that will stop her?”

“They spoke about the footage leak without directly accusing her. When she heard that the FBI might be involved, she backed off fast. They’re using that to keep her quiet. They’re hesitant to press charges because that will bring negativity to the film, and they can’t risk any more as we move into Oscar season.”

“I understand that, but I just hope having the sword of Damocles hanging over her is enough to keep her quiet. What’s your sense, Tara?”

“Corzac said she seemed very happy and excited about a big new role she’s getting. If that’s true, then she won’t want to risk it by pissing off a huge studio.”

“Overall, this is really good news,” he smiled at Claire and kissed her hand, as Tara looked on and grinned approvingly. “Thanks, Tara. You always look out for me, and I love ye for it!”

“I love you too, you big softie. Now go snuggle with your sweetheart and have a restful evening.”

Dinner felt a lot lighter and less stressful that evening. The specter of the professorship vote still loomed, but Jamie and Claire felt an overall sense of positivity and confidence in Joe’s ability to swing some of the undecided Trustees. There was also their optimism about Anja being effectively muzzled by Millennium’s threats.

“I’m so happy they pulled that post off the website, Mom. It was just wrong and misleading.” Ella stood and started clearing the table.

Beth joined her and reminded Claire that they were going to bake chocolate chip muffins after they had cleared away the dinner things.

“Ah yes, for your volleyball team sunrise event. Can I steal one for Jamie and me to share - when they’re done?”

"Of course!” she threw over her shoulder, disappearing into the kitchen with Ella.

“What’s a team sunrise?” Jamie asked.

“A very American tradition, but it’s so sweet. It’s a team bonding thing. Sometimes a class of high school seniors do it, lots of sports teams too. They take blankets and Starbucks or hot cocoa and find a great place to watch the sunrise together. Then they go to the coach’s house for breakfast. That’s why they’re baking - everyone contributes.”

“Seems to me that we did a little ‘team bonding’ during our first sunrise, Sassenach.”

“Yes, it was so sweet. I pretty much turned to mush when you took our first selfie - of our first sunrise.”

Jamie was starting to relax more, and his sweet, sexy teases were back - a sure indication that he was feeling more positive about things. They smiled and snuggled closer as happy memories brushed away some of the stress that had settled over them in the past few days.

Long after the girls had gone to bed, Jamie and Claire lay snuggling on the patio sofa, chatting in the dark, with only the fairy lights illuminating the outdoor area. They spent time responding to the constant influx of supportive messages and emails from friends and acquaintances.

“Mark and Michelle sent a kind message of support,” Jamie said, showing her his messages app. “Michelle also confirmed that some of the big earth-moving trucks will be on site tomorrow, and the Calhoun brothers will be here to direct all of that.”

“That is so exciting, Jamie! It’s starting to feel real."

"Aye, it is," he smiled. "I just got an email from Angus at the Caledonian Society."

“Angus reached out about the TMZ post?” she asked in surprise.

“Not about the post - although he’s probably seen it. He’s inviting me and my plus-one to Caledonian's Highland Games in August."

"That sounds like fun! I never got to go when I was living in Edinburgh with Uncle Lamb."

"I might have a schedule conflict. The Lallybroch meeting is around the same time, but I'll check the dates with Jenny to be certain.”

“Hmmmm. That would be too bad,” sighed Claire. “I was kinda looking forward to seeing you toss your caber.”

He quirked his eyebrow and gave her his half smile. “Why don’t I take you upstairs and show you what else I can do with my caber."

About thirty miles away in Medina, Seattle’s most affluent and prestigious suburb, and home to many of its billionaires, a sealed manila envelope passed from the ring-encrusted hand of Leo Greenberg to the clammy paws of Jack Wolverton.

  
  



	41. Chapter 41

* * *

Despite the twins’ best attempts at leaving the house quietly a half hour before sunrise, Jamie and Claire awoke to the distant sound of the garage door rolling open, and then rolling shut again after a few minutes.

Claire glanced out the window and scanned the pre-dawn cerulean skies. “Looks like a good morning for their team sunrise. Mostly clear skies with a few wisps of mist.”

“It’ll be a fun morning for them, mo ghràidh. And I love that I can lie here with you every morning and not worry about sneaking out before the girls see me.”

He lay on his back, deep in thought, staring at the ceiling with a small frown. She rested her head on his chest, seeking the familiar and comforting echo of his heartbeat in her ear. He slipped an arm under her to pull her closer. Immersing herself in the loving protective cocoon that his arms and body and heartbeat wove around her, she lay quietly for a while longer.

Eventually she asked softly, “What’s making you so pensive this morning, my love?”

“I was thinking about the interview taping today. How do you feel about me talking to Graham Norton about the male harassment issue?” He wound his hand into her curls and played with them gently.

“I absolutely support you discussing it with him. I know that you have to tread carefully, but as I already said, the MeToo movement will undoubtedly support anyone who’s been subjected to harassment, regardless of gender. How do you feel about sharing your feelings publicly?”

“It’s a little nerve-wracking, to be honest. I don’t want to downplay the fact that it’s far more prevalent against women, but at the same time, it’s important to bring awareness to it, because it happens to men so much more than people realize.” 

“I’m proud of your willingness to lend your voice to this issue.”

His fingers were still playing with her curls, lulling her into a near-somnolent state. 

“I’m going to drift back to sleep if I let you keep playing with my hair. Should we get our running gear on?” she asked.

“Sure, I’ll meet you back here in a few minutes.” 

“We should move your clothes into my closet - our closet - this weekend. There’s no need for you to keep using the guest room bathroom either. Are you comfortable with that?”

“Of course. I wanted you to be okay with it, and figured we’d eventually get around to it. No pressure from me.”

“You are always so thoughtful and considerate. I’m completely fine with it.”

"Come lie on me for a minute, Sassenach."

He gently pulled her over and she stretched out over him, their bodies pressed together from chest to foot. She rested her head in the hollow between his neck and shoulder.

“God, I love when ye lie on top of me and relax completely like this. It feels so ... calming, ye ken?”

“So I’m your human weighted blanket - is that what you’re saying?”

He chuckled. “No weighted blanket ever felt this good.”

His hands ran lazily down her back and over her butt, where they paused to knead her yielding flesh ever-so-gently. She felt the beginnings of his arousal as his hands moved slowly downwards. 

“I thought we were going for a run,” she teased.

“We were. But this is so much more fun.”

“Couldn't agree more,” she smiled as she pushed herself up to straddle him.

They sat at the kitchen counter and planned their day over breakfast. Both had full schedules, and they always felt more grounded when they knew each other’s plans and movements. With so much going on, they needed to sync any free time they had so they could reconnect with each other, touch base with the twins, or Zoom with Tara and Cal, in case any new issues had arisen.

“My day is going to be crazy right up until early afternoon. I’m Zooming with Cal and Millennium’s PR people in a half hour, so we can go over Norton’s questions about the movie. Then I’m rushing over to Seattle at 10:00 to the PR offices to tape the segment with Graham. They’ve set up a backdrop, minimal lighting, all the video and tech - even hair and makeup.”

“Wow! They’ve gone to great lengths. Hats off to the team for pulling that all together in record time.”

“Honestly, I would have been happy to do it from the study here, but Millennium wanted to make it all look sharp. The taping is at 11:00, and they need eight minutes of footage, so I’ll be done in under an hour. Then I’m coming back home for a call with DC/Panther about next week’s announcement at 2:00. That should take an hour, and after that I want to head over to the property and check in on the Calhouns."

“Whoa, Jamie. That’s back-to-back stuff almost all day. Millennium all morning and DC/Panther all afternoon. You’re going to be wiped by tonight.”

“I’ll probably need a late-night stint in the hot tub to decompress. With my Sassenach. In her blue swimsuit.”

“James Fraser! You are insatiable and incorrigible and impossible and -” 

“In love,” he inserted, pulling her towards him and kissing her soundly on the lips. “Tell me about _your_ day.”

“I’m going to be on campus until around lunchtime. I could work from home, but I know it’s going to be awkward seeing my co-workers after rushing off campus when the post went live on Tuesday. PILF is trending, and that brings unwanted attention to their place of work. I want to get this first awkward post-TMZ encounter behind me, before the vote tomorrow. I’ll be nervous enough about that as it is.” 

Jamie’s heart tightened as he thought of the humiliation and distress the article had rained down on Claire. It had made her physically sick, and her growing anxiety about the meeting with the Trustees weighed heavily on him. He took one of her hands between both of his and brought it to his lips. No words passed between them in that moment, but each knew what the other was thinking. 

_I’m sorry I couldn't prevent this._

_Please don’t blame yourself._

“How do you think your co-workers will react?”

“I feel like most of them will be supportive. They’ve been rooting for me for the professorship, and I’ve no reason to think they’ll stop supporting me just because of a ridiculous gossip piece.”

“My gut feeling is also that they’ll support you. Walk those hallways with yer head held high, Claire. Your professorship is about your excellence at what you do, not what some online rag publishes, or what hashtags are trending.” 

“I plan to, my love,” she sighed. “I should be home by 1:00. I might head over to the stables with the girls and hang out with Calypso while they work with some children with special needs this afternoon. I haven’t had a chance to see him since you got him for me.”

“I’d love to go with you, but that’s right when I’m meeting with DC/Panther.”

“I know, my love. It’s okay - we’ll go see him together next week. I just feel I need to see him today too. It’ll be comforting and therapeutic.” 

“I think it’s a great idea. Calypso’s so loving and gentle. It’ll do your soul the world of good to spend some time with him.”

“After that, I’ve got the afternoon and evening pretty open. Armando wants to come and see me. Would you mind if I asked him to stay for dinner? We can DoorDash something.” 

“Absolutely. I’m looking forward to meeting him, actually. He’s such a good friend to you.”

“Okay. Our schedules seem to fit together and work well. Crossing fingers that there are no surprises anywhere.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire called Nonna from the car as she drove into work. With such a busy day ahead, the half-hour commute would have to pull double-duty as phone-call time. During their regular weekly chats, Claire had told Nonna about her relationship with Jamie, and she’d been skeptical at first. “Cara, these superstars mess around with so many women! I don't want you to get hurt."

It had taken some convincing, but Nonna began to appreciate Claire’s growing happiness, and the girls had shared snippets of information that reassured her that Jamie was a man of character who was deeply in love with her precious Claire. 

This morning, she needed to hear Nonna’s calm, reassuring voice, and it was also an opportunity to check in with her to see how she was doing. They made small talk for a few minutes, and Claire was relieved to note that Nonna seemed unaware of the TMZ scandal. She was not on social media, and celebrity gossip didn't interest her in the least, but Claire worried that members of her bridge club might have read something and shared with her. 

Nonna asked about the professorship, and sounded surprised that the vote was just a day away. “You mentioned that to me already, cara, but I forgot that it was so soon. I’ll walk to church and say a prayer for you. It will get me out in the fresh air and I need the exercise too.”

“Thank you, Nonna! That means so much to me. I’ll call you on the weekend and let you know how it goes. I also want to ask you how you feel about coming out for a few weeks in October?”

“I’m starting to feel a little better about getting outside more, always with my mask and hand sanitizer. But the travel worries me.”

“What if Jamie arranges a private jet, like he did for the girls?”

“I don’t know, cara. I would have to think about that. What’s happening in October?”

“Jamie is taking me to Paris for my birthday - just 4 or 5 days. I would be so grateful if you would keep an eye on the girls for me, and they would love to have you to themselves for that time. And after Paris, I get to spend the rest of the time with you. I miss you so much, you know that.”

Nonna knew full well that the girls could easily stay at Ashlee’s, or Hannah’s - or any of their friends during Claire’s absence. But Claire knew that Nonna wouldn’t refuse her request to look after the girls, and it was her strategy to finally get her over to Seattle for a visit after months of asking.

“Okay, amore. I’ll think about it and we can talk on the weekend.”

She called Melissa next.

“Jesus, Claire! What the fuck is going on there?”

“Please tell me it isn’t all over the East Coast too.”

“It made some news channels, but it’s not as big as it is on the West Coast. After you told me about Jamie, I had some of my media specialists track Jamie Fraser tags. You know I deal with crazy stuff every day, and I wanted to look out for you. They’ve been tracking that fool Baranov since the first TMZ segment where she mentioned Jamie and the sex scenes. So I’m aware of some of the comings and goings over the past couple of weeks. What's the latest?”

“The good news is that TMZ was forced to pull the most recent piece, which was the worst one by far. It was taken down quietly, no retraction. Taking it off the site is helping to slow the trajectory.” 

“Good move! When do you hear about the professorship?”

“The vote is tomorrow and we’ll know the result next week. Abernathy is backing me quietly, but he doesn’t have a vote. PILF is hot again, as you can imagine. I hope he has enough influence over the undecided Trustees.”

“Like I told you before Claire, there’s no way you’re not getting this. I looked into the Wharton candidate and he’s nowhere near as well-suited for the position. Fulton doesn’t need more accusations of sexism either.”

“I appreciate your confidence in me. How are things with you?”

“I’m neck-deep in helping a couple of Senators with a sticky little problem that will hopefully never make the news. It’s going to keep me busy for the next month or two. It’s an election year, and shit’s coming out of the woodwork everywhere. I’ll check in with you next week. I want to hear everything then. Good luck tomorrow, hon!”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie and Claire arrived home within minutes of each other and walked into the kitchen to find Beth and Ella making lunch for all of them. 

“You girls are the best. I keep telling ye that, but I truly mean it.”

“It’s just sandwiches and salad,” Ella shrugged. “That’s all we could of think of for a quick lunch when mom texted that you were both on your way home. We know it’s a busy day for you.” 

An explosion of color in the family room caught Claire’s eye. Her blue Daum vase was filled with gladiolus stems in a variety of vivid colors. She gasped and walked over to the vase.

“Those were delivered while we were out. Beth and I prepped them and put them in the vase. There’s a note.”

She opened the envelope. 

**_“There’s a telepathy between some hearts where no words are needed and all is understood.” (Karen Salmansohn)_ **

**My heart hurts when yours hurts. My soul feels what yours feels.**

**I love you.**

**Jamie**

She blinked away the tears that threatened and he walked over and wrapped his arms around her. 

“Thank you, my love,” she whispered. 

He touched his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes, “Don’t try to be strong for me, mo chridhe,” he murmured, “I know what you’re going through. Lean on me all you need. I’ll be here to catch you if you fall.”

The girls were reluctant to interrupt a sweet moment, but lunch was ready, and they summoned Jamie and Claire to the kitchen counter. As they ate, the girls filled them in on all the details of their sunrise and breakfast event. 

“Sounds like so much fun, girls. I must remember to text Coach Kate and thank her for hosting breakfast. Maybe next year we’ll offer to host. We’ll be in the new house by then.”

“For real?” they looked at Jamie.

“If your Mam says it’s okay, then of course we’ll host!”

“As soon as we’re done with lunch, we can head over to the stables. Jamie has a video call, so it’ll be just us, girls.”

“When you girls get back from the stables, do ye want to walk over to the property with me and see what the Calhouns have been up to?”

“Yeah!" Beth said, enthusiastically. "I can’t wait to see what they’ve been doing. We saw a bunch of huge trucks and diggers when we turned into our driveway earlier. “

“Sounds cool. Will they have printouts of the plans? I love looking at that kind of stuff,” Ella asked.

“More than likely,” replied Jamie.

They finished their lunch and while the girls went upstairs to put on their riding gear, Jamie and Claire got up to speed on each other’s mornings.

“I thought of you all morning. How did it go?”

“Not as bad as I expected. Of course, not everyone is working on campus, but the coworkers I saw in the break-room or hallways were all polite and cordial. My departmental coworkers were fantastic. I had a steady stream in and out of my office for the first couple of hours when they heard I was in the building. They all expressed how sorry they were that this was happening to me again.”

“You felt you had their support?”

“Yes, definitely, especially from my department. A few asked about you. They couldn’t resist asking if we were actually together, or whether the Caledonian picture was a once-off,” she chuckled.

“What did ye tell them?”

“I told them that we are in a relationship, and that we are very committed to each other, and that you are a wonderful, ridiculous human being.”

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“No, actually, you haven’t,” she teased, “The last time was about a half hour ago when we got home. Tell me how it went with the taping.” 

“It went great. Graham focused mostly on the movie. That’s really what Millennium was after. It was straightforward stuff that PR had prepped me for.”

“And the MeToo issue?”

“He didn’t spend as much time on that as I expected, to be honest, but I feel like I answered his questions in a way that was true to myself, while also acknowledging how much more widespread it is for women.” 

“Not an easy topic to navigate. No matter what you say, someone will think you said too much or too little.”

“True. And as I anticipated, Graham couldn't help going off script a little. He raised the issue of ‘recent media reports’ about me and a professor from Seattle. I was honest, and admitted that I was in a loving, committed relationship, and that I couldn't reveal more because it was part of my private life.”

“That’s a reasonable response, Jamie. You said nothing salacious or controversial. I can’t imagine that your answer would make waves with Millennium or the Trustees - if they ever got to hear it.”

“The show airs tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. our time, right when you’ll be in your meeting with the Board. We can watch it together in the evening.”

She nodded and leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, catching sight of the flowers again as she did so. “Thank you for my flowers, they’re just what I needed today.”

“I’ve been remiss about sending you flowers since L.A. week, and I wanted you to have something bright and colorful to make you happy.”

“They make me happy because they remind me of you.”

As soon as Claire and the girls headed out to the stables, Jamie sat at the desk in the study and connected with the DC/Panther team to learn about the top-secret details around the cast announcement. A grid of faces appeared before him. 

Tara, Cal, Simon, and Luke Beyer, Panther’s VP of Production, were all familiar faces. Jamie had been dealing with Luke from the outset of the Superman negotiations, and they got along well. There were three unfamiliar faces: one was Yoonah Cho, DC Comics’ Head of Media Relations and Publicity, and the other two were representatives from Marula Event Planning, a huge organization that planned and managed most of the big awards shows in Hollywood. Clearly, DC/Panther wanted to make a huge splash with this cast announcement.

Luke Beyer started the meeting by reiterating the need for utmost secrecy. "All of you have binding NDAs, and I’m impressing on all of us the importance of observing the terms of the agreements. The event is just five days away and we want to maintain anticipation and excitement around it. I’m going to ask Yoonah to take over and share her vision for the announcement.”

Yoonah explained the premise for going so over-the-top for their announcement. "First, we are beyond excited to have Jamie Fraser in this role. The news that you’re our new Superman is going to be extremely well-received by the fandom. You’ve topped the polls for fan choice for months. Luckily, it’s the best-kept secret in Hollywood right now. Diminished social interaction has really helped us there.”

Jamie smiled and nodded his thanks, and Yoonah continued.

“In coming up with our 'extreme cast announcement', we looked at what was going on around us with the pandemic. It feels like a big pause button has been pressed on all our lives. Everything has ground to a halt - for everyone. In our industry that means that movie theaters are shuttered, production has stopped on most movies, movie premiers and film festivals have been cancelled, awards nominations and awards shows are cancelled or delayed or modified. The bottom line is that Hollywood has become a sad and miserable shadow of its former self. DC and Panther want to bring back the glam and glitz with our announcement. We’re doing it in the format of an awards show ceremony in a big star-studded event at the Hollywood Bowl. It's a massive production! I’ll hand over to one of our event managers from Marula to give you the finer details.”

An energetic young man from Marula Event Planning took over and shared some slides so that everyone could better picture how all the elements of the announcement would work. 

“Limos will drop off all the guests at the red carpet, and there will be the usual fanfare with paparazzi and press interviews. We are setting up red carpet areas, VIP zones, hospitality … everything you would expect at a big awards show. We even have swag bags to die for. We hand-delivered 100 top-secret invitations to a select group of A-listers earlier this week and another 100 to industry execs. They know it’s a cast announcement event, they know it’s red-carpet dress, they just don’t know what the movie is. The big rumor is that it’s a Mission Impossible movie, and that’s okay with us, because it throws people off our scent. Rodeo Drive has been buzzing all week, with stores and designers working frenetically to get everyone dressed for the occasion. We have live music from Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Khalid, and Ariana Grande, and dance performances from the winners of ‘World of Dance’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. There will be big screens, amazing lighting and laser effects, and fireworks once it gets dark. It will be live-streamed on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram."

He paused to invite reactions and questions. 

“It all sounds fantastic,” Jamie said. "How will the actual reveal work? And when do I finally find out who my co-star is?”

“This is the best part. The whole stage will go dark, and short clips and snippets of previous Superman films will flash on the giant screens. The Superman theme song will blast out over the audience, and guests will catch on instantly that it’s a Superman announcement, so there will be a lot of buzz around the arena. Then Jamie’s going to walk out on stage under a small spotlight, and we’ll reveal him with sparks and lasers and lights and music as the spotlight grows. It’ll be hella spectacular. You’ll be standing there in your tux, and behind you on the giant screens, we’ll have pictures of you in your Superman costume. They'll be CGI’ed for some amazing effects.”

“Love it!” Tara enthused. “It’s going to be _the_ event of the pandemic, no doubt. When and how will the female lead be announced?”

Yoonah Cho took over. “That’s where we had to get creative. We had a shortlist of four potential Lois Lanes after months of auditions. We’ve finally made our choice, and she just signed her contracts. We’re excited, and we think Jamie will be too. As far as her reveal goes, Marula came up with this great idea to build tension and anticipation. All four actresses on the short-list will be at the announcement event, hidden in their dressing rooms until we’re ready to call our Lois Lane to the stage. We’re going to have Jamie announce his co-star, awards-ceremony style. He’ll open an envelope and read out the name - it’ll be a surprise to everyone, including Jamie.”

“Well, that’s really different!” Tara exclaimed, “How did you get the actresses to agree to that? Normally, they would come in for an audition and find out pretty quickly that they didn't get the role. You’re asking them to sit there and go through the humiliation of not being called up by Jamie?”

“No, no,” Yoonah interjected quickly, “we’re being very discreet and thoughtful about it. It’s not like an awards show in the sense that the cameras focus on the nominees’ faces and capture all the reactions, good and bad. The actresses won’t be in the audience at all and they will not have cameras on them while they wait. We have four dressing rooms set up for them, and each actress will have her own hair stylist, makeup artist, and wardrobe stylist. They will wait in their dressing rooms until Jamie opens the envelope, and when he announces the co-star, one of our production team will escort her on stage, where she will be welcomed by Jamie. No hugs, no kisses, we have to observe pandemic guidelines. Jamie will go through several rehearsals on Tuesday, but the actresses won’t, for obvious reasons. They will arrive at the arena 15 minutes apart and will be whisked off to their dressing rooms. They have no idea who the others are, and no-one knows who they are, apart from us. It’s super discreet, and we are being very protective of their identities. All four have been decently compensated, and all of them agreed to hold off on other commitments until after the announcement.”

“Why didn’t you just tell the winning actress that she’s the one? And then let the others know they didn’t get the role. Lock the winner down with an NDA, like you did with Jamie?” Tara was fascinated by the elaborate secrecy of their smoke-screen.

“Frankly, we didn’t trust all of the actresses to keep their mouths shut if we told them they were in or out. It takes just one drink too many, one quick share with a friend or relative, and it’s guaranteed to leak. We figured there was a one hundred percent certainty that it would get out there if we did it the standard industry way. This way they are all in the dark, and we keep it that way right until the end so that they don’t tweet or Instagram anything before the reveal.”

Luke added, “They’re a competitive bunch, these action-movie actresses! I think they’re quite fascinated by our whole process, and each one is excited to know whether it’s her or not. They were given the opportunity to withdraw, but they all agreed. We knew they would - they're excited to be on the shortlist, and no one’s done a cast reveal like this before.” 

“That all sounds good - very elaborate and spectacular! I fly in on Tuesday morning and out Wednesday morning?” Jamie asked.

“Yes,” Luke responded. “The jet will land at Van Nuys Airport so you can avoid the paps at LAX. A driver will bring you to the studio for costume and tux fitting. We’ll have a team lined up to grab some pictures and CGI footage for the big screen reveal. Then we’ll take you to the Hollywood Bowl for rehearsal. The announcement extravaganza will likely end at around 10:00 p.m. We’ve booked Delphine restaurant for all of us from DC and Panther, you, your co-star and your teams. We'll enjoy a late celebration dinner, and there’s a 9:00 a.m. press conference at Panther Entertainment on Wednesday morning. Thirty news outlets by invitation only. TMZ is not one of them. It’ll be a panel style press-conference with execs from DC and Panther and you and your co-star. Live-streamed, of course. We’ll have you back at the airport by 11:00 a.m. for your flight home. Look for an email later with a detailed schedule.”

The meeting was starting to wrap up and Yoonah thanked everyone for attending. Before closing, Luke addressed Jamie directly.

“Jamie, I spoke with Tara earlier to verify some things, and I’m aware that you have a special someone in your life. TMZ did you no favors there, man.” He shook his head ruefully. “Will she be joining you at the announcement? She’s more than welcome, and we’ll assign her one of our PR team to accompany her throughout the day while you do what you need to do. She'll be our VIP guest.”

“That's very kind of you. Yes, Claire is my very special someone.” Jamie’s expression softened, “I appreciate you thinking of her, and I’ll discuss it with her tonight. She’s in the middle of a big work event herself, so I’m not sure it’ll work out. However, she has 16 year old twins who might want to come? The girls would love this! Is that okay with you, Luke and Yoonah?”

“Absolutely!” Yoonah replied. “How exciting for them! We’ll add an extra room to your hotel reservation. It’s no big deal."

"We’ll assign one of our younger PR interns as well as a PR staffer to accompany them around our studio complex and the Bowl," Luke added. "They can go backstage and meet the performers, or hang out in the VIP Lounge. We’ll make sure they get swag bags too.”

“That’ll be awesome - my girls are going to be blown away! I’ll confirm with you tomorrow. They might have some sports-team commitments, and Claire will need to okay it too.” 

Claire and the twins returned from the stables just as Jamie was wrapping up his call with DC/Panther. Before telling the twins about the possibility of a trip to L.A. with him, he would need to discuss it with Claire, so he held the news back until later.

“How’s Calypso?”

“Oh, Jamie, he’s beautiful! He nuzzled and snuggled the whole time I was with him. I didn’t ride today, but I really want to do that next week.”

“I’m so pleased you got to spend time with him. Hopefully we can get out and ride together next week.” He bent down and kissed her gently. “I’ll tell you all about my Superman call after the girls and I get back from our property visit.”

“Any preferences for dinner? We’re DoorDashing, remember?”

“What about that Mediterranean we had for the winery meeting? That was so good.”

“Great idea! Armando will love it too.” 

Jamie and the twins were amazed at how much had been accomplished on the property in just a day’s work. Trucks and land clearing equipment were parked and silent until the next day, and Jamie led the way over the freshly cleared path towards two Airstream trailers attached to Ford F150s a short distance into the property. A table was set-up outside one of the trailers and the Calhoun brothers were leaning over some papers and printouts that were spread over the table. They looked up when they heard Jamie and the girls approach, and broke into wide smiles, immediately removing their stetsons. 

“Well, hello, y’all,” Beau walked over and shook hands with all three, and Colton followed quickly behind him.

“Welcome to Snoqualmie,” Jamie grinned. “I’m impressed with how much has been cleared in such a short time. Do you guys have everything you need?”

“Oh yeah, we’re used to roughing it, Jamie. We have two portable generators to power our computers and other essentials. We have hot-spots for connectivity. The porta-potty is in the trees back there, and we have a great Airbnb house in Preston.”

“I love these Airstream trailers,” Beth enthused. “They are so cool and retro! What do you use them for?”

“This one here is our portable office. We have all our computers and tech, printers, filing cabinets, paperwork - all of that stuff is in here. That one is our portable break-room, I guess you could call it. It’s where we can sit and eat our lunch, or have a hydration break, or hide out if it’s really hot, or if there’s a storm. Do you girls want to look inside?”

“We’d love to,” Ella replied.

“Just a sec,“ Colton said, “Our nephew is with us - he’s helping us as an intern all summer. I’ll get him to show the girls around. While he does that, we can go over the printouts with Jamie and point out what the next steps are.”

“DEACON!” Beau hollered across to the second trailer.

A few seconds passed, and a head appeared at the doorway.

“C’mon over here and meet the folks we’re working for.”

Deacon stepped out and walked across to the waiting group. Jamie and the twins had expected a college-age intern, but Deacon seemed younger - maybe 17 or 18. He was a tall, good-looking teen, with dark hair and the same eyes and facial structure as his uncles. Dressed in dark jeans and a faded denim shirt, he approached them with a wide smile and friendly demeanor. Removing his stetson and placing it on the table, he waited for one of his uncles to make the introductions.

“Deacon, this is Mr. Fraser. Jamie, this is Deacon Marshall, my sister’s son and our favorite nephew.” 

They shook hands. “Please call me Jamie.”

“Honored to meet you, sir. I’m a big fan of your movies.”

Colton continued with the introductions. “And this is Ella and Beth.”

“The other way around. I’m Ella.” They shook hands.

“And I’m Beth.” She smiled shyly and Deacon’s smile widened as he shook her hand. 

“Deacon, please give the young ladies a tour of the trailers, while we show Jamie what’s next.” 

He led the girls into the office trailer first, and they looked on with interest as he pointed out the different areas and equipment in the office area.

“What will you be doing in here all day?” Beth asked, genuinely interested in what his job entailed.

“I'll be doing the paperwork and filing, checking emails and responding to most of them. I also make calls to contractors, make sure all the bills are paid, see to it that there’s enough gas for our generators, order lunch or drive out to pick it up, depending on what everyone wants. I do whatever my uncles need.”

“Is it your first time doing this?” Ella asked.

“I helped a lot last summer too, but that was all local stuff in and around Caldwell in Idaho. This is my first time traveling to a site.”

“Are you starting college after this summer?” Beth asked casually. 

“Nah, going into senior year. What about you guys?” He addressed them both, but his eyes were locked on Beth.

“We’re going into junior year,” Beth replied.

They stepped out and walked to the break-room trailer, where Deacon pointed out the little features and creature comforts that kept them all happy and comfortable on site. On one side there was a full-size refrigerator and standard trailer kitchenette, with a small dining table and benches. The other side was dominated by two RV recliner chairs and a large plush sofa that could easily accommodate a tired cowboy in need of a nap. A large screen TV hung from a secure bracket.

“That’s a big TV for a trailer,” remarked Ella.

“Yeah,” Deacon chuckled, “my uncles don’t want to miss football games when they're working late on a site. And the Snake River Stampede is on right now, so they want to stream footage whenever they can.”

“What’s the Snake River Stampede?” Beth asked.

“It’s a week-long rodeo that’s part of the national circuit. It’s a huge deal in Caldwell, even though it’s hosted in the next town. There are tons of community events too - festivals, parades, dances, music. It’s pretty cool.”

“Are you bummed to be missing it?” Ella asked.

“I was a little, to be honest. But this job for you guys is going to be pretty cool too.”

He slid another look at Beth.

“Do you want to sit?” He gestured awkwardly at the sofa. “I can get a Coke from the fridge for you guys.”

“I’m good,” Ella smiled. “Thanks though. I’m going to go look at the plans on the table outside.” She stepped out and walked over to the office trailer.

“I’d love a Coke, thanks,” Beth smiled as she curled her legs under her on the sofa.

Deacon handed her a Coke bottle and sat on one of the recliners.

“So-” 

“Are-”

They both started to speak at the same time, and laughed for a moment.

“You first,” Deacon prompted.

“I was going to ask if your friends and girlfriend are Snapping you pictures and updates about the festival and rodeo - to keep you in the loop?” God, she hoped that didn’t sound obvious.

“I don’t have a girlfriend, but my friends are snapping me a ton of stuff. Are you on Snapchat?” 

“Yeah.”

“Can I add you? In case I have questions about local stuff like stores and restaurants? We just got here and we don’t know anyone.”

"Sure ... here you go.” She leaned over and showed him her profile, and he added her username to his friends list. 

Outside, Jamie and the Calhouns had walked over to the edge of the cleared area, and the brothers were pointing out some of the finer details of the stables and horse trail. Jamie had several questions, and they discussed everything in detail.

Jamie noticed Ella walk across to the table and examine the printouts. His eyes drifted over to the break-room trailer, and he wondered when Beth would emerge. Beau noticed that Jamie had become a little distracted as they spoke - his eyes darting to the trailer every now and again.

“Jamie … uh … I can see that you're concerned about one of the girls being in the trailer with Deacon. I want to assure you that he’s a real good kid. Not just because he’s my nephew, he is genuinely a great kid. Respectful and kind. He’s never had a girlfriend and he’s not one to mess around with girls like a lot of boys his age.”

Colton added, “He’s way too into his studies. Determined to nail that 4.0 and get into a good college.”

“But just to set some boundaries and expectations, I’ll talk to him tonight,” Beau added. “I don’t care if he’s 17, he’ll get the first ass whooping of his life if he said anything disrespectful to your girls. I can’t imagine that he has, but please know that we’re on it.”

Jamie chuckled. “Thank you for the reassurance. I’m sure an ‘ass whooping’ won’t be necessary.”

They heard distant laughter, and Deacon emerged from the trailer. He turned and held a hand out to help Beth down the narrow trailer steps. Jamie's eyebrow quirked a fraction at that. He'd also noticed that Deacon called him 'sir'.

“It’s probably time for us to head back anyway,” Jamie said. “We’ll come by tomorrow after the trucks and equipment have stopped for the day.”

They said their goodbyes, and in his peripheral vision, Jamie spied Beth turning around and smiling at Deacon, who was leaning up against the trailer, smiling back at her. 

Armando arrived for dinner still bristling with two-day old anger at TMZ for causing so much pain and worry for his friend. His feelings were tempered by the excitement of finally meeting Jamie Fraser in person and seeing first-hand the intensity of the love between him and Claire.

Claire was looking forward to seeing Armando, and hastened to pull open the front door, with Jamie just a few steps behind her. Armando wrapped her in a tight hug and held her for a long time. Jamie waited patiently, his heart warmed by the genuine affection between them. Eventually, they pulled apart, and Claire introduced them.

“Jamie, this is my dear, dear friend Armando. ‘Mando, meet the man who owns my body, heart and soul.”

“Whoa - quite the intro there, hon! Jamie, I’m so pleased to meet you.”

He extended his hand, but Jamie gave him a bro hug instead. “Anyone who loves Claire as much as you do is family to me. It’s good to meet you at last, Armando.”

They enjoyed a patio dinner, and the delicious meal was marked by relaxed, comfortable banter, punctuated by frequent belly laughs from all of them. Jamie and Armando traded Hollywood stories and the girls sat wide-eyed in disbelief at some of the ridiculous celebrity dressing room requests ‘Mando had heard about over the years. He showed them pictures of dressing rooms his stylist friends in L.A. had shared with him, showcasing some of the crazier requests.

“Oh my God, who wanted a bison head on the wall?”

“Who is going to drink their way through six cases of Evian water?” 

The girls excused themselves after dessert, freeing the adults to speak more openly without adding to their concerns for their mom.

“Hon, I need to know that you’re doing okay.” He looked directly at Claire, and she knew she couldn't fob him off with ‘everything’s okay’. 

“It’s been tough, ’Mando, and I would not have coped without Jamie.” She reached for Jamie’s hand, and played distractedly with his long fingers as she continued, “It’s all the humiliation of PILF, but with the added stress of a high-profile promotion that has gone very public, thanks to the Seattle Times article and now TMZ.” 

“I remember how god-awful PILF was for you! How are the girls doing?”

“They’ve been amazing. We tell them everything so they can be prepared for whatever social media drama that comes their way. We aren’t aware of any snark or bullying yet. I know that if I don’t get the professorship, they will be completely crushed. They were in tears over that on Tuesday night. That sent Jamie over the edge, and he almost went public with our relationship.”

“I’ve thought about that, actually,” Armando remarked. “Right now, you have this two-pronged problem - Anja and her craziness, and the PILF thing. Going public would take care of Anja, at least.”

Jamie replied. “We talked about that a lot. Going public will bring a surge of attention to Claire, and that will exacerbate things with Fulton. I'm respecting her wishes on that, but truly, I canna wait to have it out there.” He raised her hand and kissed it gently.

Armando almost squeed at how tender and loving Jamie was with Claire, but he held it together and replied, “Yeah - that makes sense. How confident are you, Claire, going into tomorrow’s meeting?”

“It’s going to be an uphill climb , but I’m confident in Joe’s ability to speak convincingly in my favor. They were hit hard by accusations of sexism last time and won't want more of that now.”

“If you don’t get it, ‘I Stand With Doc B’ will come back with a vengeance,” Armando said with conviction. 

“And that will be lovely, but it will be in vain. It will be too late to do anything by then.”

They chatted for a while longer about more pleasant topics like the new house plans, Calypso, and the work that had just started on the property. Claire relaxed visibly in the quiet, loving support from Jamie and Armando. She appreciated that 'Mando didn’t inundate her with questions, instinctively knowing that she would share what was comfortable for her. Jamie noted and appreciated that too. Having to face and answer the same questions repeatedly would add to her stress and wear her down. 

Armando left earlier than he normally would, reminding Claire to get an early night. Before he left, Jamie asked him if they could trade cell numbers.

“I might need to call you in the next day or two to ask for a referral for a reliable hair stylist and MUA in L.A.”

“Sure,” Armando said, "I still have lots of connections in the industry."

“He’s a great friend to you, Claire,” Jamie remarked as they waved him off at the front door. “He intuitively knows how much to ask you and when to ask you. More importantly, he knows when _not_ to ask questions and just let you talk.” 

They moved naturally into each other’s arms as they spoke on the front steps. 

“Yes, he is. I appreciate him so much. Are you ready to jump in the hot tub?”

“Are you up for that, or do you need an early night?”

“What I need is for you to wrap those strong arms around me and hold me tight. I need you to play with my hair, and nuzzle your scruff in all the parts of my neck and chest that … you know ...” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Make ye squirm and writhe?” He raised an eyebrow back at her, and they locked eyes.

“I’ll wear the blue swimsuit.”

“I’ll be waiting." 

Minutes later, they were floating lazily side by side in the hot tub, allowing the stresses of the previous few days to seep out of them. Steam wafted from the surface of the water into the cool night air, and the tranquil silence of their peaceful neighborhood descended over them.

“Claire?”

“Mmmm?”

“I haven't told you about the Superman announcement yet.”

“I know! I’ve been dying to hear about it, but we’ve been so busy all afternoon. Did you finally learn the name of your co-star?”

“No, but that’s a whole long story in itself. I’ll give you the whole event run-down tomorrow. DC/Panther asked if you wanted to attend the event as a VIP guest.”

“Oh that’s really sweet and thoughtful. Not sure I can pull it off though - it’s so close to Fulton’s announcement. I’m not in the right headspace.”

“Aye, that's what I feared. Also, there’ll be a red carpet, and they’ll inevitably capture pictures of you. I know you don't want those out there.”

“You’re right, Jamie. Even though the Superman event is after the vote and won't affect the outcome, it will send the wrong message if I’m partying it up in Hollywood while Fulton is fighting all this negative media attention. I need to lie low for a few weeks. I’m sorry, my love.”

“Don’t be sorry. It won’t be too long before you can attend a red carpet event with me and I can walk it proudly, holding yer wee hand in mine.” He interlaced his fingers with hers, and she sighed a long, deep sigh.

“Do ye think the twins might want to come? There are some music performances that they’ll really enjoy.”

“Are you serious?” She sat up and looked at him in disbelief.

“Mm-hmm. I asked DC/Panther if the girls could come if you declined, and they said yes. The girls would fly there and back on the jet with me, and they’ll appoint a couple of PR people to be their guides and chaperones while I’m doing pictures and rehearsals. They can walk the red carpet, go to all the VIP areas, meet the music artists, and get swag bags. Panther will book them a hotel room next to mine.”

“Oh my God, the girls would love that! What an amazing opportunity! They don't have anything red-carpet appropriate to wear, though.”

“I can take them to Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom tomorrow - or wherever you want me to take them. It’ll keep their minds off worrying about your meeting too. I’ll call Armando and ask for a hair stylist and MUA referral so they can get all gussied up. I want a personal recommendation from him for someone reliable who'll do a good job.”

“Thanks for always looking out for the girls, my love. I’ll have to run it past Frank, of course. Not sure how he will take it.”

“Is he aware of the TMZ situation?”

“I don’t think so. He’s in his own little bubble where all that matters is his academic reputation and getting kudos for his research. I think Kelly would have reached out if they were aware. Nonna didn’t know, so it’s probably not hitting mainstream media there. It seems to be more of a big deal on the West Coast, where everyone is more celebrity focused.”

“I hope Frank doesn’t object. It would be an unforgettable event for them.”

“I’ll call him first thing in the morning. The girls don’t have practice tomorrow, so they can spend as much time as they need to find dresses. The only problem is that I’ll be too busy to vet their dress choices. So it's on you.” She giggled at the thought of Jamie trying to help the girls figure out their dresses.

“Och, Claire, I’m hopeless with stuff like that. I’ll probably say yes to whatever they choose, but you might think it’s too low, or too high or something.”

“They’re generally pretty good about picking things that are age appropriate. Have them text pictures to Armando. He’d be happy to help.”

“I’ll remind them. Did the girls say anything about the visit to the property?”

“No. How did it go?”

“Great, actually. When things are quieter over the weekend, I’ll walk over there with you and show you what they’ve done, and what’s happening over the next week or two.”

Jamie almost told Claire about the little flirtation he’d noticed between Beth and Deacon, but decided to delay that until the next afternoon, after the meeting and Board vote were behind her. 

“I'm still in shock that the girls get to go on this amazing adventure with you to Hollywood. They won't be able to sleep between now and then."

"I’m already looking forward to having my girls there with me."

"I don't even know how to thank you, my love."

"I can think of some ways ... come lie here on me."

"Uhhh ... last time I did that - "

"Was this morning. And it ended quite well, as I recall. Come here so I can kiss ye."

He tugged her hand and she drifted over to him. He promptly claimed her butt in both hands, the cut of her swimsuit allowing him direct access to her soft, firm flesh. 

“I thought you wanted to kiss me, not grab my ass. That’s a total honey-trap. You should be ashamed.”

“Babe, you come with quite a benefits package. I may as well avail myself of all the perks.”

His fingers ventured beneath the fabric of her swimsuit, and delved gently between her legs. 

“Speaking of honey …”

“I’m waiting for that kiss you promised me.”

He took her mouth in a prolonged and passionate kiss that left her tingling all the way to her core; and while his tongue explored the warm recesses of her mouth, his fingers teased their way between her legs and into her folds. 

Her hips pressed into his, and he knew that an early night was no longer an option.

“Claire, I want you so much,” he murmured against her lips, “but you needed an early night.” 

“I need you more,” she murmured back, teasing him with her slow, rolling hip movements.

“Mmmm ..." His moan reverberated sensuously against her throat as he kissed his way down her neck. "And you call me insatiable ...”

“You have only yourself to blame. You can’t go all warrior on me, and expect me not to want to make love to you.”

“Are we okay to ...?”

“Their bedroom lights are out and we’re surrounded by trees.”

Her fingers were already working the drawstring at his waistband. 

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	42. Chapter 42

* * *

Jamie kissed her awake with a flurry of kisses. He had already gone for a run, and he was now freshly showered and dressed.

“I let you sleep as long as possible, babe, but I know you want to chat with the girls about the Hollywood event. And you wanted to call Frank first. We’re making you breakfast downstairs.”

She reached up and pulled him closer.

“Thank you. You’re right, I need to get up. Busy day ahead! You can wake me up with kisses every day, if you like.”

“I like,” he said, kissing her lips. “I like very much.”

“Will you stay with me while I call Frank? A little moral support?”

“Of course.” 

Ordinarily, she texted Frank before calling him to let him know that her call was imminent. But this morning, her gut told her to skip the text and call right away. The element of surprise made it less likely that he would try to dodge her call. He answered after six rings, and she put him on speakerphone.

“Claire? I hope nothing’s wrong with the girls. You usually text first.”

Jamie took in Frank’s clipped English accent, its haughtiness intensified by the terse way he addressed Claire.

“No, they’re perfectly safe and healthy. I need to get your okay for an event that requires an overnight stay for them.”

“A sleepover? Since when do you need my okay for a sleepover?” He sounded impatient and irritable.

“It’s an out-of-state overnight, without me. The girls would be going to Los Angeles and they’d spend one night at a high-end, secure hotel.”

“Without you?”

“Yes. As I said, without me.”

“Is there any adult supervision at all for the overnight?”

_Shit! There it was. She couldn’t skirt the issue any longer._

“They would be accompanied by my … uh … my boyfriend.”

“Your what? You’re planning to send the girls away for a trip with your boyfriend?” He sounded incredulous and Claire bit her lower lip nervously. Even after all these years, he had the ability to make her feel less than.

“Who’s the boyfriend, and what’s the nature of the trip?”

She looked at Jamie, and he nodded his reassurance, reaching out to hold her hand.

“It’s a red-carpet event.”

“And the boyfriend?”

“Jamie Fraser. The actor.”

_The actor … and love of my life. My forever. Jamie Fraser. The man the entire universe conspired to bring to me._

“Jamie Fraser is your boyfriend?” he scoffed.

“Yes.“

“Is he the one who sent the private jet for the girls? Well, well, well. I thought it was a well-connected neighbor who arranged it,” he gloated triumphantly, convinced he had caught her in a blatant lie about the girls’ travel a few weeks earlier.

“He _is_ my neighbor. That’s how we met.”

“Ah! So your actor _'boyfriend'_ is your neighbor too. How long has this half-arsed ‘neighbor with benefits’ fling been going on?”

Jamie’s jaw muscles rippled as he fought to control his anger, and she squeezed his hand tightly.

“I really don’t think that’s any of -”

“I can’t believe you think it’s acceptable to send the girls on a trip with a man you barely know. It’s preposterous!” He was growing louder and more aggressive.

“I know him well enough to-”

“Why aren’t you going?” he demanded.

“I have work commitments that I can’t reschedule.”

“But you’re okay with our 16-year-old daughters going off with a man whose lifestyle and morals are highly questionable. Have you lost your mind?”

Jamie's fist clenched and unclenched involuntarily.

“I object to your stereotyped assumptions of Jamie’s character based on his career,” Claire responded, suppressing her anger in an effort to keep the discussion cordial. She knew the girls would be overjoyed about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and she needed his approval. “You know nothing about him. Jamie is a man of indisputable morals and character, and he’s a man with strong family values.”

“When he’s around _you_ , maybe! He is, after all, well-versed in putting on an act. Who knows what he’ll do with the girls when they’re out of your sight.”

She held her hand up to thwart an impending outburst from Jamie, who was ready to grab the phone from her. Frank had pushed her to her limit too.

“Frank,” her voice was clear and confident and tinged with the anger that roiled inside her, "I’ll thank you to refrain from judging Jamie by your standards.”

Jamie’s brows shot up at the fury in her voice. He had never seen her this enraged about anything, and he was riveted as she continued.

“Let me assure you, Frank, with one hundred percent certainty, that Jamie does not share your proclivity for underage girls.”

Jamie and Claire froze and locked eyes as they waited for Frank’s response.

There was a long silence before he replied, in a far less hostile tone, “I’m merely looking out for the girls.”

“Me too.”

She paused to let her words sink in, and waited for him to reply.

When he finally spoke, the bravado and aggression had dissipated and he sounded defeated. He couldn’t get past the ‘Me too’, and he knew the bitch had chosen her words deliberately.

Two tiny words that together were big enough to power an entire global movement. Two tiny words that instantly brought up the faces of countless young, nubile first-year students who had drifted in and out of his office, and were now drifting in and out of his mind.

“How long will they be in L.A.?”

“Just one night.”

“Fine.”

“Text me your approval, Frank, and do it now. The girls are waiting. I’ll tell them you say hi.

She tapped out of the call, and her phone buzzed twenty seconds later.

**I approve of Ella and Beth visiting L.A. with their mother’s friend, James Fraser.**

“Jesus, Claire! I’m still recovering from that smackdown!”

“Fucking asshole! He deserved it. It’s way past time that someone called him out on his crap. I’m ready for breakfast now."

Jamie helped her into her robe, and they headed downstairs. The girls had finished cooking the breakfast that Jamie had started, and they sat down at the kitchen island to enjoy scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.

“What’s your practice schedule next week?” Claire asked.

“It’s mostly cheer. Nothing on Monday, choreography on Tuesday - but we already learned the new routines at optional practices. Stunting groups on Wednesday afternoon, nothing on Thursday and tumbling on Friday. We have nothing today.”

“Will Coach be okay if you miss Tuesday?”

“Probably, but you’ll have to call her,” Beth replied.

“Why do we need to miss practice on Tuesday? Are we going to the winery?” Ella looked hopeful.

“No. Jamie has the big Superman announcement on Tuesday, and ... I’m too excited to tell you girls, so I’ll let Jamie do it.”

Jamie didn’t speak for a few seconds, allowing their curiosity to build up.

“Oh my God, can one of you please tell us what we’re doing on Tuesday?” Ella was mildly exasperated.

“Okay, okay,” Jamie laughed. “How would you girls like to travel with me to L.A. on Tuesday to see the Superman cast announcement. It’s a big red-carpet event with a lot of celebrities attending.”

There was a stunned silence as the girls took in his words.

“Wait, what?”

“Stoppit!”

They spoke at the same time, their faces revealing their disbelief.

“He’s not kidding,” Claire confirmed. “He secured invitations for you to go with him on Panther’s private jet. You’ll overnight in a room at the same hotel as Jamie, and you’ll fly back together on Wednesday, late morning, so you’ll make it back in time for your afternoon stunting practice.”

The girls looked at each other with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

“Wait - I can’t even …” Ella slid off her stool, and paced around the kitchen island. “I have so many questions.”

Jamie chuckled at their reactions. “Why don’t you let me tell you what I know and then you can throw all your questions at me,” he suggested.

He shared as much information as he could - from the order of events, to the performers, to the top-secret reveal. Then he sat back and waited for the torrent of questions he knew was coming.

“Mom, can we walk the red carpet, or no?”

“I don’t know about that. I’m worried the paps might pressure you for your names.”

“I’ll ask Tara to shadow the girls on the red carpet,” Jamie suggested to Claire, “no pap will mess with them if Tara’s there.” Claire nodded her assent. Looking at the girls, he continued, "With Tara there, you won’t need to say anything or answer anyone, just enjoy the moment.”

“What will we do while you’re rehearsing?”

“Panther’s reps will keep you entertained. I’m going to ask Cal to assign Simon to you for the day too. He’s part of my PR team, and I've known him for several years. He'll ensure that no one asks you any awkward questions. My guess is that you’ll pile into a golf cart right away and start with a tour of Panther’s studios. I’ll ask Simon and your chaperones to take you to see the Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, and a few of the sights in Hollywood. I’ll reserve a table at Catch restaurant for lunch. You’ll see a lot of celebrities there. Simon will bring you to the Hollywood Bowl in plenty of time to get ready for the event.”

“That sounds soooooooo awesome!”

“Can we get selfies with Khalid and Harry Styles?”

“If they’re okay with it, yes you can,” Claire replied.

“What are we going to wear?” Beth asked, “I don’t have a dress that’s fancy enough.” A worried frown creased her forehead.

“Jamie’s taking you shopping in Bellevue today while I’m at my meeting."

“But how will we know if you’re okay with our choices?”

“You can text whatever you try on to Armando. I’ll let him know to expect your texts, and he will reply and tell you what he thinks. You can go online right now to Neiman Marcus and find some things you like, and I’ll tell you if you’re on the right track.”

“I’ll be asking Armando for a hair stylist and MUA recommendation for you too,” Jamie said, and the girls gasped.

“Oh my God! So we’re legit getting our hair and makeup done by Hollywood artists?”

“Are we actually getting swag bags? Like, for real?”

“Can we get new shoes too?”

“Yes, yes, and yes,” he replied, grinning at Claire, who was shaking her head and smiling back.

They flung their arms around Jamie and squealed in excitement.

“Thank you so, so, so, so much."

“You’re very welcome. It’s going to be a fun night. The only thing you have to remember -”

“Is that it’s top secret,” Ella finished. “Pinky swear. We won’t mention a single word to anyone."

The girls settled down as they finished their breakfast and the questions slowed to a trickle.

“What about Mom? Why aren’t you coming?”

“It’s going to be a critical time at Fulton. I need to be here in case I need to deal with any issues that come up.”

“Is Dad okay with us going?”

“Yes, I spoke with him this morning.”

The corner of Jamie’s mouth lifted in a tiny smirk.

Leaving the twins to chat with Jamie about their upcoming trip, Claire went upstairs to get ready for her meeting. After her shower, she straightened her curls a little and pulled her hair into a neat bun. She stepped into a knee-length charcoal dress by Calvin Klein, an elegant sheath with a modest neck-line and tailored lines that followed her slim figure without being provocatively tight. Black LK Bennett pumps completed the outfit. She stepped back, and ensured that everything looked just right before heading downstairs again. Jamie stood when she entered the kitchen, and took her hand in his.

“You’re amazing, Claire. You look perfect, and you will awe them all with your intelligence and strength. I have no doubt of that at all.”

“Mom, Jamie’s right, you look beautiful … and very professional.”

Since Jamie had insisted on driving Claire to her meeting, they all climbed into her SUV. He wanted to give her the opportunity to use the commute time to gather her thoughts, rather than focus on the added stress of Friday traffic in Seattle. As it turned out, she didn’t have time to collect her thoughts during the drive downtown. The light chatter between her, Jamie, and the twins as they discussed their shopping outing and other fine details of their trip to L.A. kept her mind off the meeting, and was the perfect antidote to the anxiety that had been slowly building since she first learned that the Trustees had summoned her to a meeting.

Turning into the parking lot near Claire’s building, Jamie came to a stop where he had picked her up on Tuesday. She turned to say goodbye to the girls, and after wishing her luck, blowing kisses and making heart hands, they put their AirPods in and busied themselves on their phones, giving Jamie and Claire a little more privacy.

“I’ll say good luck here and then I’ll come around to help you out,” Jamie said softly, as they leaned towards each other over the center console of the car. He pressed a chaste, tender kiss on her lips, mindful that the girls were right behind them.

“I love you,” he said simply. No other words were necessary. Both knew intuitively what the other was feeling.

He stepped out of the car and walked over to the passenger side, where he opened the door and helped her out.

They held each other’s gaze for a long, long moment.

“I love you,” she said in a near-whisper. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m done.”

He nodded and led her around the front of the car, their pinky fingers still joined, separating only when she continued along the path to the entrance of her building.

Claire was at her desk two hours before the meeting was due to start, and she used her time to review the notes she had made during the preceding days. She mulled over her last few conversations with Joe, and realized that in every one of them, he had expressed his faith in her. Knowing that she had his support boosted her confidence immeasurably. Her mind also flashed back to her take-down of Frank that morning. Their confrontation made her feel strong, almost invincible, and fueled her determination to speak her mind openly during the meeting with the Trustees. This was her last chance to impress them before they voted, and she intended to use it well.

Ten minutes before the 1:00 p.m. start of the meeting, Claire made her way to the Dean’s Conference Room, where she found seventeen of the Trustees already there, mingling, or busy on their phones. She hadn’t expected that many to be there in person, as so many of them lived out of state. The remaining six Trustees appeared one-by-one on the large screen at the far end of the room, joining the meeting via video call. As set out in the by-laws, the Trustees served a term of five years, and their appointments were staggered, so that there was always an influx of fresh ideas and new opportunities for expanding their funding network. At least nine of the Trustees had been there during the original PILF incident, Jack Wolverton included. She looked around at the make-up of the Board, and noted for the umpteenth time that only five of the twenty three Trustees were women - and one of them was an ex-officio faculty representative with no voting power. Only four Trustees were people of color, and of the entire group, maybe twelve were under the age of 50. For a self-proclaimed progressive institution, Fulton’s Board of Trustees had some work to do to better align itself with the diverse student community it served.

As her gaze continued to sweep the room, she spotted Wolverton in a huddle with four other Trustees - three men and a woman - in a corner of the room. Refusing to allow herself to be intimidated by them, she found her assigned seat and opened her folder, scanning some of her notes and the talking points she hoped to focus on when given a chance to speak. Her seat was in the middle of the conference table, where she had a good view of all the Trustees and the large screen. The Chairman, Martin Maitland, sat to her far left at the head of the table, and she was relieved to see that Joe sat to Maitland’s left, where she had an unimpeded line of sight to him. It was oddly reassuring to her that she would be able to see his reactions to whatever direction the discussions took. Wolverton was directly across from her.

Maitland called the meeting to order, and a hush settled over the room as everyone moved to their assigned seats around the table. Every place at the table had a yellow legal pad, bottled water and a Fulton Business School pen. Some Trustees had folders with copies of resumes and sheets of handwritten notes from the candidate interviews.

In his official capacity as chairman, Maitland welcomed everyone, reminding the attendees that the meeting would be minuted, and that it was primarily an opportunity to engage in open and honest dialogue around the recent publicity involving Fulton Business School. He approved the agenda, and indicated that Dr. Beauchamp had been invited to answer any questions that might arise and to defend herself, if necessary.

_Defend myself? Should I have brought a lawyer to this meeting?_

Maitland got right down to business. “Dr. Beauchamp, as you probably know, we have a vote at 2:00 p.m., so we'll dispense with the formalities and get started.”

Claire nodded, her neutral expression belying the inner turmoil she felt.

Maitland addressed the Trustees at the table and on the screen, "Honorable colleagues, once again, we find ourselves in a situation where the popular media is shining its unfavorable and unwanted spotlight on our revered institution.”

Claire swallowed hard amid nods and murmurs from some of the trustees. Several turned their gazes in her direction.

Maitland turned his attention to Joe. “Dean Abernathy, I believe you would like an opportunity to address the Board. Am I correct in stating that your remarks reflect the opinions of the majority of the faculty?”

Joe stood, thanked Maitland, and turned his attentions to the Trustees around the table and on the large screen.

“Yes, they do,” he replied. “Colleagues, we find ourselves at a challenging moment in the history of Fulton Business School. We are in an uncomfortable situation, similar to the one we were in some three years ago when one of our esteemed faculty found herself thrust into the spotlight through no fault of her own. All of you know that Dr. Beauchamp was the victim of an unprecedented act of highly inappropriate objectification by three male students at Fulton.”

Wolverton shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“It’s also well-known that the pictures they posted went viral in Seattle, causing Dr. Beauchamp and her family immense distress. Some of you were on the Board at the time, many of you were not. I think those who were will agree that Fulton did not handle the situation well. We were hit by accusations of sexism, we lost some funders, a decent number of applicants withdrew their applications, and a grassroots backlash movement that supported Dr. Beauchamp - ‘I stand with Doc. B’ - surged and kept the spotlight on us.”

There were some nods around the table, and Joe continued.

“We bounced back, and when it became public knowledge that Dr. Beauchamp had not been censured or otherwise reproached by Fulton, she enjoyed the support of women business leaders around the country. In fact, we saw an immediate escalation in funding from the companies and foundations associated with these female business owners and leaders. Dr. Beauchamp has gone on to blaze trails for us with her ground-breaking work in cross-disciplinary communications initiatives, especially in the field of corporate social responsibility. She has also approached me to discuss a study of intersectionality and communications in the workplace. She’s ahead of the curve compared with most of our competitors. Furthermore, the female business owners who started donating as a reaction to the PILF incident have continued to donate every year since then, and their total contribution in the 2019 to 2020 academic year was close to $27 million. Additionally, Dr. Beauchamp enjoys the support of long-standing relationships with other funders, and their endowments and donations continue to boost our coffers every year.”

A few murmurs of appreciation rippled around the table.

“Finally, I would like to point out that Dr. Beauchamp’s academic prowess is validated by no less than nine published works in respected business journals. She recently submitted two more papers, and I have every reason to believe that those will be published too. I don’t need to tell you how that improves our profile and image amongst funders and applicants alike. Dr. Beauchamp’s classes are the only ones in the entire MBA program that are consistently over-subscribed. So much so, that she volunteered to offer an online course this summer for students who were wait-listed for her course during the academic year. I urge you to consider Dr. Beauchamp's track record as you get ready to vote today.”

Claire noticed that a few more of the newer, post-PILF Trustees were leaning forward in their seats and listening to Joe with great interest. Some made notes on their legal pads listing Claire’s achievements as Joe outlined them, and a few of the on-screen attendees were evidently making similar notes. Claire continued to take notes of her own, jotting down reactions and comments that she considered significant.

Joe thanked the Trustees and resumed his seat. Maitland opened the discussion to the rest of the room, inviting questions or comments from the Trustees.

It was no surprise at all to Claire that Wolverton was the first to speak. Looking directly at her, he asked, “Dr. Beauchamp, when did you become aware that pictures had been captured of you canoodling with Jamie Fraser at a formal event?”

Claire's eyebrows raised slightly at Wolverton’s description of what the image portrayed, and her reaction was echoed by a handful of Trustees, who wriggled uneasily in their chairs.

“Mr. Wolverton,” Claire began, looking boldly back at him across the table, “you raise two points in your question, and I appreciate the opportunity to answer both.”

“First - your description of the image portraying ‘canoodling’ is both offensive and inaccurate.”

Joe leaned forward and watched the exchange carefully, taking in the reactions from the Trustees around the table and on screen too.

“Although details of my private life are exactly that - private - this is probably an opportune time to let you know that I am in a very devoted and loving relationship with Jamie Fraser.”

More than a few eyebrows quirked and a few Trustees nodded approvingly.

_Fuck you, Wolverton. If you think you’ve embarrassed me, you can bloody well sit right down._

“Neither Jamie nor I were ready for our relationship to be publicly outed the way it was on popular media and social media. What you characterized as ‘canoodling’ was really a private affectionate moment between two committed people. To answer the main point in your question, we were unaware that people had taken pictures. In fact, given that the event was a fundraiser attended by some of the pillars of Seattle society, we expected and hoped that they would be more respectful of our privacy. We were mistaken. Certainly, the last thing I wanted was for the picture to bring this type of attention to Fulton.”

“That’s my point, Dr. Beauchamp. I believe most, if not all of my fellow Trustees consider it rather indelicate and unbecoming for one of Fulton’s potential professors to be in a relationship with an actor who is well known for his near-pornographic scenes in various shows and films.”

Even Maitland, an old guard member himself, was shocked by the callousness of that comment. “Mr. Wolverton, I must object to your assumption that all the trustees share that opinion. Kindly restrict your questions and comments to your personal views. Other Trustees are welcome to voice their opinions independently of yours.”

Wolverton pursed his lips at the public rebuke by Maitland, and Joe quickly made brief notes about the reactions he saw around him.

“Dr. Beauchamp, I regret that my words may have offended you. My point is that you seem to have a propensity for attracting this type of scandalous and negative attention.”

“Mr Wolverton, I choose not to dignify your description of Jamie’s career with a response.” Wolverton’s eyes narrowed, and some of the old guard raised their brows. “I will, however, respond to your last comment. I don’t believe I have ‘a propensity' for attracting negative attention at all. As Dean Abernathy stated in his opening remarks, I have been a victim of scandal-seeking individuals or news outlets. I neither invited nor welcomed this type of attention, and I have done everything I can to avoid or downplay it. If you are looking for things that I have a propensity or talent for, I’d like to draw your attention to my propensity for getting articles published, for securing donations from new and sustainable avenues, for attracting students of high caliber, for securing requests from Seattle’s business leaders for assistance with their communications strategies - all of which reflect positively on Fulton.”

There was a hush over the room for what seemed like a full minute, but was, in reality, just a few seconds. Claire noticed a look pass between two of the female Trustees, and Joe was taking copious notes.

One of the newer Trustees broke the awkward silence by asking Claire what steps had been taken to try to mitigate the damage caused by the TMZ article, and whether any steps had been taken to prevent further negative exposure. 

“In terms of mitigation, Jamie’s PR team worked with a large Hollywood studio to lean on TMZ and the article was removed within 24 hours. We realize it had garnered a lot of interest by then, but removing it from the site also slowed down the trending hashtags. Preventing further exposure is a lot more difficult. The Hollywood popular media is powered by scandal, and they will create one where none exists. Jamie and I are avoiding being seen in public together for the moment. And we are avoiding publicity channels that will cast Jamie in a negative light. However, he is a working actor, and he has projects in the pipeline for which he has to undertake active publicity and promotion work. Additionally, he may be cast in a new film that will raise his profile and bring more publicity. We will do everything we can to keep out of the spotlight until the frenzy dies down."

Over the next twenty minutes, Trustees asked more questions and made notes. Some questions were directed at Claire, and others at Joe. Wolverton had to have the last word before Maitland closed the meeting.

“Dr. Beauchamp, in an effort to stop fueling this truly embarrassing fire, can we rely on you to stay off TMZ and social media for the time being? And Jamie Fraser too?”

There was no way Claire was in any mood to accede to Wolverton’s requests, but she tried her best to sound willing.

“We will continue to do what we can to avoid negative attention.”

The meeting adjourned, and Claire returned to her office. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ella and Beth tried on at least a dozen dresses between them at Neiman Marcus. Jamie wanted to give the girls their privacy, so he reminded them to send Armando selfies, and retreated to the near-empty in-store restaurant, Mariposa, to enjoy a latte and catch up on some texts and emails while they tried on dresses with the help of one of the store’s personal shoppers. His mask and Seahawks cap lent him all the anonymity he needed and no one paid undue attention to him.

He placed a call to Armando. “Hey! Are the girls flooding you with selfies?"

Armando chuckled, “Oh yeah! I vetoed a few dresses that Claire would not be okay with, and I think we finally found one for both of them. A gorgeous blush dress for Beth, and a stunning scarlet for Ella.”

“Sounds great, Armando. Thank you. I’ll meet them in a second and settle up. I was hoping you could recommend a good hair stylist and MUA for them. It will be the girls’ first time at an event like this, and I want them to feel their best out there. I’ll get dressed long before them and once I leave to go do publicity pictures, the girls will have my dressing room to themselves. I’ll need a reliable and discreet hair stylist and MUA.”

“I can think of two right off the bat, but I need to see if they're available. I’ll get back to you later.”

“Thanks, that would be awesome.” 

Jamie walked over to the formal-wear section and found Ella and Beth holding hangers with their dress choices. The personal shopper was excited to tell him that since the dresses were a perfect fit for both of them, no alterations were needed.

“That’s fantastic, girls! I love yer choices. Let me settle up here, and we can go downstairs to look at shoes.”

A half hour and several Armando rejections later, both girls had their shoes and evening clutches for the big night. They could barely contain their excitement as they headed to the car.

Jamie’s phone buzzed as they loaded their garment bags and other purchases in the trunk of the SUV. It was a text from Claire.

**_All done here. How’s the shopping trip?_ **

**100% success - both have dresses and shoes. Armando approved. Even evening purses and random makeup supplies**

**** **** **_You spoil them! vote meeting underway, nothing left for me to do here. can you pick me up?_ **

**Of course babe. On my way**

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The voting meeting started promptly at 2:00 p.m. Maitland got all the formalities out of the way, and opened the discussion to members who wanted to table items for consideration.

Wolverton, true to form, was the first to kick off the discussion.

“It seems to me, we are in a quandary with our two professor options. Warwick Davidson from Wharton, and Claire Beauchamp, an internal prospect who’s been with Fulton for a number of years.”

“May I ask what the quandary is?” asked one of the newer Trustees.

“Both present us with image problems. We have a new professor from Wharton, who is unfamiliar with the Seattle business landscape. A gay man, who will need to spend a lot of time learning where the money is and how to get it. Or a wanton professor from Fulton, who is dating a soft-porn actor and keeps allowing pictures of herself in compromising positions to be posted all over the internet. Next thing you know, we’ll be seeing clips of a sex tape.”

There were audible gasps around the table, and several dropped jaws as Wolverton’s words ricocheted around the room.

“Before you all throw words like ‘bigot’ or ‘sexist’ or ‘homophobe’ at me, let me remind you that I’m a third generation Fulton graduate. My father and grandfather graduated from here before me. I believe that Fulton is moving away from its mission and trying too hard to attract the younger, progressive, left-leaning applicant. If we stick to our winning formula - one that has worked for us for the past 100 plus years - we will continue to be one of the top twenty business schools in the country, and we will continue to attract the right caliber of faculty and student.”

Shockingly, his words were met by approving nods from some of the old guard. Joe could not hold his tongue any longer. Looking directly at Martin Maitland, he spoke clearly and deliberately.

“Mr. Chairman, I would like it minuted that Fulton’s faculty and staff disassociate themselves from Mr. Wolverton’s statements and opinions. As an institution, we embrace educators regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, and creed; and certainly their choice of life partner does not enter the equation.”

One of the newer female Trustees nodded energetically at Joe’ words, and turned to look at Wolverton incredulously. “Jack, prior to this meeting I asked for some stats regarding applications and rankings - for my personal information. Over the past ten years, we have seen a small but steady decline in applications. Progressive, forward-moving schools like Wharton, Kellogg, Booth - all of them are enjoying unprecedented success in terms of applications, enrollment, and graduation rates. Your vision for a traditional, conservative 20th century institution is not what today’s student is looking for. I believe that Dr. Beauchamp is leading the way at Fulton with her transformative work and internship programs at some of Seattle’s leading companies - which, incidentally, are some of the country’s industry leaders too. Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Costco, Starbucks. All of them have participated in Dr. Beauchamp’s studies and all are big supporters of Fulton.”

Her words were received with enthusiasm by several newer Trustees who voiced their agreement and added weight to her words with their own comments. Joe almost groaned when Wolverton started to speak again.

“I think we can all agree that our goal here as Board of Trustees is to ensure that Fulton fulfills its mission to educate future leaders and furnish them with the tools they need to become agents for change and growth.”

His words were met by murmurs of agreement, and he continued, “I think we can also agree that achieving our mission is not possible without the funding we need to keep us ahead of the curve in terms of the technology, programs, and courses we offer, and to help fund high-caliber, high-potential students.”

One of the newer Trustees spoke up, interrupting Wolverton, “If you’re heading down the road to a discussion about how much money the professor we appoint today will bring in, I’d like to remind the Board that we learned from Dean Abernathy earlier that Dr. Beauchamp was instrumental in securing $27 million after the PILF incident alone. And that does not include the donations from her other sources. Dean Abernathy, do you have the total figure associated with Dr. Beauchamp?”

Joe looked at his notes, but he already knew the exact amount. Looking up, he said, “The total figure associated with Dr. Beauchamp’s efforts for the last academic year is $74 million.”

Wolverton cleared his throat loudly, a sign that he was ready to dominate the meeting again. Maitland intervened quickly, “Mr. Wolverton, I’ll allow one more comment, and then we must get down to the business of voting.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Fellow Trustees, this boils down to a money game. Both applicants have the necessary academic background and experience for the job, but both present us with image problems. And while Dr Beauchamp has brought in a decent amount of money, we should note that the current wave of publicity and attention might turn some of her funders against her. Don’t forget that the bulk of that $74 million essentially comes from business associates of her late husband, and Fulton Professor Emeritus, Henry Benson. His friends and protégés still feel a sense of loyalty and continue to donate through Dr. Beauchamp. I fear she will lose a lot of that loyalty as her unseemly behavior with Fraser starts to offend Henry’s friends.”

Frowns flickered across the faces of a large number of Trustees, and while Joe noted that on his legal pad, he couldn’t discern if they were a reaction against Wolverton’s continued attacks on Claire, or their concern about the risks of losing funding for Fulton.

“I was going to table this at our next quarterly Board of Trustees meeting,” Wolverton continued, “but this seems like an opportune time. Mr. Chairman, if you’ll indulge me for a few more minutes.”

Maitland pursed his lips. “Two minutes, Mr. Wolverton.”

Wolverton nodded and opened the folder in front of him, withdrawing a manila envelope. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie and the girls picked Claire up where they had dropped her off. She knew that everyone would want to know how the meeting had gone, so she preempted it by giving them a quick report-back. “The meeting went the way I expected. Some difficult questions, some easy questions. Right now, they are voting. It is completely out of my hands now. Their announcement will be revealed next Wednesday or Thursday. Until then, I want to push this all out of my mind. I’d like us to enjoy a relaxed and fun family weekend at home. I want to walk over to the property and see what the Calhouns have done, and I want to spend Sunday relaxing at the pool with all of you. Maybe we can barbecue - what do you all think?”

"That’s a great idea, Mom! We won’t mention Fulton again until you want to talk about it.”

Jamie reached over and squeezed her hand. She would fill him in on the details later, when the girls were out of earshot.

“How about we grab some Chipotle? And something for us too?" Jamie suggested, "The girls haven't eaten and you must be peckish by now."

"I'm starving," she groaned. "We can do something light for dinner if we're hungry later. I want to watch the Norton show with you when we get home."

"I had almost forgotten. Been more focused on you and your meeting, to be honest."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wolverton opened the envelope and slowly and dramatically pulled out its contents - a single sheet of paper. 

"I have here in my hands a letter of intent signed by my friend and Fulton alum, Leo Greenberg."

This time, most of the eyebrows around the table and on the screen raised noticeably. Leo Greenberg was one of Seattle’s wealthiest retired billionaires, and a well-known philanthropist and donor to causes that helped combat homelessness, hunger, and poverty. Greenberg was extremely private and kept a low profile, but he was well-known in business circles as the heir to one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest timber companies. He was also an early investor in Amazon and Microsoft and had made sizeable fortunes with his investments in both companies. An active and energetic septuagenarian, he was married to the socialite ex-wife of another wealthy Seattleite.

Wolverton continued, “Unlike most of his billionaire counterparts, Greenberg has not been a big supporter of the arts and education, until now. His focus has been poverty and homelessness. We met recently, and he shared his intention to donate to his alma mater. To make a long story short, his initial proposed donation to Fulton, which I have here in writing, is $215 million.”

A wave of gasps and murmurs rolled through the room.

“Why now?” one of the newer board members asked. “After years of politely declining donation requests from many of Washington universities and colleges, why has Greenberg had a change of heart?”

“The donation is through a foundation that he helped establish, together with a number of like-minded billionaires. They are concerned about the way American education has slipped in world rankings over the past few years, and the foundation’s focus is to support our education system and provide it with the private funding needed to resume our spot as global leaders in education. Personally, I think his wife has plenty to do with it too. He married Maxine Wells a few years ago, and as you probably know, she has been active in fund-raising circles on a much smaller scale. Education has always been one of the beneficiaries of her fund-raising efforts."

“Who are the other funders of the foundation?” another board member asked.

“I don’t have that information. Many of them are extraordinarily wealthy, incredibly private and prefer to keep their altruism out of the public realm. What’s important for us now is that between Maxine’s wifely influence and Leo’s money, Fulton stands to benefit in a big way.”

Red flags were going up in the innermost reaches of Joe’s mind as he recalled the discussion he’d had with Claire about the incident at the golf club. The foundation was of particular interest to him.

Maitland was clearly excited by the magnitude of the donation, but he also had to fulfill his duty as Board Chair. Calling the meeting to order, he addressed Wolverton again. “Jack, while this is very exciting news for Fulton, you were right when you said that a discussion about Leo Greenberg’s donation should be tabled at our quarterly meeting in October. Unless it has a direct bearing on this meeting, I’d like to defer this discussion until then.”

“It does have a bearing, Mr. Chairman. Greenberg confided in me that the foundation is loathe to be associated with Fulton until the matter of the negative publicity and media attention has been satisfactorily resolved. They want American colleges at the top of the heap again, and sex scandals and inappropriate pictures are bringing us down. For this reason, I will not be voting for Dr. Beauchamp today. We risk losing one of the biggest donations in the history of our school if she is awarded the professorship.”

Joe protested immediately and loudly. “Mr. Chairman! I would like to place on record my objection to Mr. Wolverton’s comments. I do not have the power to vote, but I certainly have the responsibility to guide the board when it is drifting off course, as it is now. I implore you to focus on Dr. Beauchamp's academic qualifications and suitability for the job, rather than her personal life. We will once again attract accusations of sexism, and those are far more damaging to Fulton than a fleeting week or two of attention based on the fabrications of scandal-mongering news outlets.”

Joe had hoped to garner support for his stance from around the table, but the meeting was clearly divided. The old guard came out in strong support of Wolverton.

“We would not be facing accusations of sexism if Dr. Beauchamp didn’t keep getting her name plastered all over social media.”

“Her boyfriend’s profile is not what one would expect from someone in the highest echelons of academia.”

“We can’t risk losing a donation of this size. Perhaps it’s time for Dr. Beauchamp to stop worrying her pretty little head about the professorship and focus on her new relationship instead.”

Joe was aghast, but maintained a neutral expression as he added to his notes. Counters from the newer Trustees came just as fast as the comments from the old guard.

“It seems ludicrous that if the foundation has tabled, discussed, and considered their donation to Fulton, they can’t see that the so-called scandal will disappear within a few weeks.”

“Dr. Beauchamp has a proven track record of attracting quality students. She is the stronger candidate.”

“We should be looking at ways to harness social media and get it to work for us, instead of running for the hills when a situation like this arises.”

Maitland called the meeting to order again. “It’s time to vote. Per the bylaws, the two non-voting faculty representatives will be excused from the meeting during the voting. Dean Abernathy, Professor Morris, thank you for your attendance today. I will be in touch with you next week, Joe." 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire and Jamie snuggled into a sofa on the covered patio as they prepared to watch Jamie's interview with Norton.

“No ‘canoodling’, Jamie. You never know who we might offend,” she said jokingly, while Jamie accessed the recording of Graham Norton’s show and displayed it via the large screen TV on the patio.

“I still can’t believe the numpty said that in a board meeting. I’ll canoodle with you all night, if ye’ll allow it.”

“You know I will. Okay - show’s starting.”

After Norton’s welcome and his standard commentary on general news and items of interest, he introduced Jamie.

“Tonight, I am so excited to introduce one of Britain’s own! Jamie Fraser, Scottish actor and global heartthrob, is now based in America, but to us he will always be the kilt-wearing Highlander who first found fame as Hamish McLean in ‘Clan Hearts’. Jamie, welcome back to the show!”

“Thank you, Graham. Yeah, it’s good to be on your show again.”

“Yeah? Not 'aye'? Clearly, you’ve been in America too long. Your Scottish brogue is giving way to an American lilt.”

Jamie chuckled, “It’ll be back in force the minute my feet hit Scottish soil.”

“Jamie, your latest movie, ‘Unauthorized Contact’ - let’s talk about that for a bit. I can't wait to see it ...”

For the next ten minutes, Graham and Jamie went back and forth, asking and answering the questions and talking points that Millennium had prepared for them. Once they had exhausted those, Graham started to veer the discussion towards the issue of male harassment in the entertainment industry.

“You may be aware that I have recently started to focus on incidents of male harassment in general, and in the entertainment industry in particular. You might even have seen my interview with Terry Crews, where he spoke about how he was blatantly groped by a male industry executive.”

“I did see that, Graham. Excellent interview, by the way. I love how you handled it with tact and sensitivity.”

“There seems to be a growing number of men who are willing to speak out about the very secret and humiliating harassment that goes on in the entertainment industry. Male and female industry bosses hitting on male actors in a gender-flipped version of MeToo. What’s your take on that?”

“I’m hearing a lot more about that too, Graham. Colleagues in the acting world are speaking up about it, and they have my full support.”

“The MeToo movement for women has been around for a few years now, so why do you think it has taken so long for the men to speak up.”

“For starters, there are so many more female victims than male, and what women have had to endure from abusive industry leaders is abhorrent. It cannot and should not be downplayed. I applaud my female colleagues for speaking out. Many have gone on to be re-victimized as they are shunned and blacklisted within the industry. It’s hard to pinpoint why male victims aren’t as outspoken, because everyone will have their individual reasons for keeping quiet. They probably include the damage to their image and reputation, and the blackballing is a huge problem. There is a very real fear of losing roles and jobs if they speak out.”

“I gather that you haven't experienced this type of abuse yourself, but what about the objectification of male actors? It’s well known that you have legions of fans around the world. I took a little cruise through Twitter and Instagram last night and found literally hundreds of thirsty, lustful followers posting all sorts of interesting pictures and GIFS and clips. Lots and lots of people stanning you. Does that bother you? Do you resent being objectified?”

“This is where it all gets a little murky, Graham. It would be disingenuous of me to say it was blatant objectification, when I took an active role in developing my public persona. When I started my career as Hamish, there was a deliberate push by the studio to promote and publicize me as a strong warrior who loved his woman fiercely, protected her from all harm, and wasn’t shy about his overactive libido. I had to maintain a certain look to keep the fans coming back for more seasons. I worked out a lot, did countless shirtless scenes, and was encouraged to flirt mildly on social media and keep the fans all hanging on. These were the fans who helped drive my success. That following has died down a lot since ‘Clan Hearts’ wrapped. A multi-season TV show keeps the level of exposure and fan interest at a consistently high level. Movie roles are different. There are longer periods of time between movies when actors aren’t as visible to the public, and the social media frenzy dies down a bit. Hamish’s appeal has tapered off significantly as new shows and new heroes dominate the TV landscape. I feel that I have started to get my life back in many ways, so if I come across as a little blasé, it’s really because the mania is not as prevalent as it was during ‘Clan Hearts’. No doubt social anthropologists will study these things and come up with a different take altogether. I’m just answering you as honestly as I can, and owning the fact that I benefited career-wise from the amount of fan interest that my role as Hamish brought me. Very occasionally, something might go a little sideways on social media, and my legal and PR teams step in, but that is the exception rather than the rule.”

“Can we talk about the Corden Show incident?”

Jamie knew the question was coming, and had prepared an answer. He just hoped that the anger he still felt towards Anja wouldn’t push him off-script.

“Of course,” he replied graciously.

“The talk show that ended all talk shows - well at least all in-person talk shows during the pandemic.” Graham rolled his eyes for effect. “Your co-star’s behavior towards you falls squarely under this big umbrella of male celebrity harassment. The difference is that this time it’s not from an industry boss, it’s from your co-star! A colleague!”

Jamie had to tread carefully here. He was promoting a Millennium movie, and the person under discussion was the leading lady.

“Yes, I have to admit, that was rather unexpected.” Jamie became instantly more serious.

“What was going on there, Jamie? Was Baranov drunk? Because you know people get drunk on my show all the time, so it wouldn’t be unheard of.”

“Anything is possible, Graham.”

“It was very apparent to viewers that her advances were unwelcome.”

“I think in discussing this very broad topic of male harassment or unwanted objectification, the type of behavior she displayed on the night was definitely high on my personal list of what constitutes undesirable attention.”

Graham nodded encouragingly, as Jamie continued, “I have great respect for Ms. Baranov’s talent as an actress, but as you’ll hear from everyone involved in the production of the movie, her descriptions of certain scenes are not an accurate account of what actually happened.”

“It certainly appears that Anja is a little off-balance lately, and it’s too bad that you’ve become a victim of some delusional behavior on her part.”

Jamie decided that a quick nod of his head was all the response needed.

“Jamie, before I let you go, do you have any comment regarding recent media reports of a relationship between you and a professor from Seattle?”

Jamie rubbed his chin and took a deep breath before replying.

“I can confirm that I am currently in a deeply loving relationship with an incredible woman. We are very committed to each other and to maintaining our privacy.”

“Aaah, Jamie, it’s written all over your face, mate. I hope you’ll let us meet her when some of the craziness of the pandemic is over. I wish you all the happiness you deserve. Thanks for joining me here tonight.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Joe sat in his study at home, nursing a shot of whisky as he surveyed the papers spread on the desk before him. In the four hours since the meeting ended, he had gone over his notes several times, highlighting certain parts, and adding annotations to others. He prided himself on being an excellent reader of body language and facial expressions, and based on the reactions and comments that he had noted throughout the meeting, he had a pretty good idea of how most of the Trustees would vote. All but one, in fact.

Pulling a clean yellow legal pad out of a drawer, he drew a line down the middle of the page. At the top of one column, he wrote ‘Claire Beauchamp’ and at the top of the other, ‘Warwick Davidson’. Underneath each column he wrote the names of the Trustees he believed voted for each candidate. He looked at the list and shook his head. Ten Trustees in each column. Twenty votes he was almost sure of.

One tie-breaker.

He wrote her name at the top of the page, along with a few bio details. Two -year member of the Board. Seattle resident. Age 52. 

Why couldn't he get a better read on her, damn it! 


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that the Anna/Anja is not a typo. In this chapter there is an Anna and an Anja.

* * *

Ella and Beth cleared up after breakfast and plopped themselves down on a sofa opposite Jamie and Claire, who were snuggled together on the covered patio, enjoying lazy, latte-fueled conversation. 

“Cal says there’s been some social media response to my appearance on Norton,” Jamie said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “Most of it is positive, with people approving of me calling out Anja’s behavior. Some negative ones too. Probably the ones who wanted me to come out stronger on the male harassment.”

“You’re never going to please everyone. Sounds positive overall, so ignore the negativity.”

They spoke about initial plans for the weekend. It would be a busy Saturday morning, with both the gardening service and pool and spa team arriving soon. While one team focused on tree-trimming, lawn-mowing, and sprucing up the flowerbeds, the other team would scrub the pool and deep-clean the hot tub. Just in time for their planned fun-in-the-sun Sunday at the pool. 

“It’s going to be a busy and noisy few hours in the backyard while the crews work. We should do something to keep ourselves occupied and stay out of their way while they do their thing,” Claire suggested.

“Do you want to walk over and see what the Calhouns have been doing?” Jamie asked. “We didn’t get a moment to stop by yesterday.”

Beth jumped up, “Yeah, that’s a great idea. Ella, c’mon, we can’t go in pajamas.”

Ella gave her sister a knowing look. “Sure, Beth. But it’s the weekend. Your cute cowboy won’t be there today.”

Beth blushed and gave Ella a withering look. “I still want to go and walk the property with Mom and Jamie. C’mon.” 

As the twins headed indoors, Claire looked at Jamie quizzically, “Cute cowboy?”

“Aye, I was planning on telling you after your meeting, but we got distracted by the Norton show and other things. The Calhouns have their nephew working with them as an intern. We met him on Thursday. There was a little spark between him and Beth.”

Claire sat up and stared at Jamie. “Beth? She’s usually shy around guys. Tell me more. What’s the nephew like and how old is he?”

“I was keeping an eye on things - you know I’m always going to look out for the girls. His name is Deacon, and I believe he’s seventeen. He seems like a really nice kid. He was very respectful towards me and the girls when we met. I noticed he has great manners - that always makes an impression on me.”

“Oh my! I’m going to have to keep an eye on things too, then. I won’t say anything to Beth just yet. Not until we know that there is an actual ‘spark’, as you call it. It might have been just a friendly first-time meeting.”

“Not a chance, Sassenach! I saw the little smiles and flirty looks.”

“Hmmmm. As soon as we’re done with the winery interviews on Monday, I’d like to head over there with you to say hi to the Calhouns - and hopefully meet Deacon too.”

Jamie led the way past the parked land-clearing machinery, excitedly pointing out the progress they had made since he’d visited with the twins on Thursday. 

“I’m amazed at how much they cleared in just one day. Let’s head over to the campers. I’ll show you their neat little set-up.”

As they approached the campers, they noticed that the door to the break-room camper was ajar and the TV was blaring out what sounded like a sportscast of some sort.

Jamie knocked loudly and called out. “Anyone home?”

The TV noise stopped abruptly, and Deacon emerged, surprised to see them all. Ella nudged Beth surreptitiously. Breaking into a wide smile, Deacon looked straight at Beth. “Good morning! I wasn’t expecting to see you all until next week.”

“Deacon, I’d like you to meet Claire - Beth and Ella’s mom,” Jamie made the introductions, and Deacon shook her hand firmly.

“It’s good to meet you, Mrs. Fraser.”

“You too, Deacon. Please call me Claire.” 

“Yes ma’am. Thank you.”

“Do you have to work weekends?” Beth asked shyly, suddenly aware that Claire was watching them carefully.

“Sometimes. But I’m not working today. My uncles went shopping for food and supplies for the rental house, and I was bored, so I came over to top up the generators and check emails. I turned on coverage of the rodeo, and got a little carried away,” he grinned sheepishly.

“Was that the sound of events from the Snake River Stampede on the TV?”

“Yeah - do you want to see what it’s about?”

“Sure.”

“Why don’t you girls see what that’s all about, while I show your Mam what’s happening with the trail and stables?”

The girls stepped into the camper, and Jamie took Claire’s hand and led her towards a large area that had already been cleared. A construction crew had evidently been in and marked off areas with wooden posts and color-coded tape. 

“They must be getting ready to start digging the foundations. How are they doing this so fast? Michelle and the Calhouns are doing a stellar job.”

Jamie pointed out where the paddocks would go, and they walked over to the horse trail. The crews had made excellent progress on that too and a meandering path was starting to take shape nicely. 

Looking around them at the work that had already been done, and knowing that it would be progressing faster than expected filled them with excitement and anticipation. 

Jamie wrapped his arms around Claire and gently rested his forehead on hers.

“What do you think, ‘Mrs. Fraser’? Does this meet with your approval?”

Claire giggled, “Oh, I felt so bad for Deacon and didn’t want to embarrass him by correcting him in front of the girls.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. I thought it was a particularly awesome mistake, to be honest.”

Her heartbeat quickened at Jamie’s comment about Deacon’s mistake. He held her face gently in his hands and kissed her. It was a slow, gentle kiss filled with promise and hope for the future. There, among the towering trees and the immense mountains in the background, they could set aside the stresses of attacks on Claire from a white male hierarchy that belonged in bygone decades, and the surge of social media attention that every public appearance brought down on Jamie. 

The girls listened with interest as Deacon explained the calf-scramble he’d been watching on TV. It was one of several smaller events building up to the main rodeo scheduled for that evening. The girls watched enthralled as students struggled to subdue and capture a single calf from a frisky, unruly herd, and drag it over the finish line. They laughed and gasped at the chaotic scenes.

“That looks like it must be so much fun to watch live!” Beth said, amusement and awe in her voice.

“It is - there’s always a great vibe. And good music. Do you like country?”

“Yeah! I like most genres. Ella and I went to Watershed last year, and it was lit!”

“No way! I was there with some friends too. Do you guys camp when you go?”

“Last year we had to Airbnb, because everything was so full. We’re getting tickets for next year.”

“I guess we’ll be there together … uh … I mean, my friends and I will go too … so we’ll be around for sure.” He fumbled awkwardly over his words, and Ella stepped in to help out.

“Should we head back outside? I want to see all the new work that’s been done too.”

“Sure,” Deacon replied, as he stepped out of the camper, and glanced at where Jamie and Claire stood in the cleared area.

“Uhhh …” he turned abruptly to step back into the camper, blushing furiously.

“Let me guess,” said Ella, “they’re making out.”

“Well, they … uhhh ….” he said again, unable to get over his embarrassment.

“It’s okay, we’re used to it,” Beth said with a shrug.

“No big deal,” Deacon said, still blushing. “My ma and pa are like that too.” 

Claire and Jamie pulled apart, and he pressed more gentle kisses on her lips. 

“I love you so much, Claire, and I canna wait until we move into our new home together.”

“I love you too, Jamie. I’m so excited about our home. It feels so real, seeing how much work they’ve done on the horse area already.”

Jamie looked up and drew away from her gently, “Looks like the kids are heading over here.”

He kept an arm around Claire’s waist as the three teens approached. 

“Deacon, I'm blown away by how much progress ye’ve made in just one day! It’s amazing.”

“Actually, the construction company assigned us two crews for the remainder of the project.”

“Two crews plus equipment?” asked Jamie.

“Yes, sir. Business is slow for them because of the pandemic and so many things are on hold. Both crews were here yesterday and they got a lot more done than we thought they would. My uncles think we’ll cut two weeks off the project.”

“That’s fantastic!”

“Yeah,” he said, half-heartedly. It meant two weeks less to spend getting to know Beth.

“You get to go home two weeks earlier,” Beth said, trying to appear cheerful. 

“Uh-huh. Sure do. My ma will be happy,” he replied, smiling. 

Claire felt a surge of compassion for Deacon when he mentioned his mother. He was away from his immediate family and friends for a few weeks, and here he was, spending a Saturday morning on his own in a camper on an empty piece of land while his uncles were running errands. 

“Deacon, we’re spending the day at our pool tomorrow, and grilling burgers and steaks for an early dinner. Would you and your uncles like to join us?” 

“That’s very kind of you, ma’am. I’ll mention it to them.”

“I’ll text them too,” Jamie added, “to let them know the details.”

“Bring your swimsuit and sneakers. We have a basketball hoop, and Ella and I will challenge you,” Beth said, hoping she didn’t sound too eager.

“Be prepared for the girls to take you down. They crushed me,” Jamie said ruefully, and Deacon chuckled.

“We’ll see tomorrow, I guess.”

As they walked farther into the property along the newly cleared horse trail, Jamie and Claire noticed Beth turn around to give Deacon one more sweet smile. They flashed a quick look at each other, but said nothing.

Dinner that night was homemade pizzas, and while the girls were indoors baking brownies for dessert, Jamie and Claire were on the patio, preparing the toppings and preheating the small pizza oven.

“It looks like you were right about Beth and Deacon,” Claire began, “They couldn’t take their eyes off each other. And those little smiles! Oh Lord! I don’t know if I’m ready for this.” 

“They’re sweet and beautiful girls, Claire. It was just a matter of time before a nice young guy noticed. Deacon seems like a good kid - the little we know of him. But first impressions matter, and he made a good one.” Claire nodded her agreement, and he continued, “The pool day and dinner tomorrow will give us a chance to see what he’s like around her in a more social situation. Right now, he’s a little aloof because he considers us clients and he’s keeping a professional distance. Tomorrow will be more revealing.” 

“I need to have a little chat with Beth before that,” sighed Claire. “Nothing we haven’t spoken about before, but she may need some reminders. Dating nowadays is so different to when I was a teen! And it wasn’t even that long ago!”

“I ken what ye mean. Smart-phones and social media have changed dating - as they’ve done with so many other aspects of our lives.”

“And we know too well the destruction and havoc they can cause. Would you mind being part of the discussion? I want to include both girls. Ella’s still Snapping and texting Chase from Boston. Both girls would benefit from reminders from me and a male perspective from you.” 

“Of course, mo chridhe. I’m not sure what to tell them, though.”

“I find that in discussions like these, it’s better if it just flows naturally. I know you’ll say all the right things.”

The twins cleared up after dinner, and brought out small bowls with brownies and ice-cream. 

“Girls, please sit down. Jamie and I want to have a little chat with you.”

They sat on the sofa opposite Jamie and Claire.

“Oh boy,” said Ella, “I’m not even going to try and guess this time. We always get it seriously wrong.” 

“I know you’re going to consider this chat a little awkward,” Claire began, “so I’m just asking you to bear with us and listen and contribute to the discussion. Eye rolling and groaning is not going to help matters.”

“Oh-kay! I know what this is about now,” Ella said confidently. “Deacon and Beth, right?”

Beth’s eyes widened, and she blushed hotly.

“Yah, I figured you guys noticed that they were all heart-eyes at each other,” Ella continued.

“Ella, that’s enough. We’re going to have a serious chat, and there’s no need to embarrass Beth. This all applies to you too, since you and Chase still ‘have a thing going’, as you call it.”

“Okay, sorry,” a chastened Ella mumbled, and she and Beth sat back and braced themselves for the looming awkwardness.

This was a particularly sensitive subject for Claire, and she wanted to own that upfront. 

“Girls, you know that this is difficult for me, because ultimately, we have these talks so that you don’t end up in a situation like the one I found myself in during my teens. I had no Mom to guide me, and Uncle Lamb did his best. The most important thing to know is that I never, ever want you to feel that my giving birth to you was anything less than the greatest gift I could ever ask for.”

“Jamie too,” Beth said pointedly.

“Jamie too, sweetheart. He knows that. The three of you are the biggest blessings in my life.”

She reached over to hold his hand, touched that Beth didn’t want Jamie to feel excluded.

“For starters, this is supposed to be a fun and exciting time in your life. Adults always say that they’re the best years and teens laugh it off, but it truly is the most magical time. And I want you girls to enjoy it and have fun and make incredible memories. You just have to make good choices along the way. And in order to help you make those choices, I want to remind you of my ground rules. We’ve spoken about them before, but they’re worth repeating. No boys in your bedroom. If you want to watch a show or a movie, you can do it in the media room, with the door open. No hot-tubbing alone with a boy. You girls have friends in your group who are dating, and I know that you’ve had ‘a thing’ with one or two boys at school, and that they were largely sweet and innocent. Holding hands, kissing, that sort of thing.”

“Mooooom,” Ella groaned.

“I told you some of it would be uncomfortable. It’s important to talk about this. When you’re in love with a boy, it’s very easy to feel like you would do anything he asks you to do. And it will be tough to resist sometimes and eventually it will be very hard to say a flat out ‘no’. When you’re faced with those choices, the big thing to remember is to make your decision based on self-respect and what the potential consequences might be. Once you give in to certain requests, there’s no turning back. You’ve told me how boys at school pressure girls to ‘send nudes’ and that you always ignore them. It’s even more critical that you do that now. Jamie is a well-known figure, and that means an extra level of caution in what we share with others over text or social media.”

“Mom, we would never send those. We’ve seen that go bad in our own friend group,” Ella pointed out.

“Yes - it’s never pretty when that happens. I asked Jamie to be with us for this chat, because we’re planning a life together and we already do everything as a family of four. I know he has insights from a male perspective that you should hear too.”

They nodded and looked at Jamie expectantly. 

“Girls, you know how much I care about ye, and the thought of any boy hurting you or disrespecting you is very distressing to me.”

“We know, Jamie. We care a lot about you too,” Beth said, “and we appreciate that you always want to protect us.”

“I’m trying to remember what it was like to be a teen boy, but things are so different now. I want you girls to set your bar high in terms of your expectations of how a boy should treat you so that boys will take their cues from you. Never assume that all boys have good intentions. That means when you’re at parties, watch what you’re drinking. Never accept an open drink from a boy, no matter who it is. Get your own can of soda and open it yourself. When you girls are at parties together, always keep an eye on each other, and never go behind closed doors with a boy or a group of friends. Nothing good will be happening behind those closed doors. I want to reiterate what your mom said about sending pictures. Don’t do it. No matter how much a boy professes to love you and promises to never share those pictures, you can bet that the minute you break up, he’ll be sharing the pictures. I know that sounds harsh, and your Mam and I are coming at you with a lot of don’ts, but it’s something you need to hear so that you can avoid being a victim of someone else’s poor choices.”

The girls were serious and attentive, and it was apparent that they were taking in everything that Jamie and Claire were telling them. 

“Two more things, and then we can talk about other stuff,” Claire promised. “Always let me or Jamie know where you are. Even if you change plans at the last minute. Send a text and tell us where you’re going and who you’re with. And finally, always remember who you are and whose you are. It may sound cheesy, but it’s the ultimate reminder in most situations.” 

The awkwardness dispelled, they all relaxed, and Jamie and Claire indulged the twins as they launched a new wave of animated chatter about their big night in Hollywood. Their unabated excitement was contagious and heartwarming, and Claire felt a wave of gratitude that they got to attend the event and make special memories with Jamie before he left the industry altogether. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The Calhouns and Deacon were grateful to spend their Sunday afternoon in good company. The brothers had wives and children back in Caldwell, and appreciated spending time with a family that shared similar values. They regaled Jamie and Claire with stories of rodeos and horses and the wholesome simplicity of their semi-rural lifestyle. Jamie and Claire entertained them with stories of childhood years spent in England and Scotland, and their very different journeys to America. The Calhouns weren’t in the least bit star-struck by Jamie’s fame, and he was thankful that they didn’t focus their questions on his career and experiences in the industry, but rather on the winery and their plans for the house. 

On the other side of the terrace, the twins tried valiantly to dominate in their basketball showdown, but Deacon prevailed. He was agile and fast, and even though he was victorious, it was by a small margin. He was gentlemanly and sportsmanlike about his victory, and the girls appreciated that he didn’t deliberately play badly to let them win. They were far too competitive and comfortable with their own athleticism to be satisfied with that.

Afterwards, they cooled off in the pool and stretched out on the pool loungers, chatting comfortably about school and music and college plans. 

After a simple barbecue dinner, the twins and Deacon retreated to the man-cave to play the arcade games, and Beth was finally able to exact her revenge on him. He didn’t stand a chance against her at Foosball and pinball, and the two of them squealed and laughed as they wrestled with the controls, trying to maximize the number of points they got with each attempt.

“You need to call it quits, Deacon. I’m more than 50,000 points ahead. It’ll take you a week to catch up,” she teased.

“I’m out of practice, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that you have mad skills,” Deacon conceded. “Is there a good ice-cream place nearby to celebrate your win? My treat.”

“Yeah, there’s Molly Moon’s in Redmond. It’s 25 minutes away. I’ll drive,” Beth offered. 

They walked over to where Jamie sat chatting with the Calhouns on the sun-drenched terrace. 

“Where’s Mom?” Beth asked Jamie.

“Uncle Lamb called to say hello. He just got back from Egypt, so yer Mam went inside to take the call. Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Beth looked across the terrace, and through the kitchen window she saw Claire leaning against the counter, talking animatedly with Uncle Lamb. 

Turning back to him, she asked, “Jamie, can we go get ice-cream in Redmond? At Molly Moon’s?” 

He was a little taken aback that Beth asked him for permission, and wondered if Claire would mind that she asked him instead of waiting for her to come back outside. Studying Beth’s trusting, hopeful face, it dawned on him that the girls saw him, Claire and themselves as a complete family unit, and that his decisions mattered to them too. He took a leap of faith and made the call on Claire’s behalf. 

“Sure ye can. As long as Ella goes too.”

“For sure! No one misses a chance for Molly Moon’s,” she smiled. “What time should we be back?”

“How does 9:00 p.m. sound?”

”Yup, that works,“ Beth replied. “Thank you, Jamie.“ 

The teens headed out, and the adults continued to chat, but Jamie was somewhat distracted by the milestone moment that had quietly inserted itself into a relaxed, family-focused day. He mulled over the fact that Beth asking for his approval to go out for ice-cream was confirmation that the girls recognized him and Claire as joint heads of their household. It was their acknowledgement that Jamie and Claire would make decisions together, and that their goal would always be to protect the girls, while still allowing them to experience the excitement and burgeoning independence of adolescence. 

Late that night, after their guests had left and the twins had gone to bed, Jamie and Claire lay in bed, nestled in each other’s arms. Jamie played with a handful of her curls, winding ringlets around his long fingers and unwinding them again. She shared Uncle Lamb’s news, and reminded Jamie that they should FaceTime with Jenny in the next few days to update her on all the latest happenings.

“Aye we can do that on Wednesday, after I'm back from L.A. We have the winery interviews on Monday, so we can update her on that too. She’s anxious for us to find someone who can take some of the load off Murtagh. I hope that person is in the three candidates we shortlisted.”

“I’m quite confident of that, actually.”

Jamie unwound another ringlet, and kissed the tip of her nose. 

“Claire, are you sure you were okay with me saying yes to the kids going out to Redmond? I didn’t want to interrupt your call with Lamb, and they were so eager to go get ice cream.”

“You did the right thing. I’m so thrilled that she asked you. I want the girls to feel comfortable doing that with both of us. We’re as close to being a family as it gets, and we both have their safety and best interests at heart, so it’s important that they know they can turn to either one of us. We’re so lucky to have you in our lives, Jamie. You care so much for the girls’ safety and well-being and happiness, and they know that. You’ve completed us - that’s something _they_ mentioned at the winery.“

“My life would feel incomplete without all of you in it. I love our forever, babe. I love you.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

After Monday morning’s run, Jamie and Claire showered and dressed in the master bathroom. They had moved Jamie’s clothes and bathroom necessities into her room on Saturday afternoon, and were still navigating their morning routine together. It all felt surprisingly natural and comfortable this morning. While he trimmed and neatened his scruff at the sink next to hers, she applied her makeup and tackled her curls. She tried to ignore the fact that his perfectly sculpted body was on full display next to her, the towel wrapped low around his waist revealing most of the V-line that pushed her libidinous thoughts into overdrive. Pausing to drop a trail of nibbles and kisses from her ear to her shoulder, he disappeared into the closet to get dressed. He emerged a few minutes later, just as she was about to step into the closet. 

He pulled her into his arms for a snuggle, “You smell so good. I’ll get our lattes. Meet you in the study? I’ll connect with Murtagh in the meanwhile.”

“Yes, thank you, my love. I won’t be long. The resumes are in the blue folder on the desk.”

The interviews for the role of Chief Operations Officer took just under three hours. As anticipated, they all favored Helen Matson, whose work experience in European wineries distinguished her from the other candidates. 

A self-assured woman in her late-forties, she spoke confidently about her outstanding career achievements. They discussed her resume and international experience in great depth, and Murtagh, Jamie, and Claire were impressed by her wealth of knowledge in import-export markets. Satisfied that she had the requisite skills and experience, Claire wanted to probe her potential as an idea-generator.

“Ms. Matson, you certainly have an impressive wine industry pedigree and you have driven the success of the wineries you’ve worked at previously. The position we’re interviewing you for assigns you overall responsibility for the marketing, human resources, and communications disciplines too. What are some of your thoughts about opportunities for growth and innovation at The Grotto, from a marketing angle?”

“I’ve been to The Grotto several times, and it is a spectacular winery on all fronts. The wines are world class, and I have no doubt you will continue to collect awards and medals in recognition of the incredible work your vintners and viticulturists do. The setting is the most beautiful and unique of any winery I’ve seen. I would love to see more family activities so that families with younger children will feel like there’s something for everyone. You already have a captive market in a loyal wine club whose members will happily travel for hours to spend weekends and extended weekends at The Grotto. Focusing on local communities will open a largely untapped market too, and you can do this by leveraging your location, environment, and availability of land, at relatively low cost.”

“Can you share some examples of the type of family activities you might incorporate?” Jamie asked.

“The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the environment and the amount of property that you have is to bring in horses. Riding horses through the vineyards is a special experience, and one that families love. ‘Wine and Equine’ weekends have become very popular for girls’ weekends, book club meetings, bachelorette parties, birthday parties, and plain old-fashioned family fun.”

“I hadn’t heard of that before, but we certainly have the space for it,” Jamie remarked. “What do ye think Murtagh?”

“It’s a great idea, and one that bears investigating. Ms. Matson, I like the way ye think. Apart from the horses, what other novel ideas do you have?”

“Fall festivities are always popular for families, and an area set aside for a mini apple orchard, pumpkin patch, corn hole games, and tractor rides would attract local families. Photographers would probably bring in a lot of business, as they tend to love wineries and fall-themed set-ups for family photo sessions.”

Murtagh nodded and commented, “That would be easy enough to set up.”

Helen continued, “Another idea that has been percolating in my head for a while is cooking classes. You already have a couple of fully-equipped commercial kitchens. A few additions and modifications would make classes easy to incorporate. We could partner with Seattle-area chefs to do a Saturday morning cooking class or demo during selected months. Themed cooking-class weekends too - Italian, Asian-fusion, easy family cooking, Thanksgiving, formal entertaining - those are all themes that lend themselves to a great weekend of cooking lessons and wine-tasting. I think that would be a draw-card for groups planning bridal showers, girls weekends, couples who like to cook together - so many possibilities.”

Jamie and Claire shared a quick smile. They would definitely sign up for that! As the interview wrapped up, Jamie asked if she had any closing remarks. 

“First, thank you for not telling me that my winery resume is impressive - for a woman. Second, I am very interested in this position, and would love to be part of the team that takes The Grotto from one of the top ten wineries on the West Coast, to one of the top three.”

After the interview ended, the three of them stayed on the Zoom call for a quick wrap-up. Claire liked the spunk and attitude that Helen brought with her expertise and experience. She loved her ideas and suggestions, and Murtagh thought she would be the perfect addition to his team.

Jamie agreed. “Can ye get the HR office to prepare an offer and get it to her as soon as possible?”

“Sure. I’ll be in touch as soon as she give us her answer. Enjoy the trip to L.A. with the twins tomorrow. It’ll be a braw night for them. Give them a hug from me, Claire.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie’s heart was heavy as he held Claire in his arms. It was just after sunrise, and they were waiting for the twins to finish getting ready for their early flight out to L.A. Standing in the kitchen cocooned in each other, he dropped sweet kisses all over her upturned face.

“I hate to leave you on yer own, mo ghràidh. I’m whisking the girls away too and it’ll be so quiet around here! Promise me you won’t dwell too much on the Trustees and the decision.”

“I don’t want you to worry, my love. It’s one day and one night! I’m meeting Lauren for a walk this morning - she’s the one who’s always gardening and waves at us frantically when we drive by.”

Jamie looked blank for a second and she prompted, “Grey house on the left at the top of our street?”

“Ah yes, the huge hydrangea bushes!” he replied.

“Right! And after our walk, I have tons to do for my summer course. Armando and I are going to watch the announcement together. Can’t wait to see dem buns in a tux!” She grabbed two handfuls of his firm ass and squeezed.

“Dem buns will be all yours tomorrow night, babe,” he waggled his brows and the butterflies that still lurked inside her responded with a flutter. 

“Looking forward to it,” she murmured, her lips lightly touching his. She pulled away slightly and rested her head on his shoulder as the girls ran downstairs, filled with excitement and anticipation.

“You girls look fabulous!” Claire gushed. “Like seasoned private jet travelers.”

They wriggled their way into Jamie and Claire’s embrace for a group hug, and after a moment, Jamie disentangled himself to allow Claire to say goodbye to them individually.

“Have a wonderful time, girls. Take lots of pictures. Simon will be with you all day, so trust him to answer any awkward questions. And Tara will be steps away on the red carpet.”

“And I will be a phone call or text away,” Jamie reminded them.

They said their final goodbyes and set off for Boeing Field in Claire’s SUV. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The jet landed at Van Nuys airport and Jamie and the twins were met on the tarmac by the driver of a large black Chevy Suburban that had parked near the plane. The driver was in his early twenties and dressed in black jeans and a black turtle neck tee with a Panther Entertainment name badge clipped to the left of his chest. Jamie squinted at the badge.

“Hi Mr. Fraser. My name is Astaire - yeah, for real! My Gramma loved Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.” He shrugged. “Anyhoo, I’m from PR and Yoonah Cho asked me to look after you guys. I’m Ella and Beth’s driver and go-to person for the day, and you’ll meet my intern and your PR guy, Simon, at our complex. I have your full itineraries on my phone - both yours, Mr. Fraser, and Ella and Beth’s, so just ask if you need to know anything. I’ll help you load your luggage and garment bags.”

A half-hour later, they were at the Panther Entertainment complex, where the DC/Panther team had laid on a warm welcome for the girls in the executive building. Astaire’s intern and Simon were already waiting for them, and after introductions were made, they led Jamie and the girls into one of the executive boardrooms, where a light breakfast of donuts, scones, fruit, and yogurt was waiting for them. The intern ran to pick up freshly made chai lattes from the Starbucks kiosk in the Panther Entertainment complex. 

Luke Beyer and Yoonah Cho joined them in the boardroom and spent a few minutes making small talk with the girls, before focusing on Jamie and updating him on some of the finer details for the rehearsal. Over the weekend, Yoonah’s team had been dropping anonymous hints in the DC Comics fandom’s social media platforms and popular Tumblr blogs about an event that would be live-streamed from the Hollywood Bowl. As the rumors continued to spread, they expected a strong showing of fans and paparazzi outside the Bowl that night.

“There’s buzz in general, because the word is out that the Bowl has a red carpet event, and there hasn't been one in Hollywood for months,“ Yoonah explained. “We’ll have a lot of people who just want to be there for the celebrity spotting, but we expect a lot of support from local members of the fandom.” 

Astaire gave each of the girls a gift-bag filled with DC Comics merchandise that included Superman and Catwoman T-shirts, hoodies, vintage comics, beanies, and gift cards for future merchandise purchases. He and the girls were in animated conversation about movies and favorite TV shows when Jamie called the girls aside.

“I need to get going, girls. My stylist is over at Stage E waiting for me to try on tuxes for tonight. After that, I’ll be in photography and the green screen zone for a couple of hours. Astaire, Simon and the intern will give you a tour of the property here first, and then Astaire will drive all of you to Hollywood Boulevard for some sightseeing and lunch. I’ll be in rehearsals at the Hollywood Bowl by that time - that’s the amphitheater where the announcement will be held. We’ll meet up there. Someone from Panther will take all our luggage and garment bags over to the Bowl, and your MUA and hair stylist will be waiting there for you. You’ll be using my dressing room - I should be done getting dressed and styled by the time you get there.” 

“Thanks Jamie, this is going to be the best day ever!” 

“You need to know that I would never send you lasses off with anyone I didn’t know and trust, which is why I asked Simon to accompany you. But please remember that I will be available on my phone for you at all times - except when I'm on stage during the announcement - or in a harness flying in front of the green screen.”

They chuckled at that image, and wrapped their arms around Jamie in a quick hug.

“Let me get a quick selfie to send to your Mam.”

They all posed with huge smiles, and Jamie texted the picture to Claire.

“See you later, girls. Have fun. Simon has one of my credit cards in case you want to buy souvenirs or tee-shirts or snacks or whatever. Ye’ve only to ask him.”

The girls and their chaperones climbed into a 6-seater golf-cart and embarked on a leisurely studio tour that encompassed several working sound stages and the backlots. Astaire showed them the special effects area, pointing out the equipment that created rain, wind, and other weather effects. By far the most impressive for the girls were the mock-ups of an airplane, train, and subway. 

“Yeah,” Astaire agreed, “it’s amazing that they can make such a small chunk of a plane look like a huge full-size deal in a movie. Our next stop is our last stop before we go do a little sightseeing.”

They drew to a stop at Stage E, and Astaire turned to them before exiting the golf cart. 

“I’m not supposed to bring you in here,” Astaire whispered, “but I think it’s going to be fun for you to get a glimpse of this. Shhhh.” They sneaked into the dark area at the back of the green screen zone. As their eyes adjusted to the lighting, they gasped at the sight of Jamie being securely harnessed for an aerial scene. It was exhilarating to catch a glimpse of Jamie in full Superman costume before he would be revealed publicly in a few hours’ time. He couldn’t see them because of the bright studio lighting on him, and the near-total darkness they were standing in. The sheer amount of technology and equipment in the green-screen zone was astounding. Harnesses and pulleys and gantry lights, cameras everywhere and people at large-screen monitors tapping away at keyboards and touchscreens. The pace was high-energy and high-stress, and Astaire ushered them out after only a few minutes.

“Thanks so much,” Beth whispered, “that was so awesome to see.”

“I wish Mom could have seen it,” Ella said with a tinge of sadness.

“We’ll send her a ton of pics tonight.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Astaire drove the twins to Hollywood Boulevard, and Simon pointed out various landmarks and notable sights along the way. They had the phones out and were photographing and taking video of anything that interested them. Beth snapped a few shots to Deacon, who responded enthusiastically with comments and smiley face emojis. At the Walk of Fame, they found the stars of a few of Claire’s favorite actors, and texted her pictures. She responded with hearts and kissy face emojis.

Lunch at L.A.’s rooftop Catch restaurant was by far the highlight of their sightseeing trip. Paparazzi hung out on the sidewalk all day, hoping to capture pictures of the rich and famous. Jamie’s name on the reservation had secured them an excellent table, and Simon and Astaire made sure that they were placed at seats that maximized their celebrity spotting. It was a good day to be at Catch, and the twins spotted Kylie Jenner lunching with her sister, Khloé Kardashian. They almost squealed when they saw Patrick Dempsey and his wife walk in and sit a few tables away from them.

“Oh my God, Ella! It’s McDreamy!”

“I swear, I’m going to go ask him why the heck he let them kill him off! I’m still so mad about that.”

“No, you’re not! Mom would be so mad.”

“Relax, Beth! I‘m just kidding!” 

By the time they left the restaurant, the twins had also spotted Billie Eilish, Margot Robbie and Zac Efron, and captured stealth photos of most of them.

In the car on the way to the Bowl, they swiped through the pictures they had taken.

“Simon, is it awful that we took secret pictures of all these celebs?” Beth asked him guiltily.

“I think it depends on what you plan to do with them,” Simon answered. “I suspect that you’re going to keep them on your phone, and maybe show a friend or two. If you were planning on tweeting or Instagramming them, then I would say that is not cool, because you didn't get their permission.”

“Yeah, we would never do that, Simon. We’ve seen how that went super bad for Jamie and my mom. We just want to keep them on our phones and flex a little to our friends.” 

Jamie had completed three rounds of rehearsals, including one with the live orchestra and the freshly completed video effects that the CGI team had worked on all the way through lunch and early part of the afternoon. He made his way through the maze of corridors backstage. He had been assigned the VIP dressing room, a vast room that was designed to accommodate small groups of up to five actors or performers. There was a comfortable sitting area with plush sofas, five hair and make-up stations, complete with Hollywood lights around the mirrors, and two bathrooms with showers. A hospitality station had been set up in one corner with snacks and beverages. Jamie had put in only two special requests - Swedish Fish and HiChews for the girls. 

DC/Panther was determined to maintain the secrecy right up to the live announcement, and Jamie was accompanied through the corridors by a bodyguard who would stand outside his dressing room door to prevent any unauthorized people from entering. 

He took a quick shower, pulled on the branded sweat suit that Panther had provided for all their guests, and took some downtime to grab a plate of cheese and crackers and sparkling water before it all got busy again. While he finished his snack, he texted the twins to check on their whereabouts, and they texted back that Astaire confirmed they were a half hour out. Relieved that the girls would soon be in close proximity to him again, he placed a call to Claire.

“Babe, I just needed to hear yer voice.”

“Has it been crazy, my love?”

“Non-stop! But I have a few quiet minutes before hair and makeup get here, and the girls will be here in less than a half hour.”

“They’ve been texting me pictures and updates all day, Jamie. They are having a blast! I’m so grateful to you for sharing this amazing experience with them.”

“No, mo ghràidh, they have made it so special. I canna wait to see them enjoy the red carpet and the show. The show is going to be amazing! I’m glad you’ll be watching.“

“Wouldn't miss it and I can’t wait. I miss and love you so much. Break a leg, and I am looking forward to seeing you wow everyone.”

"I love you too. I’ll call after the show.”

A knock on his door ten minutes later announced the arrival of hair and make-up.

"Hi Mr. Fraser, I’m Gemma and this is Rae.”

“It’s Jamie. I know Armando did some persuading to get you here, and I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem at all. Rae was initially assigned to one of the actresses but she spoke to Yoonah Cho and got re-assigned to you.”

“Oh wow, thank you for going to the trouble to do that! I wouldn't have been such a pain in the ass about it if it was just me, but my girls, Ella and Beth are here for their first Hollywood event. They’re 16 and I wanted someone trustworthy, since I can’t be with them the whole time. Armando helped by recommending you, and I’m so grateful to both of you.”

“It’s awesome, actually!” said Rae. “I’d far rather work with you and your girls. I’ve no idea who the actresses are, because we only get to find out tonight, but I know some of them can be divas, so I’m all in here. Can’t wait to meet your girls.”

“Jamie, let’s work on your hair while it’s still damp, and then Rae can do her magic.”

While Gemma styled and sprayed Jamie’s hair, there was a knock on the door, and the girls burst in, full of excitement and enthusiasm. He introduced them to Gemma and Rae, and listened patiently while they shared everything about their day.

“I’m glad ye’ve had such a great time, girls.”

“Astaire said there were two bathrooms in this dressing room. Can we take a shower so that our hair is ready for Gemma to style?”

“Of course, Ella,” said Jamie. “I took the bathroom on the left, and that’s where I’ll be getting dressed in a minute. Your bathroom is the one on the right, through the doors, past the sofas. Panther has provided lots of fluffy towels and sweat suits for each of ye to wear while you're getting your hair and make-up done. Someone from wardrobe came in earlier and steamed your dresses. They’re hanging on the rack, and ready to go.”

“Thanks, Jamie. We’ll go shower now.”

Gemma was just about done with Jamie’s hair, when they heard a commotion in the hallway outside. Someone was shouting angrily down the hallway, and the sounds of people running were clearly audible from Jamie’s dressing room. Gemma threw Rae a quick look.

“Want me to crack the door open and see what's going on?” Rae asked.

“Sure. Check with the bodyguard outside the door. I wonder who’s yelling like that?” Jamie said.

Rae opened the door a crack and exchanged a few words with the bodyguard. She opened the door wider and looked up and down the hallway. Every dressing room was guarded by a bodyguard, all wearing black pants and black turtlenecks, and all fitted with earpieces and microphones that were blue-toothed to their wristwatches. 

Suddenly, one of the doors down the hall opened again, and Rae heard a voice from inside the dressing room yell out again.

“I ASKED FOR A JUG OF FUCKING LEMON DROP, NOT FUCKING LEMONTINI!”

The door slammed and the bodyguards all started speaking into their wrists at the same time. More security appeared at the end of the hallway. Running towards the dressing room where all the commotion was coming from, the security team shouted, “Lock it down! Lock it down!”

Jamie’s bodyguard stepped in front of Rae, pushed her gently back into the dressing room, and pulled the door shut. And in all of that, Rae wasn’t sure what she heard next, but more shouting ensued, and what she though she heard was, ”Get me my fucking drink. What Anna wants, Anna gets.”

“Holy crap, what is going on out there?” Jamie asked. 

“It all came from one of the actress’ dressing rooms, and now they’ve locked us down,” Rae replied.

Gemma removed the small towel from Jamie’s shoulders, signalling that she was done with his hair and he strode purposefully to the door. Pulling it open, he addressed the bodyguard who immediately blocked his exit.

“Look, I know you have a job to do here, and I have the greatest respect for you guys who put yourselves at risk to protect us, but I’ve heard running and yelling and lock-down calls. I have my 16 year old girls in here. Should I be worried for their safety?”

“Mr. Fraser, thank you for your respectful tone. I’m assistant head of security for Panther. One of the actresses had an issue with the wrong drink being placed in her dressing room. No one is in personal danger at all. Our sole purpose here tonight is to protect your identity and the identity of your co-star until the announcement. That was put at risk when the actress yanked the door open and started yelling, so our team reacted the way they were trained to do. I apologize if our response alarmed you. This event is costing DC and Panther upwards of $30 million, and we don't want to risk it all just hours from the announcement. You and your girls are perfectly safe.” 

Jamie thanked him, closed the door, and resumed his seat. Rae started to apply his foundation and light contouring to ensure that his features didn't appear washed out under the harsh stage lights. Gemma asked him what the bodyguard had said, and he repeated their brief conversation.

“What did you hear, Rae?’

“Well I heard someone yelling about a lemontini, I think. When I looked into the hallways, the door of the dressing room down the hall opened, and someone was yelling again, and the bodyguard pushed me back inside. I think she said ‘What Anna wants, she gets’.”

“Anna?” Gemma mused, thinking of all the actresses she had worked with over the past couple of years. There weren’t many named Anna. “Must be Anna Kendrick! I can totally see her auditioning for Lois Lane. She’d be awesome actually. But she’s not one to be a drama queen like that.”

“Well, we all have bad days, I guess,” Rae shrugged. 

She applied the final touches to Jamie’s makeup, and between puffs of powder that she brushed all over his face, Jamie agreed with Rae.

“I think ye’re right Rae. I’ve met Anna Kendrick a few times, and this is so unlike her. Probably just a bad day and the stress of the pandemic and this secretive event.” 

Jamie thanked Gemma and Rae, and went to put on his tuxedo. He was relieved that the girls had missed all the commotion, but something about it had unsettled him. By the time he emerged, fully dressed with bow-tie expertly tied, Ella was having her hair done, and Rae was just starting on Beth’s makeup. 

The girls’ eyes widened when they saw Jamie.

“Jamie, you look just like a movie star in your tux!” Beth exclaimed.

“Seriously, Beth?” Ella looked at her like she had lost it. “Did you hear what you just said?”

“Oh,” Beth gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. “That was so dumb. I mean, I know you _are_ a movie star, but you look the part tonight for sure!”

“Thank you, Beth, he chuckled, “I canna wait to see both of you in your gowns later. I’m going to head over to the VIP lounge now to schmooze with the movie execs and invited guests. Astaire and Simon will bring you there to join me as soon as you're ready.”

As Jamie stepped out into the hallway, he looked down the corridor toward the source of the earlier ruckus. It was calm and quiet, and all he saw were the black-clad bodyguards standing guard at each locked dressing room. He didn’t even know which room the yelling had come from. 

“Mr. Fraser?” His bodyguard’s voice pierced his contemplation, and Jamie turned to follow him back through the hallways. Another member of the security team moved in to take his place outside Jamie’s dressing room door. 

Jamie couldn't quite put a finger on it, but he felt rattled by the disturbance in the hallway. He pushed aside his sense of unease and put on his game face as he entered the VIP Lounge. Spotting Tara chatting with industry executives in the corner, he headed straight for her and wrapped her in a tight hug. He was immediately surrounded by industry big-wigs, and their conversations covered everything from his Oscar buzz to the secretive announcement that night. 

When he and Tara had a chance to chat privately, he relayed the incident in the hallway.

“It was quite a scene, Tara. All F-bombs and entitlement. The sort of shit that gives all of us actors a bad name. Do you know if Anna Kendrick auditioned? My MUA thought she heard the name ‘Anna’ somewhere in her diatribe.”

A little red flag went up in the farthest corner of her mind, but she downplayed it and tactfully moved the conversation to other topics.

“Even now, hours before the announcement, no one is talking about the shortlist of actresses, Jamie. But Anna Kendrick would be a good guess. She’d be a great Lois Lane. I just can’t picture her causing a drama in the hallway. Talking of hallways, I hope the twins are on their way. I can’t wait to meet them.”

“They’ll be here soon, Tara. Just getting their hair and makeup done. Thank you for keeping an eye on them on the red carpet.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

They continued to get caught up on each other’s latest news, until they were interrupted by more movie executives wanting to introduce Jamie to their wives and girlfriends.

The girls enjoyed every moment of the pampering that they got from Gemma and Rae, who had asked to see the girls’ dresses to get a better sense of the right hair and makeup to complement the gowns and the girls' personalities.

Gemma styled Beth’s hair into a soft up-do with loose tendrils, enhancing the soft, romantic look of her dress. 

“Oh my gosh, Beth,” Ella gasped, “you look amazing! I’m going to text a pic to Armando. He will love it!”

Rae started on Beth’s makeup, opting for a soft natural look. She emphasized Beth’s amber eyes with caramel and pink tones that glittered under the lights and were perfect for a star-studded Hollywood event. Beth blinked and fluttered her eyelashes as she looked into the mirror.

“I love the sparkly eye-shadow, Rae. What did you use?”

“MAC Dazzleshadows - my favorite line for red carpet and parties. It looks amazing on you.”

While Rae finished Beth's makeup, Gemma softened Ella’s curls and styled her hair into a side-swept old Hollywood glam look, with big waves that tumbled over her shoulders, complementing her dress style. 

“Ella, that is so stunning!” Beth breathed. 

“It’s an iconic Hollywood style,” Gemma explained. “Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lopez love this look, so you’re in good company, Ella.”

Hair styling complete, Gemma made way for Rae to do Ella’s makeup. She created a beautiful smokey-eye look for Ella, expertly blending deep shades of charcoal and grey on her eyelids and accentuating them with frosted metallics for a pop of glitz. 

“I love this look Rae! Beth and I always mess around with smokey eye YouTube videos, but this looks so gorgeous and professional compared with what we try and do!”

The girls slipped their gowns on, and Gemma and Rae checked to see that everything was fastened and secure, and that hair and makeup were perfect before they left the dressing room.

Astaire and Simon escorted the girls into the VIP lounge at around 6:30, and Jamie greeted them proudly with a hug.

Ella and Beth looked beautiful. Both in floor length dresses, new heels and evening purses, they were completely red carpet ready. Beth’s dusty pink strapless gown featured chiffon overlays and appliquéd flowers scattered around the lower half of the dress. Ella’s cherry red silk taffeta had a form-fitted bodice with spaghetti straps and a wrap skirt that draped beautifully into a slight train.

“You look fantastic, girls! Both of you look so glamorous. Your Mam would be so proud if she was here with us. I have to send a picture to her.” After introducing them to Tara, he asked her to take a picture of him with the girls, and quickly texted it to Claire.

Simon looked at his watch. “Jamie, it’s getting close to red carpet time. I’m going to grab swag bags for Ella and Beth. I’ll take them to the dressing room, and I’ll be right back.”

Yoonah and Luke made their way over to Jamie, Tara, and the twins, and greeted them cheerfully. It had been a busy day for them as they dealt with the multiple minor crises that always arose on the day of an event of this magnitude. As they prepared to relax and enjoy the show among VIP guests, they had delegated their duties to their highly capable teams, and were looking forward to enjoying the evening. 

Yoonah reported that a large crowd had gathered outside. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she described the scene.

“We have a large contingent from various DC fandoms. I’ve seen Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Catwoman and others. It’s crazy! Some are in full costume. And then there are vast numbers of celebrity spotters and autograph hunters. It’s getting pretty vocal out there. Jamie, as you walk the red carpet, do your usual dazzling smile, but please avoid the interviews. Cal is already down there, and he’s been briefed to rush you through. We have SUV’s parked at the side entrance ready to drive you around to the red carpet. We should leave in the next half hour.” 

Simon returned from dropping off the swag bags, and immediately sought Tara out. Taking her aside, he asked, “Tara, do you know if Anja Baranov auditioned?”

Tara froze and stared at him open-mouthed for a split-second. The red flag that rose when Jamie mentioned the hallway drama fluttered wildly again.

“Fuck! What did you hear, Simon? And when? And where?”

“When I took the swag bags back to the room, one of the MUAs was standing in the corridor talking to the bodyguard. I’m almost certain she said “That’s the last time I do Anja’s makeup. They stopped talking the second they saw me.” 

“Are you sure it wasn’t ‘Anna’?” Tara asked. “There’s a rumor right now that Anna Kendrick is one of the actresses who auditioned.”

“Jeez, I don’t know now,” he grimaced. “I thought I heard ‘Anja’. But if you think Kendrick’s one of the actresses, I might have heard wrong.”

“I have made mental lists of the four actresses for days now,” Tara said ruefully, “and Anja has never been on any of them! With all the negativity surrounding her lately, and her behavior on Corden, and stealing footage from Millennium, why would DC and Panther even consider her! I mean there’s just no way!”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” agreed Simon.

“I’m going to try and get Luke Beyer aside and see if he’ll give me some morsel of info. Anja on Superman will be Jamie’s worst nightmare. There is no way he’ll go through with it after the havoc she’s caused in his and Claire’s life. You know she might lose the professorship because of the TMZ story?”

“Yeah, Cal told me. It’s a fucking disgrace that she can steal footage and get away with it.”

“Do you see Luke and Yoonah anywhere?” Tara craned her neck, looking around the crowded room.

Jamie was several feet away, surrounded by a group of big-name movie industry moguls and their wives. Chatting amiably with them, his eyes darted over to the girls every now and again, ensuring that they were being taken care of. Astaire had taken them over to meet Harry Styles, the only one of the group of performers who was in the VIP room. The rest were all backstage, warming up and getting ready to perform. Harry was chatting animatedly with the star-struck girls, and evidently agreed to a series of fun and silly selfies. Jamie smiled a small lop-sided smile. 

His attention had been quickly drawn away when Simon re-entered the VIP room and immediately sought Tara. He noticed Tara’s strong reaction to whatever Simon was telling her, and his sense of unease ramped up a little. He wondered if it had anything to do with the hallway situation. He pushed those thoughts aside again, convincing himself that if there was a problem with the actresses, Luke and Yoonah would have been all over it, and they were just feet away from him, sipping their drinks and chatting with a group of guests.

Tara spotted Luke and Yoonah, and started to make her way over to them, while Simon headed over to the twins and Astaire. Just feet from reaching Luke, Tara was intercepted by one of Disney’s Vice Presidents, and she came to a complete halt as the woman immediately engaged Tara about one of her female clients that Disney was targeting after optioning the rights to a series of young adult novels. There was no way Tara was going to rudely side-line the executive, so she resigned herself to indulging in some polite chatter, but kept an eye on Luke so that she could tackle him as soon as she could get out of this conversation. 

Before that could happen, however, a group of Panther interns in grey jeans and tees entered the room, and each went directly to the person or group they had been assigned to. They were required to escort their VIPs to the side entrance, where several SUVs were waiting to drive around to the red carpet drop-off zone. Jamie, the twins, Luke, Yoonah, and several DC/Panther execs were swept out of the room, and the remaining guests could either stay and socialize, make their way to the red carpet if they wanted the exposure there, or assume their seats in the stadium. Tara hastened down to the red carpet. She had promised Jamie to keep an eye on the girls, and that was her sole focus for the moment.

Jamie walked through the maze of hallways with the twins, who were being escorted by Simon and Astaire.

“Simon, please run the red carpet plan by us one more time,” Jamie asked.

“You’ll be in one of the first three SUV’s. Cal will meet you and shadow you as per our usual procedure. You’ll do the pose-and-smile, and Cal will help you avoid the interviews. Astaire and I will be with the girls and we’ll meet Tara down there. We’re going to wait for some A-listers to be dropped off and we'll walk just ahead of them, so that the paps will have something to focus on after they take pictures of the girls. Tara will handle all questions from the media. You and the girls won't be on the red carpet at the same time.”

“That all sounds good. Astaire, remind us what happens after that?”

“You will go backstage and watch the performances from the green room until you’re ready to walk on. Simon and I will walk the girls into the arena. They have front row seats, and we are directly behind them. There is an empty seat between each group or couple. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are on one side of them, and Hugh Jackman and his wife on the other side.”

“Wonderful. Thank you for all you’ve done today.”

They arrived at the line of SUVs and Jamie gave each of the girls a hug.

“I’ll only see you after the show now. Astaire will bring you up to the VIP lounge. I’ll be looking for you in the front row.”

“Break a leg, Jamie! We’re so excited for you!”

The girls were only a few cars behind Jamie, and as their SUV drew up to the red carpet, Tara stepped out of the shadows to join them and Astaire ran around to help the girls out of the car. They were instantly assailed by the dazzling lights of the paparazzi, photographers, and videographers. Although none of them had the slightest clue who they were photographing, the twins looked glamorous, poised, and beautiful, and many of the photographers knew who Tara was. Her reputation and string of elite clients preceded her, and if Tara Lewis was accompanying these unknown girls, they were worth photographing. 

They paused at the edge of the red carpet to allow other arriving VIPs to walk. Tara was waiting for the right A-listers to arrive, so that they would draw away some of the attention from the girls. As they waited, the girls took in the incredible and unforgettable scene before them. The road was closed, apart from one lane for the limos and SUVs that were dropping guests off at the red carpet. The rest of the road and sidewalk opposite was a heaving mass of hundreds of fans in face-masks. They thronged around the cordoned off paparazzi zone, holding phones and notebooks in the hope of a selfie or autograph. It was loud, colorful, bright … and exhilarating.

A distant noise filtered across the noisy press section, and as it grew louder, the girls heard the distinct sounds of fans calling Jamie. 

“Jamie! Jamie - look here please!”

"Jamie! Jamie! Jamie!"

Jamie posed and smiled as he made his way across the red carpet. Pausing longer at the press area, he ignored the questions they threw at him, and kept a smile fixed on his face, turning his head every few seconds to make eye contact with various photographers, ensuring that they got the images they needed. The questions kept coming. Cal was just steps behind him.

"Jamie! Who are you wearing tonight?”

“Yves Saint Laurent,” he called back, and took a few more steps along the carpet.

“Jamie! Where’s your date tonight?”

“Is the professor with you tonight, Jamie?”

“Jamie! Do you know what the big announcement is tonight?”

“Jamie, when is your movie coming out?” 

Cal approached and said loud enough for only Jamie to hear, “Let’s wrap here, and I’ll move you past the interviewers.”

Just beyond the press area, a handful of interviewers from celebrity news shows stood in clusters with videographers, celebrity interviewees and watchful publicists. Jamie scanned them quickly and spotted some familiar faces among the interviewers - Kristin dos Santos, Kevin Frazier, Leanne Aguilera, Mario Lopez. Any other night, he would have been happy to stop and chat with them, but he had to avoid awkward questions at all costs. Cal successfully spirited him away and he was whisked backstage to watch the show from the green room until it was time for him to walk on stage. 

Tara watched the next two SUVs unload their passengers. Both were movie execs and their spouses, and Tara let them walk ahead. The next car was a limo, and the minute the driver opened the back door and Tara caught a glimpse of Jennifer Lopez in the back seat, she sprang into action.

“Let’s go! It's JLo and Alex, the photogs will be all over them.”

She guided the twins ahead of her and they walked the red carpet with unexpected confidence for first-timers. They stopped and smiled and posed at the cordoned off press area. Instantly, the Paparazzi started to yell questions at them.

“Can you spell your names for us?”

“Whose guests are you tonight?”

“Tara! Who are your guests?”

“Panther’s guests,” Tara called back, ignoring all their other questions, and gently guiding the twins forward.

A photographer turned to his colleagues, “Did she say Panther’s guests?”

“Yeah, that’s what I heard too. Probably one of the exec’s daughters, is my guess.”

They shrugged and turned their attention to Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire and Armando were live-streaming Panther’s YouTube coverage on the large screen in the media room.

The anxiety they had felt last time they watched a Jamie TV event together was replaced by the excitement and anticipation of watching for sightings of Jamie and the girls. Sipping their chilled rosé after a light dinner, they watched the VIP guests walk the red carpet, wave at fans, and interact with the photographers.

“It’s like watching the pre-Oscar segment! But this time my most precious people are about to make an appearance,” Claire said excitedly.

“I know, right? It feels surreal.”

“Wait - I think that’s Jamie!”

They watched as Jamie walked the red carpet, and heard the shouts and chants as the cameras panned over the screaming, near-hysterical crowd.

“Oh my God, the fans are going crazy!” Armando observed.

“He looks so hot in his tux,” Claire sighed.

“Guuuuuurl!” Armando purred, giving her a knowing look. “He’s lucky you aren’t there. You’d be hauling him off somewhere backstage.”

“Damn right! I love how Cal just ignored all the interviewers.”

Claire sent Jamie a quick text: 

**Just watched u walk the red carpet. u look hot and ILYSM! 😍**

They kept watching for the girls, and within five minutes of Jamie’s exit, they saw them walk the red carpet, with Tara in close proximity.

“Oh my God, they look so beautiful and grown up! ‘Mando - look at them!”

“Holy wow! They look stunning! Look at the photographers going crazy - I wonder what Tara just told them, I didn't catch it. Dang, Claire, look at them working the red carpet - posiiiing and smiliiiing. They’ve got this down!”

The footage quickly switched to JLo and Alex, and Claire sent the girls a text.

**Just saw u on the live-stream. u girls made me so proud. u looked beautiful and confident and you owned it! enjoy the show, take lots of pics** 😘 

**\- - - - - - - - - - - -**

As the guests took their seats in the arena, a large clock on the big screens counted down the last ten seconds before the host, Ryan Seacrest, opened the show. Everyone was still in the dark about what the announcement was, but they knew by now that it involved DC Comics. The fandom outside had made that pretty clear. Ariana Grande kicked off the performances, establishing a festive mood right away. 

Satisfied that she had guided the twins safely through their first red carpet appearance, Tara headed backstage to try and figure out the gnawing issue of the co-star. She needed to know if it was Anja, so that she could warn Jamie ahead of time rather than have him open the envelope to the shocking and unwelcome news. She felt queasy. It would destroy Jamie to have to co-star with Anja in his last film before he retired from the industry. Exiting with Superman behind him was the high that he deserved, and working with Anja would completely strip him of all the enjoyment he had anticipated. 

Tara kept running into snags backstage. Even though she had a Luke Beyer-approved VIP and backstage pass, staffers and security from Panther and Marula Events insisted on verifying her identity and access at key check-points. 

She finally reached the wings and over the noise of the musical performances, asked a staffer where she could find Luke Beyer. 

Hollering over the noise, she explained, “Luke delegated to his assistant. He’s in the audience with VIP guests.”

“Fuck!” Tara was starting to get mildly panicky. She was usually very calm and level-headed, but the possibility of Anja and Jamie being forced to work together made her almost physically ill. She threw caution to the wind, and decided to send Luke a text. It was her version of a Hail Mary pass.

**Can you at least tell me if Anja Baranov auditioned?**

She knew that chances were slim that he would even see the text until it was too late, but it was worth a try.

Watching her phone for any sign of the three bouncing dots that would indicate that Luke was replying, she gave up after a few seconds and texted Cal to ask him to join her in the wings. It took him about 20 minutes to get to her after going through the same series of checks and cross-checks that Tara had been subjected to. They stood in an area of the wings that was as far as they could get from the massive speakers. No one was within earshot and they needed to come up with a plan.

Fast. 

“What’s your take, Cal, and what can we do here to trouble-shoot?” 

“I have a hard time believing that DC/Panther would pick her, even if she did audition.”

“That’s exactly what I thought. She wasn’t even on my radar! There are dozens of action movie actresses that I would put on the list before her. You know it’s going to destroy Jamie if he opens the envelope and has to read her name. This is his last movie. I don’t want to think about him having to film and do a prolonged promotion and publicity tour with her a year or two down the line. To have the specter of Anja looming over him for that period of time is just awful. ”

“Ugh. It sickens me to think about it."

"I sent a last-ditch text to Luke to ask if she had auditioned. It’s unlikely that he’ll reply.”

"You'd think we'd see Steve Bonnet around if she was in one of the dressings rooms, right?” Cal tried to reassure both himself and Tara.

“I think he's getting ready to drop her as a client, if he hasn't already. Her behavior impacts him negatively too, and he's probably too embarrassed to be seen here with her."

“Should we give Jamie a heads-up that there’s a _possibility_ that her name is in the envelope?”

“I think that’s a good idea.” Tara looked at her watch. “By now they’re getting him ready to come backstage, and one of the production runners will be looking after his phone. I don’t have green room access, so I’ll wait here in the wings and will tell him myself. It’s not ideal, because it will be just minutes before he goes on, but we have no other option.”

Ella and Beth were enjoying the musical performance along with everyone around them. At least half the audience was up and dancing to Lady Gaga’s performance. The girls had never had this much fun in their lives, and were completely enthralled by everything. Harry Styles had spotted them in the front row, and walked over to them to sing a few lines from one of his songs.

🎶 Lights up and they know who you are

Know who you are

Do you know who you are?

Shine, step into the light

Shine, so bright sometimes …

And with a wink and a smile he walked to the other side of the stage leaving them grinning and almost squealing with excitement. Khalid had also singled them out, much to their glee. He walked over and stood in front of the girls - by far the youngest audience members - and serenaded them for a minute or so. Astaire had captured all of it on video for them.

As the musical performances ended, and Ryan Seacrest bridged the transition between them and the dance groups who were getting ready to showcase their winning performances from ‘World of Dance’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, the girls sat back and checked their phones. They had texted Claire pictures and short clips from the show, and checked for her replies.

Suddenly, Ella gasped. A twitter notification had slid in at the top of her phone.

“What’s up?” Beth asked, mildly alarmed by the look on Ella’s face.

“Shit! Anja just tweeted this …” She held her phone so that Beth could see it.

“Wait - why are you even following her? Mom will be so mad.”

“I know, Beth! I just wanted to be aware of when she posts her BS about Jamie. Read what she just tweeted."

**_It’s a bird! It’s a plane! …_**

“What do you think she means by that?” Ella asked. “I know that’s the iconic line from Superman, but why is she posting that, if no one knows about this announcement?”

“Oh my God, Ella! Do you think she’s the secret co-star?”

“I don’t know! That would be disastrous! Can you imagine Jamie? And Mom? Oh my God!”

Ella turned around to Simon, and showed him the tweet.

Simon leaned forward and read it twice, checked the time stamp, then closed his eyes, briefly shook his head, and grabbed his phone.

“I’m going to text Armando, so he can be the one to tell Mom,” Ella said.

Cal and Tara were still in their spot in the wings, waiting to intercept Jamie and give him a heads-up. Their phones vibrated within seconds of each other.

Cal checked his text from Simon. It was a screenshot of Anja’s tweet. He leaned up against the wall, his face mirroring his despair.

Tara checked hers. It was a reply from Luke - finally.

**Yes, she did.**

They compared texts. 

“This is turning out to be the worst night! I have to tell him, Cal.”

“How do you think Jamie will react?”

“You know he’s all about commitment and duty and integrity. He’ll handle it with professionalism on stage, but we’ll be having a meeting with DC/Panther tomorrow. Before the 9:00 a.m. press conference. I’m going to have to review the penalty clauses tonight. I can’t see him going through with this movie after what Anja’s done. She’s a fucking wrecking ball!”

**\- - - - - - - - - - - -**

Armando’s phone buzzed twice in quick succession. He opened the girls’ text first and his jaw dropped.

“Fuuuuuuuuck!” he breathed.

“What?” Claire asked, alarmed at the shock on Armando’s face.

“Wait, Gemma just texted.”

Gemma had also shared a screenshot of Anja’s tweet.

“Claire,” he took her hand. “Bad news. Anja is Lois Lane. She just tweeted.”

Claire shot to her feet, and looked at Armando in shock. 

“How do you know?” 

“The girls and Gemma both texted that Anja just tweeted this.”

He showed her the screenshot and waited while she read it. Claire sank back into her chair and put her head in her hands.

“Oh my God. This is Jamie’s worst nightmare. And mine. Does Jamie know?”

“Let me see what I can find out from Gemma. She’s still backstage somewhere.”

He started tapping furiously on his phone.

**Girl, where are u now?**

**_I’ve been outside the green room on standby with Rae_ **

**Does Jamie know?**

**_No - production assistant came to pick up his personal items and phone about 20 mins ago_ **

**Where is he now**

**_2 bodyguards came for him a few minutes ago, en route to stage_ **

**Are u guys going there too?**

**_Yes, for touch-ups. waiting for security to escort us there_ **

**This is not good**

**_I know - lots to tell you, but security is here, phones have to be put away. later._**

**\- - - - - - - - - - - -**

As Jamie walked the hallways from the green room with two bodyguards, his sense of unease was replaced by the nervous anticipation he always felt before going in front of a live audience. He brushed away the unease he had felt earlier, knowing that if there had been any issues or potential danger, Tara would have been on it right away. She would be waiting for him in the wings, and would let him know if anything untoward had come up.

Suddenly, the bodyguards started receiving messages in their earpieces and responding into their wristwatch mics.

“Mr Fraser, we have a slight plan adjustment. We need to stop here for 5 minutes. One of the dancers fell and apparently broke an ankle at the very end of the routine, so we need to wait for the paramedics to gurney him off, and they need our side of the wings cleared. Shouldn’t take too long. They’re bringing Lady Gaga on for an encore while that happens.”

Most of the audience was not aware of the medical emergency. The dancer had completed a final back-flip, landed badly and dragged himself into the wings, while the rest of the dance troupe finished the routine. In the wings, DC/Panther and Marula Events teams immediately launched their emergency protocol. Staffers guided all the non-essential backstage people behind the stage and around to the wings at stage-right, leaving stage-left open for the paramedics to wheel their gurney in. Tara and Cal were amongst the non-essential people moved from stage-left to stage-right. 

“Oh my God, this can't get any worse Cal. You know Jamie is going to be waiting for his cue in the wings at stage-left. We are now going to be stage-right, and that means we are not going to have an opportunity to brief him before he goes on. I'm going to have to try and get his attention some other way.”

Luke and Yoonah were surprised to hear Ryan Seacrest transition from the dance performances to an encore from Lady Gaga, but immediately recognized that there must be an emergency backstage. They checked their texts, and learned about the medical situation. They weren’t particularly worried, as their teams had trained for a number of emergency scenarios and they knew that this would only be a 5 minute delay. All teams and crews would be aware of the scheduling change, and would make the necessary adjustments. 

Luke checked a few of his other texts and groaned when he saw the text from his assistant with a screenshot of Anja’s tweet. He showed Yoonah his screen, and her jaw dropped as she read it.

“Are you kidding me! Total violation of the NDA!”

“Thank God it happened so close to the announcement. I don’t think it’s had much exposure. Relatively few re-tweets.”

It took the paramedics less than 5 minutes to clear their patient to an area where they could continue their triage procedures. This allowed Panther to open the wings for Jamie and other essential crew so that the announcement could go ahead. As Jamie climbed the stairs to the wings, he noticed that there were fewer people there than during rehearsals. He looked across the stage and spotted Tara waving frantically at him, so he stepped a little closer to try and lip-read what she was saying. The contrast in lighting between the darkness in the wings and the brightness of the stage lights made it difficult for him to see her properly. He shrugged and raised his hands to gesticulate that he was unable to understand what she was saying. She looked stressed, and his concern levels started to climb again. He hoped that everything was OK with the girls. Edging as close as he could to the stage without being seen by the audience, his eyes swept the front row until he spotted the pink and red of their dresses. The audience around them was on their feet dancing but the girls were sitting down. Someone sounded his two minute warning, and Rae and Gemma stepped forward to apply their finishing touches. 

The stage went completely dark, and Ryan Seacrest was illuminated by a small spotlight. “Friends and fandoms … sit back and enjoy!”

The orchestra started to play the Superman theme, and there was an instant murmur around the arena as people realized this was a cast announcement for a new Superman movie. Outside the arena, the crowd had grown, and there was a roar of approval as fans realized what was happening. Snippets of vintage Superman cartoons and clips from major Superman movies played on the large screens. Marula and Panther had set some screens up around the perimeter of the Bowl, so that gathered fans could watch the show in real time.

As the movie clips and scenes closed out and the stage fell into darkness again, the orchestra played at low volume.

After a long minute or two of anticipation build-up, the deep, commanding voice of Morgan Freeman boomed out a pre-recorded message.

“Friends and fandoms, DC Comics and Panther Entertainment are pleased to announce your next Superman.”

Jamie walked out under a small spotlight and stood in the center of the stage. Behind him and around the arena, pictures of him in full Superman gear began to flash across the screens, and were soon replaced by the aerial CGI footage that Panther’s tech geniuses had worked on all afternoon. There were gasps and prolonged applause as Superman’s identity became clear. A spectacular laser show followed, and a large spotlight finally fully illuminated Jamie.

Outside, the fandom chanted, “JAMIE, JAMIE, JAMIE!”

Inside the arena, people rose in a standing ovation, much to Jamie’s embarrassment.

_I haven’t done anything to deserve an ovation yet._

When the noise subsided, Ryan Seacrest joined Jamie on stage and congratulated him. Jamie was not going to be making any remarks or answering questions during the announcement - that would all come during the press conference the next morning.

As the special effects lighting transitioned to regular stage lighting, and his eyes adjusted, Jamie made eye contact with the twins. He winked and smiled, and they shifted uncomfortably in their seats. He was clearly unaware of the co-star situation. They gave him weak smiles and tiny waves. He wondered why they seemed so subdued and his mind went back to Tara frantically trying to tell him something across the stage. 

_Oh God, I hope it's nothing to do with Claire and the professorship._

Ryan Seacrest was speaking again and Jamie turned to look at him, unable to shake the unnerving feeling of anxiety that had settled over him.

“Now that we know who our next Superman is, everyone is wondering who our next Lois Lane is. Any idea, Jamie?”

Jamie shook his head theatrically. A buzz went through the arena.

“That’s right, friends and fandoms, even Superman himself doesn't know who it is. We’ve had some amazing auditions, and any one of those amazing actresses would be a phenomenal Lois Lane. The CEO of Panther Entertainment will bring Jamie an envelope, and he will open it and reveal his co-star. Jamie and the fandom will find out at the same time!”

The CEO of Panther Entertainment, Ayesha Williams, walked over to Jamie holding a large metallic silver envelope. She handed it to him and smiled, taking several steps back so that Jamie dominated center stage.

In the hallway outside the dressing rooms, the bodyguards still stood at attention. Suddenly they all alerted to the same message in their earpieces. One by one they responded, talking into the mics on their wristwatches. Two security guards walked down the hallway, accompanied by Luke Beyer. They stopped outside one of the dressing rooms and knocked. The door opened, and Luke broke into a wide smile. “Congratulations, Lois Lane. Jamie Fraser, your Superman, is waiting to welcome you.”

The actress gasped in excitement, “Oh my God! Dream come true!”

She exited the room accompanied by the hair stylist and MUA who were required to do a quick touch up just before she walked on stage.

Jamie held the envelope as the volume of the orchestra music started to increase, adding drama and anticipation. He looked at the girls again, and they looked more distressed than ever as their eyes locked on the envelope in his hands. A few shouts from random audience members drew his attention. Were they shouting ‘Anna’? He heard voices outside the arena chanting what sounded like ‘Anna, Anna, Anna!’ Or was it Anja?

His heart stopped, and the color drained from his face.

_Fuck! There's no way!_

He listened carefully, trying to discern what they were shouting. And why. How would they know? His mind went over some of the events from earlier that evening. It was almost like watching a portion of a movie or show that he was rewinding. His mind went back to the hallway outburst. Did they mishear the name? Anna instead of Anja? The bodyguard had been quick to shut the doors. Certainly an outburst like that was far more characteristic of Anja Baranov than Anna Kendrick. 

_What the fuck am I going to see when I open this envelope? There’s no backing out now. Whatever is in here will have to be dealt with later._

His cue to open the envelope and make the announcement was a specific point in the music, and that point was fast approaching. He threw a glance over his shoulder to see if he could get any clues or reassurance from Tara.

It was too dark to see into the wings.

He looked at the twins again, and his heart squeezed at the worry on their faces. He heard more shouts of ‘Anja’, but the music had reached the cue point, and he had to forge ahead like the professional he was. 

He opened the envelope, and slowly pulled out the card. The letters swam in front of his eyes, and finally settled into intelligible words. He cleared his throat quickly - he needed his voice to be strong and rich for this. 

“Friends and fandoms, I am delighted to be your new Superman.” A roar erupted from the fandom outside the arena and the audience inside. “And I am equally delighted to introduce your new Lois Lane, my co-star …” he turned to the wings at stage-left, smiled widely, and extended his arm in welcome … “the inimitable Maggie Q.”

  
  


* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

* * *

Armando and Claire held their breath as a clearly worried Jamie opened the gleaming silver envelope. Unable to sit, she stood and watched nervously as he slowly withdrew the card. Armando stood and moved in close to Claire, draping a comforting arm around her shoulder. She reached up to clutch his hand and squeezed hard as Jamie stared down at the card.

She saw his mouth move and heard his voice over the media room speakers, but his words sounded garbled and incoherent. She took in several deep breaths, wondering if she might throw up.

Then, in a flash, Armando wrapped his arms around her and hoisted her off her feet in a tight hug. Letting out a loud, guttural shout, he set her back down and punched his fist in the air.

“YES! YES! YESSSSSSSS!” he yelled. 

“What?” she shouted back at him, bewildered at his reaction. “Armando! What happened?”

He grabbed her by the shoulders and yelled, “It’s not Anja! It’s Maggie Q! Claire, it’s not that hellcat. It’s not Anja!”

She collapsed into his arms and tears streamed down her face as she released the tension that had built up since they had become aware of Anja’s tweet. Armando stroked her hair and shushed gently to soothe her.

“It’s okay, hon, it’s okay. Jamie won’t have to deal with her for this movie. Shhhh. C’mon and sit down. We can relax and enjoy the show now.”

Still shaking, Claire sank into the red leather chair, and took a deep, shuddering breath. 

As Maggie Q made her way across the stage to her designated spot, marked by an ‘X’ taped to the floor, Jamie sneaked a look at the girls to ensure that they were okay. They were on their feet, hugging each other, jumping and squealing with relief and excitement, much to the indulgent amusement of those around them. They caught his eye and blew him an avalanche of kisses, just like they had done with Claire over their FaceTime calls from Boston. Jamie smiled broadly and winked at them as they made heart-hands, then he turned his attention to his new co-star, congratulating her across the space that separated them. A camera operator tracked slowly past Jamie, zooming in on him as he waved and smiled his dazzling movie-star smile directly into the lens for the benefit of the live-stream audience watching from home. He touched his chin briefly, cocked an eyebrow, and re-focused on the arena audience as the camera operator moved past him towards Maggie to capture similar close-ups. 

The chin touch brought a fresh wave of happy tears from Claire, and Armando got up to pour them both a shot of whisky. 

“Here, hon.” He handed her the whisky glass. “Now, look at me,” he said sternly. “No more tears. Think of how much fun Jamie and the girls are having now that they know who the co-star is. We’re going to sit back and enjoy the rest of our evening.”

Jamie and Maggie were joined on stage by executives from DC Comics and Panther. They stood in a line that spanned the width of the stage, waving and smiling. Fireworks boomed overhead, exploding into glittering, shimmery colors and shapes above the amphitheater. After waving and smiling for a couple of minutes, the entire line left the stage via the wings at stage-left and made their way to the VIP room. 

Ryan Seacrest took over and introduced the closing performances and encores by Khalid and Ariana Grande. As soon as the performances were over, Astaire and Simon planned to leave with the twins via one of the side exits that would lead them to a shortcut to the VIP room. 

All three audiences were captivated by the encores - those inside the arena watching live, those streaming at home, and the hardcore fans gathered around the large screens outside the Bowl. Panther had timed everything perfectly. The backlots of the Hollywood Bowl were deserted at that moment, but if anyone had been watching the rear doors, they would have seen three small groups of people emerge separately and move quickly into waiting SUVs with tinted windows. 

Megan Fox left first, accompanied by her publicist, her manager, and a Panther bodyguard. Michelle Rodriguez left quietly a few minutes later, flanked by a Panther bodyguard and followed by her PR rep.

Anja Baranov stumbled out minutes afterwards. She was escorted by three Panther security team members. There was no publicist or manager in sight. Two of the burly men practically carried her to the car, her six-inch heels barely touching the ground, head lolling drunkenly on the arm of one of the men. The bodyguard who had been at her door all evening carried a few vomit bags with him.

“Fucking leave me alone,” she slurred, “I can walk on my own. Where the fuck are you taking me, assholes! LET ME GO, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! I need to be on stage.” 

Ignoring her, they piled into the SUV, and the driver peeled out before any stray paparazzo heard or spotted them.

In the wings at stage-right, Tara hugged Cal in sheer relief. Cal wiped his brow with his sleeve and exhaled through pursed lips. Their relief was palpable and they moved towards the VIP lounge with a levity and excitement that flushed out all the anxiety of the preceding hours. 

As Jamie walked through the wings chatting animatedly with Maggie, he noticed that Gemma and Rae were still waiting backstage. He invited them to join him and the rest of the group at the VIP lounge. They had been nothing but gracious and helpful, and he wanted them to enjoy the hospitality in the lounge. Stopping in the small reception area just outside the VIP lounge, Jamie waited for the entire group to enter the room ahead of him. As soon as he was alone, he called Claire.

“Claire! You okay? Not sure how much you heard about the craziness …”

“Oh, we heard about it. How are you doing? You looked so stricken on stage.”

“It was nerve-wracking for a bit, I canna lie. I was on stage without a clue about what was happening on social media, but I heard the crowd shouting Anja’s name, and I knew something was up. I just heard in the hallways that she tweeted a cryptic message that hinted at her being Lois Lane. I suspect the girls saw that on their phones and they were a little upset for a moment there. But the minute Maggie was announced, they were literally jumping up and down with excitement.”

“I hate that Anja managed to insert some drama into your special moment and the girls’ big night, but eventually we’ll all look back on this and laugh. Right now, I would rather focus on how good you looked up there. I saw your chin touch and basically melted. Armando is rolling his eyes at me as we speak.”

“I’m glad he’s with you. Tell him thank you for the hair and makeup recommendations. Gemma and Rae were fantastic! The girls were lapping up all the pampering. It was awesome.”

“Are they with you now?”

“They're on their way to join me in the VIP lounge. I wish ye could see them. They look fantastic. And they are so poised and confident, just like their Mam. Truly, Claire, I’ve been so proud of them all night.”

“I know they’ve had an amazing day, and even Anja’s craziness can’t ruin their night.”

“We’ve still got a late dinner celebration, and they’ll enjoy that too. More celebrity spotting for them. Harry Styles made a fuss of them in the VIP lounge earlier too.”

“Oh, you’re definitely their life-long hero now! That must have been so special for them. I can’t thank you enough!”

“How about ye thank me by agreeing to a date night tomorrow night. Just you and me.”

“Oh God, that sounds amazing. Yes! Unequivocally, yes! Where do you want to go?”

“You know all the best places. Do you think you can find a restaurant with some privacy? Somewhere with secluded booths or small event rooms?”

With the Superman announcement being such a major Hollywood and global fandom event, Jamie’s profile and recognition factor would be at an all time high.

“Leave it to me. I’ll find somewhere fabulous. I can’t wait to have you all to myself.”

“Me too, mo chridhe. I love you, and I’ll text you from the hotel later.”

The VIP lounge was nowhere near as full as it had been prior to the event. It was mostly DC Comics and Panther executives, Jamie and Maggie and their teams, and a smattering of VIP guests. Luke headed straight for Tara and Cal, looking contrite and sheepish.

“Tara, I’m so sorry! I wanted to text you again and let you know that Anja didn’t get the role, but my phone was going crazy all night, and I was cranking out replies to my team at top speed. Her tweet caught us all off-guard.” 

“Damn, Luke! The thought of Anja co-starring with Jamie on Superman had us all sweating. She has been a nightmare for Jamie for the past few weeks. Why would you even consider Anja after all the recent stunts she’s pulled?” 

“We didn’t consider her at all! Bonnet managed to wrangle her an audition. The casting director we hired turned out to be the wife of one of Bonnet’s golfing buddies.” 

“Hmmph,’ Tara grunted. “Typical for Bonnet and Baranov. She slept her way into the role in ‘Unauthorized Contact’. Doesn’t surprise me that Bonnet had to pull some strings for this one.” 

“I can understand her slipping through for the audition, but how did she make the shortlist?” Cal asked. “Was she that good in the audition?” 

“Physically, she is great! Agile, athletic, and convincing as an action movie star. But her lines were awful. And on top of it, she has made herself persona non grata to most studios after her behavior on the Corden show. We know she’s been getting drunk and unruly at parties recently. Yoonah and Geillis Duncan from Millennium are good friends, so they touched base, and Geillis advised us to put her on the shortlist. The rationale was that if Anja thought she had a chance at getting the role, she might tone down her behavior. It was a matter of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. She is so high-risk, that if we didn’t keep a close eye on her, we figured she’d be talking about Superman and her audition all over town, and we needed the utmost secrecy for the reveal. And she almost messed everything up at the last minute. She will never audition or work for Panther again, that’s for sure.” 

Jamie and Maggie were surrounded by executives from DC and Panther. They were all in high spirits after the phenomenal success of the announcement. Kudos and shout-outs had been pouring in, and DC Comics fandoms were lighting up social media platforms with screen-caps, memes, and gifs captured from the announcement broadcast. Yoonah’s team of publicity staffers and interns would be working through the night to anticipate questions and prepare for the press conference in the morning. Anja’s tweet had given them an extra layer of trouble-shooting to focus on and it would be a long, caffeine-fueled night for them. 

Astaire and Simon guided Beth and Ella through corridor after corridor en route to the VIP lounge.

“We won’t be there for long,” Astaire reminded them. “Probably a half hour, and then we’ll head to the restaurant for our celebration dinner.”

“Yasssss!” said Ella. “I’m starving!” 

They entered the VIP lounge and looked around until they spotted Jamie, who was surrounded by important-looking people in tuxedos and expensive gowns. The girls stood there for a moment, unsure whether to approach him or not. Jamie noticed them the second they entered the room, and his face lit up as he smiled broadly and waved. The girls grinned back and he excused himself from the group of executives and walked towards the girls. Ella threw her arms around him enthusiastically and congratulated him on a great show. He returned her hug, and looked over at Beth, preparing to include her in the hug. Her smile started to give way to a chin tremble, and he knew instantly that the emotional roller-coaster of the past half hour had pushed sweet, sensitive Beth to her limit. 

“Beth needs us,” he said quietly to Ella, and moved quickly towards Beth. As soon as he wrapped his arms around her, her face crumpled and she sobbed softly into his jacket. Jamie placed a gentle arm around her shoulders and led her out of the lounge into the reception area. He held her while she sobbed, and Ella wrapped her arms around both of them.

“It’s okay, Beth,” Jamie said soothingly. “That was stressful for all of us, and I know you found out before me. You were worried for yer Mam and for me. Am I right?” 

Beth nodded and sniffed. 

“I’m sorry, Jamie. You were talking to important people in there, and now you have to deal with me crying …”

“Nothing is more important right now than making sure you’re okay, mo leannan. How do you feel about going to dinner? We can do something else if you prefer.”

“No, I want to come to dinner. I’ll be okay. It was just stressful … and then seeing you up there … and you were so nervous to open the envelope ... and I thought it was going to ruin your whole night.”

“We’re not going to let anyone ruin our night,“ Jamie said firmly. “Anja has caused enough distress for our family, and we won’t let her do it anymore. Her tweet added some craziness to the evening, but it was an amazing show, and her drama was only a tiny piece of it. Okay?”

She nodded again. “You’re right. We won’t let her mess with our family anymore, Jamie.”

Gemma and Rae were among the few in the VIP lounge who noticed that something was amiss, and they approached the huddled trio tentatively.

“Is everything okay, guys?” Gemma asked gently.

“Yeah,” Ella said, “Beth was just a little overwhelmed by stuff.”

“I’ve been in touch with Armando, so I know what happened with the tweet. Don’t let it take away from a fantastic night.”

“Beth, why don’t you let Jamie go back in, and I can touch up your makeup out here,” Rae suggested. “I have my bag and all my stuff with me.”

Dinner at Delphine was a riotous, happy affair. The mood was exuberant and celebratory, and the DC and Panther executive teams were still being inundated with congratulatory messages. Jamie’s social media was on fire, as was Maggie’s, and they both turned their accounts over to their PR teams who would work with Panther’s people to generate responses in keeping with the message that DC/Panther wanted to relay to the fandom and the general public. There was a lot of social media speculation about Anja’s text - one camp thought she was a guest in the audience just tweeting out her excitement about a new Superman movie. But a slow rumor was starting that hinted at the fact that she had auditioned for the role and was hoping that it was her name in the envelope. That rumor had its roots in a small insert on TMZ.

“Rahim, you fucking dumbass! I can’t believe you knew she had auditioned and you held back. We could have scooped this whole event before it even happened.”

Harvey and Rahim were at TMZ’s offices sharing a bottle of Harvey’s prized collectors’ edition bourbon. It was late, but Rahim wanted to download the pictures he had captured at the big event at the Bowl. One of his coworkers had worked the red-carpet arrivals, and Rahim photographed the celebrities as they left the event. 

“I didn’t know until she tweeted. Anja told me she had auditioned for a top secret role, and the studio had her locked down with an NDA. They also threatened to publicly expose her illegal possession of film footage from ‘Unauthorized Contact” if she uttered a word to anyone. She knew that would kill her career, so she kept her mouth shut. I tried to get it out of her, trust me. I stayed over at her place on Saturday night and even snooped around while she was passed out, trying to find the NDA. No luck.” 

“So why does her tweet make you think she had auditioned? Maybe she’s a Superman fan. She might’ve been watching the live-stream and just drunk-tweeted her support.”

“Snap Map. She always forgets to turn it off. I checked to see which of my SnapChat friends were nearby, and the map told me she was right there in the Bowl.”

“Still doesn’t prove she auditioned.”

“After Maggie Q was announced, I watched Snap Map and with 15 minutes she was moving away from the Bowl at fairly high speed. I didn’t see her come out, which means she left through a side or rear entrance.”

“So the studio kept her hanging until the last minute?” Harvey asked slowly.

“Seems like it. And she tweeted before the announcement, so she must have thought she got the role.”

“Fuck, that’s embarrassing! That’s a whole new level of humiliation - even for her. Write that story, Rahim.”

“Harvey, that’s cold, man.”

“We’re not in the business of warm and fuzzy. Write the story - find a glamorous file picture of her. Headline it something like “Baranov Blunder”. Just the basics, and the editors will do the rest. I want it on the website in a half hour.”

Jamie sat between Ella and Beth during dinner, and after enjoying two glasses of champagne, he called it quits on drinking for the night. He didn’t want to risk being even slightly tipsy while the girls were in his care.

“C’mon Jamie,” Cal slammed a shot glass down in front of him. “Tequila. Drink up.” Cal was clearly starting to feel the effects of the free-flowing alcohol.

“I’ve had my share for the night, Cal,” Jamie laughed, “and truth be told, I don’t even need it to feel buzzed tonight. I’m on a natural high after that wild ride on stage.”

“Apart from that brief moment, it’s been a great night!” agreed Cal. “We’re meeting at 8:00 tomorrow morning to go over some things for the panel interview. Everyone is going to be wiped after a late night and early morning, but once we get this done, you can all go home to Seattle and relax.” 

“Yeah - our night isn’t over yet! The girls want to drive past some hot-spots to do some more celebrity spotting. Astaire will take the scenic route to the hotel in the hope of seeing some.”

“You’ll definitely see some of the guests who were at the announcement. Lots of them will be out having late-night dinners.”

Cal was right. As Astaire drove past Hollywood’s best-known late-night restaurants, they spotted some of the A-listers who had been at the event. Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo stood with a very pregnant Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom at a valet stand waiting for their cars to be driven around to them. A block farther down, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman hugged Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez goodbye after a late dinner together. Ella and Beth managed to get pictures of all of them, and Jamie suggested they head back to their hotel. 

If they had driven past ten minutes later, they would have seen Anja stumble out of a bar with three equally intoxicated friends. The Panther SUV had taken her straight home from the Bowl, and her bodyguard had helped her inside her home. He had suggested that she stay put for the night, as she was in no condition to be seen out in public. 

“Sure,” she had said, “I can stay home. Wanna stay and keep me company?”

“I’m good, thanks,” he'd replied, walking out and closing her front door firmly behind him. 

She had texted some friends and found a few who were always up for a party on her dime. Two hours later, stumbling down the sidewalk with her friends, she was still wearing the same dress and shoes, but her heel had broken off, and she was holding it in her hand. She was photographed and videoed multiple times by members of the public, but was completely unaware. One of TMZ’s apprentice photographers happened to be on Hollywood Boulevard at that moment. The flattering glam picture of Anja on TMZ’s “Baranov Blunder” insert was quickly replaced.

While Jamie and the twins were at their celebration dinner, PR interns from Panther had collected all their items from the dressing room and dropped them off at their hotel, and the twins were impatient to explore the contents of their swag bags. Their hotel room was a few doors away from Jamie, and they hugged him goodnight in the corridor.

“It’ll be an early morning, so please set your alarms for 6:00. Knock on my door when you’re ready, and we’ll go down together. Astaire is meeting us at 6:45 and we’re going straight to the studio. They’re serving us breakfast there. That way we won’t have to deal with people trying to take pictures of us in the restaurant downstairs.”

“Okay, Jamie. We’ll be ready, I promise,” Ella said. She and Beth hugged him tightly again.

“Thank you so much for the most unforgettable day. It was awesome, Jamie.”

He dropped a quick kiss on each girl’s head and said, "I am so incredibly proud of you. You carried yourselves with class and grace tonight. Go get some sleep. Lock the door behind you.”

While the girls finished breakfast from a lavish spread in Panther’s executive boardroom, Jamie, Maggie and the publicity teams from DC and Panther met for a briefing before the press conference. Yoonah was all-business and launched right into how she wanted things to go during the presser.

“It’s a big panel. Our CEO, Ayesha Williams will be on it, as will DC Comics President, Pete Sawyer. Luke and I will be there, two additional execs from DC Comics, and of course you and Maggie,” she said, looking straight at Jamie. They all nodded, and she continued, “TMZ posted some pictures of Anja Baranov that were taken on the Boulevard last night. They’re not good. She was drunk, had a broken shoe, smeared make-up. The epitome of a hot mess.”

A collective groan arose from the group. Moments later, Luke Beyer and Ayesha Williams entered quietly and joined the meeting. Panther’s CEO’s unexpected presence at the briefing meant they were worried about the Anja fall-out.

Yoonah continued, “The story that accompanied the drunk pictures was short, but implies that Anja auditioned and was so confident that she had got the role, that she tweeted that message in anticipation of being called up to the stage.”

“Fuck’s sake,” Luke muttered under his breath.

“Social media is on fire about it,” Yoonah continued. “It’s like when Steve Harvey announced the wrong Miss Universe. It’s almost at that level of social media craziness within the fandom. And a similar level of humiliation for Anja.”

“We need to get a handle on that, Yoonah. I don’t want the buzz spilling out of the fandom and into the broader public arena. It cannot overshadow last night’s announcement.” Ayesha Williams had a commanding presence, and her calm, confident demeanor would quickly give way to a ruthless streak if things didn't go well. 

“I completely agree, Ayesha. I’ve prepared a joint statement with DC Comics that will be released in about 20 minutes. It sidesteps the rumors that TMZ tried to push in their article and re-focuses attention on Jamie and Maggie. I’ll read you the copy.”

> _DC Comics and Panther Entertainment share your excitement at yesterday’s announcement of a new Superman movie. We congratulate our Superman, Jamie Fraser, and our Lois Lane, Maggie Q. These were sought-after roles in the acting community, and for us there was never any doubt that these two amazing actors were the only choice for the roles. Production starts within weeks. Keep watching our social media for progress updates._

“Perfect!” declared Ayesha.

“Jamie … Maggie, you will probably get some questions that allude to Anja and the TMZ rumors,” Yoonah said. “Please deflect by referring to our official statement, or by saying that you are delighted to be working with your co-star. Alternatively, if it comes up more than once, reply that you already answered that question and move on to another reporter.”

The press conference was strictly limited to the 30 invited news outlets. Beth asked if they could watch the press conference live, and Jamie arranged for the twins to be seated at the back of the room with Simon. Many of the questions focused on the production timeline, shooting locations, and the technology the producers and directors were planning to incorporate. As the press conference started to draw to a close, The E! News reporter asked Maggie what she thought of the situation with Anja.

“You know she was photographed in bad shape on the Boulevard last night, and it’s alleged that she auditioned for the role and expected to get it.”

“I believe DC and Panther already addressed the issue of roles in a statement,” Maggie replied with a disarming smile.

“Jamie, did you have anything to do with Anja _not_ getting the role of Lois Lane?”

“I had no knowledge of who auditioned for the role, but I can say that I’m delighted to work with Maggie as Lois Lane. I can’t imagine anyone better suited for the role. Maggie is enormously talented and a thorough professional and I couldn't be happier to be working with her.”

Yoonah took the last few questions, and the press conference ended shortly thereafter. Jamie and Maggie had firmly but politely taken ownership of their roles, quashing some of the speculation and interest in Anja.

Jamie expected the girls to be tired and subdued on the flight home, but they were still excited and wanted to re-live all the highlights of their trip with him. After the flight attendant had served a light lunch, he checked his texts while the girls finished their lava cake dessert. 

Murtagh had texted to ask Jamie if he could come up to the winery the next day. Helen Matson had accepted the offer and wanted to sign her paperwork at the winery. Jamie knew it was her way of getting a better read on Murtagh than a video conference would allow. He didn’t begrudge her that at all. If she was to work with the man, she needed to know what he was like in person. 

Michelle and Mark had also texted to let him know that all the permits had been approved, and work could now start in earnest on the main house. 

He put away his phone and turned his attention to the twins. 

“Tell me about the swag bags. I know ye well enough to know that you were probably awake for at least another hour going through all the stuff and TikTokking it,” Jamie smiled affectionately.

The girls stared at him, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. 

“How did you know?” Ella asked.

“I ken you girls well by now - and remember I have a niece just a little younger than you. Go on, let’s see all the cool stuff you got.”

They showed him the DC Comics gift bag that Astaire had given them at the studios, and then pulled out their favorites from the swag-bag Simon had secured for them at the Bowl. 

“Branded AirPods from Panther, a coupon for Nike Air Force 1 sneakers - I can’t wait to get mine! We also got the latest iPad,” Ella said, pulling out the glossy white box. 

The girls kept pulling things out of their bags to show him.

“La Mer cream - we’ll give that to Mom. Hèrmes scarves - also for Mom. Flaviar whisky club subscription - you can have that, Jamie. There’s also a whole lot of Nars and MAC makeup that we won’t bore you with, but it’s awesome stuff. Gucci belt, Tory Burch wristlet. Those are the main things. There’s a bunch of vacation coupons and stuff that we’ll show you and Mom at home.”

Jamie turned into the driveway and let the girls run ahead to greet Claire. When he walked into the kitchen carrying all the luggage, Claire was still imprisoned in the girls’ double embrace. They made eye contact, and he broke into his wide, sweet smile. He waited patiently until Ella and Beth moved away from her. Grabbing their swag-bags and luggage, the girls headed upstairs to change for their stunting group practice and Claire could finally move into his arms. 

They leaned into each other, and let their bodies and heartbeats reconnect.

“My love,” she said softly and rested her head on him. 

“God, it’s good to be home with you again. I just want to stay here for a while with you in my arms.”

They kissed tenderly.

“Did ye find us a good place for our date?”

“Yes!" Her eyes lit up, and he knew it had to be good news. "Armando to the rescue. His husband, Tony, knows the owner of one of the rooftop restaurants downtown. They are open for dinner to a very exclusive clientele from Wednesdays to Saturdays only. It’s by owner-invitation only, but Tony sorted that out for us. We have a reservation for 8:00 p.m. They only serve ten tables per night. The guests are usually CEO’s of some of the biggest companies here in Seattle, or Seahawks and Sounders and Mariners players. Even if they recognize us, they are local celebs themselves and I’m confident they won’t bother us or take pictures. It will be hideously expensive, but so worth it. We’ll have a stunning sunset view over the Puget Sound, and it’s such a gorgeous day - the weather is perfect for rooftop dining.”

“I don’t care what it costs. It sounds heavenly and I’m all in.”

“We’ll have the girls DoorDash something for themselves. I bet they’ll be tired. And they still have to get through stunting practice for cheer.”

“Oh, they’ll be out for the count by 10:00 tonight. It was a really late night and an early morning to get to the press conference. They’ve been amazing. Haven’t complained once. Tell me what’s happening with you, mo ghràidh. Have ye spoken to Joe?”

“No. He’s in a tough spot, Jamie. I know he fully supports me, but there’s no way he can communicate with me at the moment. The vote is done, he knows the result by now, and they are probably just finalizing contractual details, press releases, that kind of thing. We’ll know by the end of the week at the very latest. The wheels of academia turn slowly at times. For tonight, we'll focus on all the good things in our lives.”

“Of course,” Jamie kissed her forehead and held her tighter.

They girls returned at around 5:00, and they all spent the next hour on the patio entertaining Claire with stories of their Hollywood adventures. Jamie stepped away briefly to take a call from Michelle. He followed that with a call to Murtagh, and another to the Calhouns, then rejoined Claire on the sofa. 

“Everything going well with the house plans?” Claire asked.

“Yes. Better than well! Michelle said that the utilities teams will be out next week to start working on the basics - power, water, gas lines, and such. Ground-breaking is about two weeks out.”

“Oh wow, that is beyond exciting!” Claire said.

“Also … Murtagh asked me to go up to the winery tomorrow. Helen Matson is driving up from Yakima to sign the paperwork, and Murtagh wants me there to meet her. I hate to be gone for the day again, babe. When shooting starts on Superman, I’m going to be gone a lot, ye ken, and I’ll say no to Murtagh if you prefer.” 

“No, it’s okay! You should absolutely do that. I think it’s great - as owner of the winery, you _should_ be there to welcome a key new member of the team.”

“I’ll be back by 9:00 at night, I’m guessing.”

“Can we come?” Ella asked.

“What about practice?” Claire asked.

“We have Thursday free this week and next.”

“Is that okay with you, Jamie?” Claire asked.

“Sure, but ye’ll have to get an early night so we can set off around 8:30 a.m. I’ll let Murtagh know so he can get the jet-skis ready - and the interns, in case you want to wake-board.”

“Thanks so much Jamie,” they chorused from their sofa.

“I also asked the Calhouns if they wanted to drive up and take a look around. Just to get an idea of what they might be able to do with horses and a trail. Colton said he’d be there by lunchtime.” He addressed both girls but looked at Beth, “If you girls are ready by 8:00, we can take a quick walk over to our property and see what progress they’ve made since we last saw it on the weekend.” He winked at Beth, and she blushed lightly.

“We’ll be ready,” she replied.

While Jamie finalized plans with Murtagh and Colton for the last-minute winery visit, Claire went upstairs to start getting ready for their date night. By the time Jamie went up to get ready, she had showered and was putting the finishing touches to her hair. She did her makeup while he showered, and as he stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist, she eyed him appreciatively through the mirror. 

“I’m tempted to have a date night in, instead of a date night out,” she said suggestively, eyes dropping pointedly to the area where his V-line disappeared into his towel. The emotional roller-coaster of the previous day had ended on a high note, and the good news kept rolling in, with the winery securing an outstanding new Chief Operations Officer, and their future home fully permitted and ready to roll. The intensity of their relief and happiness easily spilled over into an inexorable physical need for each other, and they could barely keep their carnal thoughts at bay. 

He walked over to her, turned her around to face him, and placed a fingertip under her chin. His gaze locked with hers as he tipped her head back, exposing her neck. Taking his time, he kissed her mouth deeply and fiercely, and when he finally pulled away, he was almost breathless with longing. His eyes fixed on her lips, glistening and throbbing in the aftermath of his kiss. Lowering his head again, he gently nipped her lower lip between his teeth. She moaned softly and he feathered sweet kisses all the way down her neck to her clavicle. His tongue slowly and deliberately explored the hollows there and her breath came in shallow gasps as he moved down to the soft, fragrant space between her breasts. Pushing her robe aside, he brushed his scruff over her naked breasts, and took one of her nipples gently between his teeth. Her back arched and she pressed herself up against him. 

“Jamie …” she breathed, and reached for him. He straightened and smiled his killer lop-sided smile. 

“Now, now, Dr. Beauchamp. I expect a little more restraint from a woman of your standing.” 

“Oh you do, do you?” She reached under his towel and palmed his balls slowly, feeling his cock start to harden under her fingers. 

“Let’s see who displays more restraint by the end of the night, Fraser.” 

She shrugged the robe off her shoulders and allowed it to fall at her feet. His eyes swept slowly from her parted lips to her bare feet. Stepping out of the pooled robe, she turned and walked into the closet, leaving him to towel off with the image of her naked body burned in his mind. 

Her choice of underwear for the night was a delicate nude lace bra and thong set that she knew Jamie would waste no time removing later. She stepped into a Calvin Klein sleeveless, ruffle-hem dress that hugged her body and flared slightly above the knee. 

“You look stunning,” Jamie said as he entered the closet, toweling his hair dry. “I like that green on ye.”

“Thank you, my love. Can you get the zipper for me, please?”

He moved behind her and made a little grunt of approval. “Ye ken you look good from all angles, but this view looks particularly hot tonight.” He lowered his head and ran the tip of his tongue along the length of her spine from the small of her back to the nape of her neck, before drawing her zipper up along the same line.

A shiver traced its way up her spine, following the exact path his tongue had taken, and her breath caught in her throat for a second. “You are determined to torment me tonight, Fraser. What happened to _your_ restraint?”

“I have none when it comes to you, mo ghràidh. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

She turned around to face him, and bit her lower lip deliberately, knowing exactly what it did to him. “We’re both going to have to make an effort tonight. I plan on enjoying an amazing date night with my man.” 

She traced a fingernail down the groove of his V-line and stopped where it met his towel.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “What do ye want me to wear tonight, Claire? We always seem to coordinate, but I don’t have a green suit,” he teased.

She giggled. “We wouldn’t be going out in public if you wore a jade green suit, trust me!” 

She rifled through his suits, and selected a summer weight suit in deep blue. “You look good in everything, my love. How about this one? It’ll set off your eyes and it looks good next to my green, too.” 

While he buttoned his bright white shirt, she slipped on her nude Stuart Weitzman heels and squeezed her phone, lipstick and some gum into a small Gucci clutch. She fastened her diamond earrings, and finished off with a quick spritz of Flowerbomb. Jamie pulled on tan Louboutin Oxfords and grabbed his jacket on their way out of the bedroom. The slim cut of his pants and bright white shirt accentuated his toned body, and he was the perfect combination of sexy and dapper - the perfect foil to Claire's combination of sexy and classy.

The restaurant was on the roof of Union Street’s tallest skyscraper, affording diners an uninterrupted view over the Puget Sound. As they rode the elevator to the 73rd floor, Jamie pulled Claire close and pressed gentle kisses behind her ear and down the side of her neck. 

“You smell delectable - is that the same perfume you wore to the Caledonian dinner?”

“It is!” she replied in surprise, “I can’t believe you recognized the scent!”

“Hmmm,” he chuckled, straightening to look at her with his half smile. He pulled her close again, “I remember every detail from that night.” His lips were on her temple and the deep tenor of his voice sent a thrill tingling down her spine. 

As they emerged from the elevator, the maître d’ greeted them by name. 

“Dr. Beauchamp ... Mr. Fraser, welcome. Please follow me …” 

The dining area was elegantly decorated in minimalist Japanese style, and tables were spaced far apart. Claire recognized John Schneider, General Manager of the Seahawks, and his wife Traci. At a larger table, she spotted the CEO of Costco with a party of three.

The maître d’ led them across the restaurant to a table with a breathtaking view of the waterfront and all the way across the Puget Sound. Mount Rainier was visible in the distance, as was the hazy outline of Bainbridge Island. Ferries crisscrossed the Sound, and far below them, the muffled sounds of city traffic were barely audible. Up here, high above the city, they were swathed in the gentle sounds of soft music from discreetly hidden speakers, the chink of silverware on china, and the muted murmur of private conversations.

Jamie and Claire made an eye-catching couple and they drew a few discreet, admiring glances, but no one reached for a phone to take stealth photos. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement among this group of elite diners to protect each others’ privacy and ensure an enjoyable night for everyone.

Jamie draped his jacket across the back of his chair and waited until the maître d’ seated Claire before taking his seat. 

He reached for her hand, and they smiled at each other across the table. 

“This is amazing, Claire! Thank you for doing all the legwork with Armando. What a great find!”

“Pleasure is all mine, my love. I’m so excited to have you to myself. Although, for a minute there, I thought we might not make it out of the bathroom.” She smiled flirtatiously.

“Dinna fash, I have big plans for us later, mo chridhe.”

“I may have some plans of my own, Fraser.” 

“Claire,” he groaned, “we’ve barely started our evening, and you’ve already got me wanting to take you home.”

“You'll have to exercise some of that restraint you challenged me with, then."

Menus appeared before them, and they took a few minutes to look at the dinner options and order their appetizers. The server left and Claire picked up the conversation again.

“Where were we, Fraser?” 

“You were just telling me that you’re planning to keep me up all night.”

“I said no such thing," she said, her eyes twinkling with suppressed mirth. "I believe we were talking about restraint, my love. I’m willing to bet that you won’t even make it up the stairs when we get home.”

Before he could respond to that challenge, the wine steward brought their Riesling. He poured them each a glass and they clinked their glasses together.

“To being back home with the woman who owns me, heart and soul. And to our third official date,” he toasted. 

She smiled at how he paid so much attention to those little details and tapped her glass on his again before taking a sip.

“I love you,” she said and he kissed her hand in response. 

Their appetizers arrived, and as they shared a platter of light, crisp tempura and seven-spice duck breast they immersed themselves in conversation covering everything from weekend plans to Superman shooting schedules to when they would break ground on the new house. And throughout the conversation, the sexual tension between them bubbled just under the surface, with frequent little jokes and innuendos that would mean nothing to a bystander, but meant everything to them. 

As their appetizer plates were cleared, the wine steward brought their Syrah, and this time it was Claire’s turn to toast.

“To having my forever love back home. Thank you for always halving our troubles and doubling our joys.”

He squeezed her hand gently, knowing that one of their troubles was the uncertainty of the Trustees’ vote, but they had agreed not to talk about it on their date. They clinked glasses and sipped their wine. 

The sun had slipped below the horizon, and restaurant staff lit candles and torches around the rooftop, adding to the romantic atmosphere.

“Ohhh,” Claire sighed, ”this is turning out to be the most incredible date night!”

“The night is still young … and rumor has it ye have some plans for me later.” He quirked his brow.

They both ordered the Wagyu steak, the restaurant’s signature dish, and as they savored the exquisitely tender and flavorful fillet, they continued to talk excitedly about the house plans.

“I’m excited to pick out finishes, Jamie. Cabinetry, flooring, bathroom fixtures - all of that will be so much fun to work on with you. I’m most excited about our bathroom. It’s more spectacular than most spas I've been to! What are you most excited about?”

“I’m most excited about the enthusiasm that you and the girls have for the whole house project. It melts my heart. I love it here in Seattle, and I love my life with you and the girls.”

Both their phones buzzed at that moment - Jamie's in his pants pocket, and Claire's in her small clutch at the edge of their table. They looked at each other, flashes of concern worrying their brows. This date night was going so well, and they were reluctant to check their phones, given the amount of drama that had crashed into their lives in the past few weeks.

"It might be the girls," Jamie said, "I'll just check the lock-screen to see who it's from."

Reaching into his pocket, he glanced at the screen and his expression softened immediately.

"It is the girls," he confirmed, tapping to open their message. "They texted us on the family thread to say goodnight, and to let me know they're packed and ready for The Grotto."

Jamie texted them a goodnight message from him and Claire, and returned the phone to his pocket.

Claire took his hand across the table and squeezed it gently in appreciation. He was taking such an important role in the girls' lives and the way he sent them a goodnight text from both of them felt so natural and so right, and underscored how their family unit was growing stronger and more entrenched by the day.

When the wine steward returned to top up their glasses, Claire asked him to point out the restroom, and Jamie stood to hold her chair out for her. When she returned he stood again to help her with her chair. 

“Jamie, can you keep this in your jacket for me? My evening purse is tiny.”

“Of course.” 

She pressed something into his hand, and he returned to his seat. Glancing into his hand, he froze momentarily, looked quizzically at her, then slipped it into his pocket. 

“You are not playing fair, Sassenach!”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know verra well what I’m talking about.”

“Well, you reminded me that we were on our third date night, and you asked me after the Caledonian event if we could start a new date-night tradition.”

“I know,” he whispered conspiratorially, “but I didn’t expect you to give me yer knickers in the middle of dinner!”

“I didn't want to break our arrangement! Our new tradition. I can put them back on if you prefer,” she smiled sweetly, holding her hand out.

“No, I don’t prefer. But how do you expect me to get through the rest of our dinner knowing that you’re sitting across from me with … dear God! I’m ready to take ye home _now_.”

“This is reputedly the best steak in Seattle, we can’t just abandon it,” she said lightly.

“Can we get them to box it?”

“No, we can’t," she teased, "I want to enjoy my date night with you.”

Jamie made a valiant attempt at taking his time with the rest of the meal, but the sensation of the soft lace in his hand lingered, and the knowledge that her panties were in his jacket pocket almost drove him to distraction. Things were happening between his legs that he couldn't ignore. 

Claire took her time savoring every bite, groaning with pleasure at the flavors and textures of the expertly prepared meal.

“Sassenach, please,” he pleaded. “Usually, you're naked on me or under me when you make all those noises. They’re doing things to me right now.” 

“Mmmmm,” she moaned again, “how are you doing with the restraint, Fraser?”

“Not well at all,” he admitted. His pants were tightening uncomfortably.

As their server cleared their dinner plates, the maître d’ brought the dessert menus over. 

“Can we skip dessert?” He looked at her hopefully.

“No! Armando says their lychee sorbet is a must.”

“Claire,” he pleaded, “we can get that to go.”

“You’re going to trust me with ice-cream? In the car? Knowing that ‘je suis prest’.”

“You’re torturing me,” he said, his voice low and plaintive. “You win, Claire! You’ve got way more restraint than me.”

“Ok, I’ll forego dessert this time, my love. But only because I’m as anxious to get home as you are.”

Jamie settled the bill and the second the elevator doors closed behind them, he pushed her up against the mirrored wall, and claimed her mouth in a ferocious, plundering kiss that stole her breath away. 

“Ye ken that when we get home, I’m not holding back,” he said, his breath ragged and shallow.

“You won’t need to,” she breathed. “I’m so ready.”

He reached into his jacket pocket and a slow smile spread across his face. “I can tell.”

Focusing her thoughts on the promised night of passion ahead of them, she didn't remember much about the route they took home, apart from Jamie stealing kisses at every red light until they got on the Interstate. Then his hand was on her thigh, fingers tantalizing her senses as they moved to within an inch of her swollen, wet folds, and then sliding his hand down to mid-thigh again. He teased her mercilessly for miles, his half smile taunting her even more. He knew her so intimately, and he knew full well that she was aching for more than he was giving her. Moaning softly in frustration, she reached under her dress and slid her fingers through her wetness. He glanced over and raised an eyebrow, before turning his attention back to the road, smiling in anticipation.

“Uh-uh, I’m not giving you a show - not tonight,” she said, withdrawing her fingers and interlacing them with his hand on her thigh. “Just letting you know what you’re missing.”

The wetness of her drenched fingers on his made him groan loudly.

“God, Claire, I’m ready for you too! Almost home.” 

He parked the car, and walked around to the passenger side, impatiently pulling Claire’s door open to help her out of the SUV. As she swung her legs to the side, her wrap skirt fell open, exposing her thighs and a glimpse of her naked pink folds, glistening and ready for him. 

“Jesus,” he whispered, and leaned an arm up on the frame of the door. He placed his other hand firmly on her thigh to stop her from getting out right away and smiled his devilish smile. Their gazes locked and his thumb caressed her inner thigh as he continued to inch his hand upwards and under the fabric of her dress. 

She bit her lip hard. He had teased her all the way home, and he knew exactly where she needed his touch. His thumb found what it was looking for, and he slowly dragged it through her slickness, pausing to tease her clit with feather-light caresses before withdrawing his hand. Almost breathless with anticipation, she waited wordlessly for his next move, not wanting to break the spell of intrigue and desire that had engulfed them. He brought his hand up to her mouth and his thumb gently pried her lower lip from her teeth, leaving behind traces of her arousal. He stepped back and helped her out of the car. Closing the door, he pushed her up against the car with his body. His mouth came down firmly on hers and he pulled her lower lip into his mouth, licking away the vestiges of her own arousal that his thumb had left there. Pushing his tongue into her mouth, he kissed her hungrily. Her response matched his in fervor and she reached for his belt and unbuckled it quickly. They were both panting now, their kisses increasing in intensity and heat. His hands were under her dress cupping her butt. He waited until she had unzipped his pants before pulling her hips hard into his groin.

“Babe …let's go upstairs,” he rasped, nuzzling her neck and sending her nerve fibers into sensory ecstasy.

Taking her hand, he strode through the garage and into the mudroom. He pushed the garage door shut with his foot, and turned to Claire. The sight of her slightly disheveled hair and kiss-swollen lips were more than he could bear, and her taunts and challenges about his restraint were quickly forgotten. With a deep groan, he pressed her body against the wall, and kissed her fiercely again. 

Every fiber in her body tingled with arousal and anticipation. She was wet and swollen with wanting, and he was hard and throbbing with unleashed yearning. There was no way they were going to make it past the mudroom door.

She pushed his pants past his hips with urgency and purpose, and wrapped her hands around his hard cock, feeling it twitch under her fingers.

“Babe ... babe, I can’t…”

She pressed her mouth to his, her tongue silencing him deliciously and decisively. Sliding her hand lower, she palmed his taut balls, eliciting a low moan from the depths of his throat. 

“Take me now and don’t hold back, Jamie.”

She raised her leg over his hip, and pushed the fabric of her dress aside, allowing him to grab her butt and brace her up against the wall. Wrapping both legs around him, she took a deep breath as he pushed into her and started to thrust slowly. She buried her hands in the curls at the back of his neck, tugging slightly and gasping as he filled her with each deep thrust. They held each other’s gaze, and he pushed harder and deeper, each thrust pushing him up against her clit and bringing her ever closer to her peak. Her hands cupped his face and their eyes never wavered from each other's gaze. She pressed her thighs against his body and tightened her core around him as he thrust faster and deeper still. His rhythm became more erratic, and his muscles tensed as she pushed against the wall and rolled her hips firmly against his groin.

"Claire ..." he groaned. Gasping, she dug her nails into his shoulders allowing the waves of bliss to wash over her as Jamie’s release came from deep within him, pulsing hotly inside her, filling her and bringing a final surge of release to both of them. 

They held onto each other until their breathing settled. Sighing deeply, she looked at him and smiled. Her legs slid down the length of his, and she stood wrapped in his arms.

“This has been an amazing date night, and it's not over yet. I want to spend the whole night making love to you." He kissed her tenderly on the lips and nose and eyelids. "Will ye let me love you all night?"

“God, yes! Yes, I want you in every way possible tonight, Jamie. And when we're done making love, I want to sleep in your arms. And I want to wake up to your kisses."

She took his hand and led him upstairs.

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	45. Chapter 45

They barely made it to the bedroom before tumbling onto the bed in another fierce can’t-keep-my-hands-off-you encounter to the soundtrack of their gasps and pants and moans. They finally collapsed next to each other, getting up briefly to straighten the hopelessly tangled bedding, before falling asleep in each other’s arms. 

Claire awoke a couple of hours later and slid down the bed to pay renewed attention to Jamie’s impressively toned, but still-sleeping body. Nipping her way down his abs, she felt his muscles ripple under her mouth as his body reacted reflexively. He was awake and responding within seconds, and sleep was quickly discarded in favor of more sex that started off fast and frenetic, then slowed to gentle, deeply-connected lovemaking that brought them to deep, trembling fulfillment and fevered declarations of love and devotion. 

Hours later, Claire awoke to a sprinkling of kisses all over her face. She smiled and opened her eyes.

“You remembered,” she sighed, her voice soft and dreamy.

“That you wanted to be awakened with kisses? Of course I remembered.”

“What’s the time?”

“Six’ish. We’ve probably only had three or four hours of sleep.”

“Mm-hmm. I’m quite okay with that. So worth it.”

He rolled onto her and kissed her deeply and thoroughly, and the dull ache between her legs, a lingering reminder of their long night of lust and passion, was quickly replaced by her renewed response to his body and kisses. Her hands slid slowly down his back and stopped on the firm rounded flesh of his rear-end. He kissed her neck and nuzzled her sleepily.

“Don’t move,” she whispered. 

He raised his head to look at her, his eyes silently questioning.

“I don’t think I spent enough time on this arse last night. In fact, I think I neglected it.”

“I don’t feel neglected at all - in fact, I feel pretty fantastic this morning. You paid plenty of attention to other parts, ye ken.”

“Maybe so, but that was for you. This … right here …” she raked her nails across his butt and squeezed it firmly, “ … this is all for me. The gift that keeps on giving.”

He chuckled into her neck, and nibbled the soft skin around her collarbone. “I thought you were all about the abs and V-line. I work those especially hard for you.”

“I’ll take the whole package, but this morning, I am really feeling this,” she pulled him firmly against her hips, still holding his arse. His arousal was very apparent and her body responded intuitively to his; her hips rolling in slow circles, pushing up against him in silent invitation. Kissing her hungrily again, he nudged her legs apart with his knee, and she spread them for him, rocking her hips up to meet him. 

He moved his hips rhythmically against hers, not entering her yet, just tantalizing her with his length pressed up against her. His mouth taunted her too, with open-mouthed near-kisses that hovered millimeters from her waiting lips. She arched up towards him, trying to capture his mouth, but he stayed just out of reach. He desperately wanted to plunge deeply into her and bring them both to breathless completion, but he enjoyed seeing and feeling her responses to his teasing. She was ready to beg him - her need to feel him push into her and fill her was almost overwhelming.

“You love tormenting me, don’t you?” she groaned softly.

“Aye, I do. You have no idea what it does to me to feel those hip movements and have your wee arching back pushing up against me.”

She wrapped her legs around him, opening herself to him completely, and still he taunted. 

“Jamie, please …”

But he held back, teasing her as his lips brushed against hers, his cock barely nudging her wet, aching entrance.

Releasing his arse at last, she pulled his head down hard for a deep and searching kiss. Her pebble-hard nipples were pressed against his chest, and his rhythmic hip movements kept his body moving along the entire length of hers. The smattering of hair on his chest brushed against her breasts, adding to the sensory feast that was driving her to the edge. 

“I need …” she began breathlessly, reaching down with the intention of guiding him inside her. But he grabbed her hand and trapped it between their bodies. He lost his resolve at that point and pushed hard and deep inside her with one powerful move. She was more than ready for him, and amid gasps of pleasure, her hips met his forceful thrusts. He pushed himself deep inside her, bending down to kiss her with untamed ferocity. She gripped the sheet in her fists to stop herself from crying out. Jamie was not as restrained.

“Claire, God, Claire!” he called out, his voice guttural and strained.

She knew his last few thrusts would be harder and deeper, and she tipped her hips so that his movements would target her in all the right places. She was achingly close, and he watched her carefully until he saw her tell-tale back-arch and felt her core pulsating around him, and with his last thrusts he brought them both to their peak - hers a prolonged, trembling climax as his movements intensified, and his a shuddering, explosive series of bursts as he released himself deep inside her. 

He collapsed on her and they lay there as their breathlessness subsided. At last, he rolled off her and they lay wrapped in each other.

She caressed his face gently, and he ran his fingertips up and down the back of her thigh.

“Do you think it will ever stop?” he asked her earnestly. “This wanting you - wanting each other?” 

“No, I don’t think it will, my love. I have never felt this depth of desire for anyone - emotional and sexual - and each is so enmeshed in the other. I can’t imagine that it will ever stop for me.”

“Aye, I feel that too. My wanting you is so much more than merely the physical. When we’re making love, our connection is so intense, it takes my breath away just thinking about it. I’ve never felt this depth of passion and wanting before, and I never, ever want it to stop.”

“Morning, noon, and night, remember?” she teased.

“God, I wish!" He buried his face in her neck and flinched slightly as her curls tickled his face. "C’mon, babe, let’s get in the shower. I’ll help you shampoo these wild curls of yours. They grew wilder as the night drew on.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Rahim awoke with the incessant buzzing of his phone on the nightstand. He slammed his hand down angrily on the glass top, fingers fumbling among the contents of his pockets - a random assortment of stuff that he had dumped there last night. Amid the gum, his wallet, VIP cards to various clubs and bars - courtesy of Harvey - and access pass to the TMZ offices, he finally found his phone.

“Harvey,” he croaked, “dude, it’s not even 8:00 a.m.”

“Don’t ‘dude’ me, you moron. Wake up and get your ass over here. I have a story for you.” He hung up abruptly.

“Fuck!” It had better be a decent story. He glanced over at his bed-mate. She hadn’t stirred. He couldn’t remember her name, but she had a lot of stamina, he knew that much. He reached out to touch her spiky black hair.

“Hey,” he said, “I need to go to my office. I can drop you off somewhere. Maybe we can reconnect later tonight?”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Over breakfast, the girls expressed their concern about leaving Claire on her own again.

“Mom, we feel like we were a little too quick to jump at the chance to visit the winery again. Would you rather we hang out here with you?” Ella asked.

“Yeah - we were being pretty selfish. We can totally move the winery visit to the next time Jamie goes up there," agreed Beth.

“No, sweethearts. I appreciate you asking. I’m a little behind on a paper I’m submitting for publication, so I need some time to get caught up. And my book club meets this afternoon at Lauren’s house. It’s our first meeting since pandemic restrictions, so I’m looking forward to that. You girls go and have a great time. We’ll have lots of time to hang out over the weekend.”

“Mom, Jamie, speaking of the weekend ... can we have friends over on Saturday?” Ella asked tentatively. “We usually have friends over a lot in the summer, and we haven't been able to do that because of restrictions. But I feel like our friend group has been really good about not being out in big groups or large gatherings - all the high risk stuff.”

Claire mulled over the request for a few moments, then looked at Jamie. She was concerned about him feeling uncomfortable around a group of kids who were used to photographing and sharing everything on social media - especially with his profile prominently in the public eye since the Superman reveal. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

“I’m okay with that, girls. As long as yer Mam says yes too.”

“Sure,” Claire said at last. “Will you let them know that they can’t take pictures of Jamie?”

“Yeah - they'll be good about that. We can talk about the food and stuff tomorrow. Thanks, Mom! And Jamie!”

Jamie and the girls walked over to the building site just after 8:00 a.m. In three days, the crews had done a significant amount of work, and as they approached the Airstream campers, they spotted Colton and Beau talking to the crew foreman. 

Colton broke away when he saw Jamie. “Looks like you and the girls are all set to head up to the winery. I’ll leave here before 10:00 - should be with you around noon.”

“Sounds fantastic, Colton - thanks for doing this at short notice. We can grab lunch at the winery.”

They continued to chat about the next steps in the building process while Beth and Ella looked around at the vast, newly-cleared area that would soon be the site of their new home. Beth let her eyes drift over to the open door of the office camper. She hadn't Snapped Deacon yet this morning, and wondered if he had the day off.

Deacon took a few more minutes to complete some work on a spreadsheet before stepping out of the Airstream. He broke into a broad smile when he saw the twins, and his gaze paused on Beth's for a moment. After greeting Jamie, he invited the girls to see the progress that had been made over the previous days. 

“I know you’re heading out to the winery soon, but I can show you the work they’ve done on the trail. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“You guys go ahead,” Ella said, “I want to hear more about what’s happening next with the construction.”

Beth looked at Jamie and he gave her a slight nod. 

She turned to Deacon, “I’d love to see it!” 

They set off towards the trail. 

“It was kinda quiet around here the last few days,” Deacon said. “Not that I get to see that much of you guys, but you know - just the fact that you were out of town made it seem quieter. Was it fun?”

“Oh, it was so much fun, Deacon! I have great pictures that I didn’t get to text or Snap you.” She dug her phone out of her jeans pocket, and they stood next to each other as she swiped through her pictures and described what was happening in some of them. 

“It looks like a lot of fun. I can’t believe you got to sit next to Hugh Jackman! And Nicole Kidman. Were they nice?”

“Oh yeah - they were all super nice to us. The only dark spot in the whole day was Anja Baranov. I’ll tell you about that another time.” 

“Are you going to be around this weekend?” he asked her awkwardly.

“Yeah, we have tumbling tomorrow morning, but that’s it for school commitments. We’re having a few friends over on Saturday night. Just school buddies. I’d really like it if you could join us. There will be about ten or twelve of us, and it’s girls and guys. So you won’t be the only guy among a ton of girls,” she smiled shyly. “We’ll probably do pizza or hot dogs or something easy like that. And s’mores afterwards. Maybe a movie on the patio later.”

“Yeah, for sure! It sounds like fun.”

“Awesome. I’ll text you all the details.”

“Okay … I’ll look forward to that.” He smiled slowly, and her heart fluttered a little.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Geillis Duncan strode out of the elevator holding a Starbucks cup in each hand. The blinds in the narrow window that ran the length of Jon Corzak’s door were open, revealing that he was on the phone. He looked up and waved her in. 

Using her elbow to push the handle down and her taut rear to nudge the door open, she stepped over to his desk and set his Americano in front of him. He gave her a thumbs-up in thanks, and indicated that she should sit down.

As soon as he ended his call, he looked at her and shook his head, an inscrutable expression on his face. 

“What?” she asked, hoping there wasn’t a problem with the Oscar campaign for Unauthorized Contact. They had recently ramped up their spending on that. A lot.

“Anja Baranov was arrested for a DUI.”

“Fuck! When?”

“This morning - 6:00 a.m. She was on a bender yesterday after the Superman fiasco the night before and probably tried to sleep it off somewhere. Boyfriend maybe. She told the cops she was headed home. She didn’t quite make it - drove up the curb and took out almost the entire sidewalk eating area of Bagel Express on the corner of Sunset and Seward.”

“Jesus!” Geillis breathed, eyes wide in horror. “Was anyone sitting there? Did she injure anyone? Is she hurt.”

“No, thank God. No one got hurt. Bagel Express had just opened for the breakfast crowd, and there were people inside the store, but no-one at the sidewalk tables.”

“What the fuck is wrong with her? Why didn’t she sleep it off at her boyfriend’s place?”

“Who knows? She’s not making great decisions lately.”

“Is the mug-shot out yet?”

“Nope. It’s going to be a doozy. She’s probably still in that sparkly dress she wore to the Superman reveal - the one from the drunk photos.”

“How do you want to handle this, Jon? It’s going to go public soon. An actress in a movie that we are Oscar-campaigning for has just been arrested for a DUI!”

“Give me an hour or two to chew on this. I’m going to make a few calls. Think of some ideas too. Let’s meet back here at 10:00 a.m. and we can compare notes and ideas.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Joe Abernathy parked his car in his assigned space, and walked briskly into the foyer of his building. He had back-to-back video conferences for most of the day, but had carved out some time to meet with the Fulton media team at lunch. They were still working on the press release that should have been ready to go on Wednesday, but it had taken a back seat to media attention on Fulton’s strategy for remote and hybrid learning. Fulton’s professorship announcement would likely only be published the next morning. Fridays weren’t the best days for press releases, but some things were beyond his control. 

He pulled out a now dog-eared yellow legal pad from his drawer and looked at the breakdown of votes for Davidson vs. votes for Beauchamp for the umpteenth time.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

“Did you know that Anja was arrested this morning? DUI.” Harvey didn’t bother with greetings or small talk this morning.

“Wait. What?” Rahim looked like someone had punched him in the gut. “Is she okay?”

“ _ She _ ’s okay! Can’t say the same about the sidewalk eating area of Bagel Express on Sunset. And her car is totaled.”

“Holy shit!” Rahim sank into the nearest chair. “Did anyone get hurt? Where is she now? How do you know this?”

“My insider at LAPD called me. No one got hurt. She’s in County right now. I hear she’s already called her agent and he’s sending a lawyer. When’s the last time you saw her, Rahim?”

“Last night.” He was wracked with guilt. 

“Whaaaat? So you knew she was drunk and you let her drive?”

“That’s not what happened. A group of us were at Sunset Trocadero. Anja was trashed out of her mind, and her friends didn’t know what to do with her. She was … kinda all over me … you know, just being Anja.”

“So what was the problem? You guys are friends with benefits. Why didn’t you just benefit?”

“Yeah … it’s different when she’s drunk, man. It’s not good. Plus, one of her friends was giving me vibes.”

“So what happened? I need a story here.”

“Man … I don’t really have one. Some guy walked into the bar. A business exec type. Forties. Suit and tie, looking like he needed to unwind. Anja’s friends dared her to go over and ask if she could loosen his tie. They were all drunk and stupid. He said yes, and within a half hour, they were heading to his hotel. Her friend came home with me. I just dropped her off a few blocks up where she can get an Uber more easily.”

“Okay, so we’ll have to use what we have from LAPD, plus a generic reference about her being seen in the company of a male friend at the Trocadero. We can start working on this together now, and the editors will take over when they get in. I’m waiting for the mugshot.”

Rahim suddenly felt queasy. He knew that Anja was heading for a fall, but he thought she’d already hit rock bottom with the humiliation of the failed Lois Lane bid. A drunk driving decision that ended in a DUI was a different level altogether. Especially one that could so easily have hurt or killed someone. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Murtagh threw his arms around both girls at once and squeezed them tightly.

“Uncle Murtagh,” Ella giggled, “you’re squishing us!” 

“My favorite lasses! It’s good to see ye. The interns have been looking forward to this since I told them yesterday. I’ve set aside a room for you - go change and head down to the river. They’re waiting for you there. Here’s the key to the room, and that’s your golf-cart over there.”

“We’ll have lunch sent down to you at the dock,” Jamie said. “We’re having an early dinner here before we leave - you should be ready to eat by 5:30’ish. Ms. Matson will be joining us for dinner, and we’ll leave at around 7:00 so that we get home for 9:00, like I promised your Mam.” 

“That sounds great - we’ll see you at dinner,” Beth called over her shoulder. 

“Text me if you need anything,” Jamie called back.

“I’m delighted they came back to visit so soon, Murtagh said. “Have ye recovered from the Superman trip?”

“It’s been a few late nights in a row, but I’ll muddle through.” 

“Hmmmph,” Murtagh grunted and looked at Jamie through slightly narrowed eyes. Repressing his urge to tease, he kept his mouth shut and took pleasure in the fact that his Godson looked happier and more relaxed than ever, now that the Anja-related trouble seemed like it was in the rear-view mirror. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Geillis knocked sharply once, then entered Jon’s Corzak’s office and sat on the sofa. Corzak walked over to the door and shut it before sitting in a club chair opposite her.

“Any thoughts or ideas, Geillis?”

“My knee-jerk reaction was to enforce all the penalty clauses and addenda. Throw the book at her. Prove to everyone that we have a strong legal leg to stand on.”

“Uh-huh. And you still think we should go that route?”

“No. I think we’ll take a lot of heat if we do that. I was checking out social media reaction across all the major platforms. There’s a lot of gloating and glee at her misfortune over Lois Lane. Jamie’s fans are taking pleasure at her humiliation. Anja’s fans are very sympathetic though, and I worry that if we go after her now, it’ll look like we’re kicking her when she’s down. That could come back and bite us in the ass. What’s your take, Jon?”

“I think we’re on the same page - or close to it. This one is personal for me. My mom died of alcoholism-related issues when I was in my teens.”

“Jon, I’m sorry! This must be hard to deal with. Do you want me to take over completely?”

“No. I feel like I need to be involved here - for my own reasons. I’m angry with Anja on so many fronts." He counted them off on his fingers, "She's put our Oscar campaign at risk. She’s bulldozed her way through Jamie’s life. She's trashed her own name. She went from being an adequate actress doing semi-decent rom-coms, to being Jamie Fraser’s leading lady in an Oscar-worthy movie - the world was her oyster. And now she’ll never work in Hollywood again.”

“I know. No one will touch her. But … Jon … she’s such a risk to us right now. If we don’t restrain her somehow, she will continue to bring negative publicity on herself, and by association, on us.”

“Exactly. We can’t afford to have her out there destroying her own name and taking ‘Unauthorized Contact’ down with her. We can’t allow her to continue doing what she’s been doing all over town, especially in Oscar season.”

“So, am I hearing that you’re going to use your influence with the DA and LAPD to have her locked up over the DUI? Or the intellectual property theft? Or both? Because the optics of that are bad, Jon.”

“I know that. I don’t think arresting her is the solution. She’d be out on bail in no time. And you know how lenient they are on actresses. Remember Lindsey Lohan? She was sentenced to 90 days, and barely spent two days in jail due to ‘overcrowding’.” 

“If you have a plan, Jon, you need to spell it out. We’re running out of time. This will start trending as soon as that mugshot is out.”

“I think we need to approach her lawyer about sending her to rehab. We’ll foot the bill. I don’t care what it costs. We’ll leak it too - ‘Millennium Takes Anja Under its Wing’. Your team can wordsmith it, Geillis. It makes us look caring and humane. It's better than pushing for legal consequences.”

“I like that idea, Jon. It’ll make us look good, but more importantly, it gets her the hell out of my hair as I reconfigure the publicity tour. When will this happen?”

“Right away. I made some calls, including one to Tara Lewis. She’s had to put a few clients in rehab over the years, and I knew she’d have recommendations. She really likes a facility in Switzerland. It’s the same one that Natalie Berry went to when the shit hit the fan with Jamie’s ‘Clan Hearts’ fans attacking her. I called the place in Zurich already.”

“And? I sense a snag.”

“They require a minimum stay of 6 months. She’s never going to agree to that.”

“Oh, she will,” Geillis said with finality. “We'll tell her it’s rehab or jail. If she refuses, we threaten to throw everything at her. She is in violation of so many contractual obligations, plus a list of felonies from the theft of the footage. Not to mention the DUI. It’ll give her a chance to get out of the public eye and lick her wounds.”

“Okay - I’ll get hold of her lawyer or Bonnet. Or both. You and your team can start working the press releases, social media blasts, and a few strategic leaks.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Helen Matson arrived at the winery soon after the girls left for the boat dock. She was a petite woman who carried herself like she was six feet tall. She exuded confidence and competence, and asked probing questions that had Jamie and Murtagh thinking deeply before responding. They had an hour before lunch to walk her around the hotel and conference center, during which time she made mental notes of areas that needed her attention. She was impressed that they had taken her suggestions and ideas to heart - to the point of bringing in a horse expert from Idaho who would be giving the winery the once-over and sharing his ideas on the feasibility of keeping horses on the property.

After lunch, Colton and Jamie got in a golf cart and toured the far reaches of the property. Colton made notes on a clipboard and took plenty of pictures on his phone. 

“Y’all definitely have more than enough property here for an amazing set-up. Stables, paddocks, a trail, maybe an equestrian center where kids can come from nearby towns to learn. It’s up to you guys how far you want to develop it. But it’s very do-able.”

Colton left soon after his property tour, promising Jamie that he would be back with Beau within the next week or two to do some feasibility work with Murtagh and Helen. Jamie waved him off in the parking lot, and called Claire as he walked over to the viewpoint to check on the girls. He’d also received a text from Jon Corzak while he was touring with Colton. They had gone back and forth a few times in their text exchange. He wanted to let Claire know about that. 

“Have you managed to make a dent in your workload, babe?”

“I have, actually, and I’m feeling so much better about my edits. Can’t wait to hear about Colton and Helen later. How are the girls doing?”

“I’m watching them right now. Looks like they’re ditching the jet-skis and are about to go wake-boarding. I’m keeping an eye on them.”

“Thanks, Jamie.”

“I got a call from Jon Corzak, over at Millennium.”

There was a brief silence.

“Uh-huh …” her voice reflected her apprehension.

“Anja was arrested for a DUI this morning. She got in an accident and spent a few hours in county jail.”

“Did she hurt anyone?” Her voice was flat and emotionless.

“No. Jon wanted me to know because they are sending her to rehab in Switzerland. She’ll be out of the Hollywood scene for a long time. Six months at the very least. We can breathe easier, mo chridhe.”

“How will that affect the promotion tour and Oscar campaign for ‘Unauthorized Contact’?”

“Geillis and her team are working on that. Shouldn’t be a huge issue - I’ll likely be doing late night with some of my other co-stars and morning shows on my own. Millennium will come out smelling like roses because they took a proactive role in helping Anja get her life back, rather than letting her crash and burn.”

A deep sense of relief coursed through her. “That is really good news, Jamie. I hope she gets the help she needs, but I’m selfishly focusing on how much better our lives will be now that we won’t have to worry about her next stupid move and how it might affect us.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

While Jamie and Colton had been exploring the property and discussing horses and trails, Murtagh had climbed into his golf cart with Helen. He showed her around the tasting room, wine store, and members-only area. She immediately added to her mental list of things that would enhance visitors’ experience at the winery. As soon as she officially started in her new role, she would draw up a list for discussion with Murtagh, Jamie, and key managers in targeted departments. 

Murtagh moved on to show her the amphitheater and river access. Helen was struck by the staggering beauty and vastness of the Columbia River Valley. Standing high up on the cliffs, she and Murtagh surveyed the river and the scenery beyond it. There was very little traffic on this quiet Thursday afternoon, and in the distance they could see the twins and interns making the most of the wide expanse of the river. 

“You probably get tired of hearing this, but it’s truly spectacular here,” she said, her voice almost reverent as she absorbed the views around her. 

“I never get tired of hearing it,” Murtagh replied. “I never get tired of seeing it either.”

“You said that you were initially going to be here for 6 weeks, and would run things from afar after that. Has that changed?”

“It has. Jamie and I spoke about that recently, actually. I’m here indefinitely - that's probably the best answer I can give you. I don’t have a firm timeline, but I love it here, and may well consider finally putting down some roots.”

“Can’t say I blame you. Sounds like you and I have done a lot of that in our careers - our lives - moving from place to place, across continents, for our jobs. At some point, a little more permanence starts to become appealing.”

Murtagh stole a sideways look at Helen, his thoughts dwelling on the fact that she had voiced the exact thoughts that had been going through his mind in the past few weeks. 

As the shadows started to lengthen and their early dinner time edged closer, Jamie, Murtagh and Helen sat on the patio and chatted about non-work related things. Murtagh asked Helen a lot of questions about her childhood and travels and life in general. They learned that she had no children of her own, but a small army of nieces and nephews who kept her heart full and bank account fluctuating.

“I spoil them rotten, much to my siblings’ annoyance.”

They also learned that she’d had a brief, abusive marriage in her thirties, and that experience brought her to the realization that she was better off living her life independently. Jamie felt a twinge of sadness that she hadn’t discovered her forever love and his mind drifted fleetingly to Claire. Everyone should experience the kind of all-consuming, deeply passionate love that they shared - but he also knew that what he and Claire had was rare and he cherished her and their love above all else. Murtagh felt a surge of admiration for her. He had never married, but he had fallen in love a few times over the years, and he could relate to the feeling of wanting to shake off the memories of a relationship gone sour. Her independent streak and her ability to shake off a damaging marriage and live a fulfilling and successful life appealed to him more than he would admit to himself. 

A server approached their table to take their sun-downer drinks order. Jamie waited for Helen and Murtagh to order, then asked the server to bring him a half shot of whisky.

“I’ll be driving in a couple of hours, just one drink for me. You two go ahead and enjoy. Helen, you’re staying overnight - you can sample all the wine you want over dinner.”

“I plan to,” she smiled warmly, “I’ve been looking forward to this!”

Jamie looked at his watch. “I hate to spoil their fun, but it’s time for my girls to come back and get ready for dinner so we can head home right after that.”

He stood up and craned his neck to see if he could spot them. Reaching for his phone, he tapped out a text.

**Looks like you’ve had a great day out there! Sorry to spoil it - time to get ready for dinner**

He watched his phone for a moment, and saw the three dots bounce. As he waited for them to send a reply, the server arrived with their drinks.

Murtagh raised his glass. “To Helen and a stellar new career here for her at The Grotto. We’re so pleased to have ye on the team.”

They raised their glasses and sipped their drinks. 

Before the twins’ reply came, a text from Claire slid in at the top of his screen. He tapped it right away.

**_Do u have a minute?_ **

He tapped his reply.

**Always, what’s up?**

The girls’ reply slid in, but he was watching the dots bounce on Claire’s reply and waited for it before checking the girls’ message.

**_Sending u a link to press release that Fulton media team just sent me as a courtesy. will be published in tomorrow’s Seattle Times._ **

He tapped on the link as soon as it came through, and read it twice to be sure he’d read it correctly.

The whisky glass slid out of his hands and shattered on the patio floor, sending shards of glass and amber liquid everywhere.  Startled, Murtagh was at his side in a flash. 

“Jamie? What happened?” The color had drained from Jamie’s face, and the muscles in his jaw were working furiously. 

Restaurant employees raced over with mops and brooms and dust-pans to clean up the mess. Murtagh pushed Jamie back down in his chair and grabbed the phone out of his hand and looked at the screen.

_ Fulton Business School Media. Press Release. For distribution and publication July 31, 2020. _

_ Section: Education _

_ Headline: Wharton’s Warwick Davidson Appointed Professor of Business Communications at Fulton Business School. _


	46. Chapter 46

* * *

Murtagh looked from the phone to Jamie, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Jesus, Murtagh! I did not expect it to go this way. I was so sure she would get it.” His voice was raw and pained. “I need to call her.”

He retrieved his phone from Murtagh and tapped quickly. 

**I need to call u, are u still at book club?**

**_Yes, but if I hear your voice now, it’ll break me. I’ll call u in a bit_ **

“She’ll call me back.” He looked distraught and broken. Murtagh’s heart hurt for Jamie, but he needed to push him to collect himself and take charge.

“Jamie, the girls will be here soon, and they’ll need you.”

“Oh God!” He ran his hand over his face. “My girls!”

He slumped back in his chair, heart aching as he thought of Ella and Beth and the awful news he was going to have to deliver to them. “They are going to be shattered by this, Murtagh.”

“They’ll need you, Jamie,” Murtagh repeated.

“Yes. They will.” Jamie rose from the chair and looked at Murtagh with determination and resolve. This was not the time for him to wallow in self-blame and guilt. That would come later. “We need to get home to Claire immediately. Please have the kitchen pack something for the girls to eat in the car. They’ll be hungry after all the water activities. And something for Claire too.”

“Great idea, Jamie,” Murtagh agreed, as he signaled one of the servers over and gave her instructions for the girls’ dinner-to-go. 

“Helen,” Jamie began, “I’m so very sorry. Something has come up-”

“Jamie, please don’t apologize. Whatever it is, is obviously very upsetting and difficult for your family. Please go and be with Claire and your girls. I sense that whatever it is, they need you right now. We can reconnect at a more convenient time.” 

“Jamie, the food is being organized, and they’ll load it in the car for ye. We’re adding something for you and Claire in a small cooler box. It’ll only take a few minutes. What else can I do?” 

“Stay here and enjoy yer dinner with Helen. I need to go and talk to Beth and Ella. We’ll leave as soon as they’ve collected their things. Can ye call Jenny after 10:00 and let her know? She’s going to be crushed too, and I need to focus on Claire and the girls.”

“Of course.” Murtagh could already predict Jenny’s reaction and Jamie didn't need to hear the ‘I told you so’ in her voice. 

Jamie thanked Helen and Murtagh, and strode off in the direction of the girls’ room. 

“Murtagh, you might want to ask housekeeping to load a box or two of Kleenex in the car, along with the food,” Helen suggested. 

“Yes, good point,” he agreed, picking up his phone. 

Jamie tapped out a text to the girls in their group text.

**Are you in the room?**

**_Yes, we’re ready to come to dinner. just putting stuff in our backpacks_ **

**I’ll be at your door in a couple of minutes**

**_OK_ **

He tapped on his phone again and held it to his ear.

“Jamie?”

“Hi Armando. Do you have a minute?”

“Of course. I’m about to take my puppy for a walk. It can totally wait, or I can talk while I walk her. What’s up?”

“I hate to intrude on your evening. Is there any way you can make it over to be with Claire right now? The girls and I are at The Grotto. We’re leaving immediately, but it’ll be at least two hours before we get home.”

“What happened, Jamie?” Armando sounded urgent and worried.

“She didn’t get the professorship. It’s being announced tomorrow.”

“That’s not possible!” 

“It’s hard to believe, I know. She shared the press release with me - she'll show you when you get there.”

“Fuuuuuuck!” Armando breathed, still in denial.

“She’s at a book club meeting in our neighborhood. My guess is that she’ll tough it out there for a little longer and then head home. I don’t want her to be on her own until I get there with Ella and Beth.”

“No! Of course not. I’m grabbing my car keys as we speak. I got this, Jamie. Drive safely. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

The door to the girls’ room was wide open, held there by Beth’s backpack. She was on the patio on the opposite side of the room taking pictures of the river. Ella was at the small round table in the corner of the room, zipping up her backpack. They both assumed that Jamie was there to lend them a hand getting their things to the car. 

“Hey,” Ella smiled, “we’re ready to go. I’m starving!”

“We’ll eat soon, Ella. Can you join us on the patio, please?”

“Sure,” she said hesitantly. Something about his demeanor and voice unsettled her. 

Beth Snapped one more picture to Deacon, then put her phone away and turned to greet Jamie with a smile.

“Hey Jamie! We had so much fun again today.” She beamed with enthusiasm and waited expectantly for Jamie’s response, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and a small frown tugged at Beth’s brows. 

Ella stepped out onto the patio and Jamie looked from one girl to the other. His heart was heavy and he wondered briefly if he should wait until they got home before telling them. He shook that off as a bad idea - it would be best to tell them immediately so that he could help them work through some of their feelings during the drive home. 

“Girls, I have some bad news to share,” he announced, trying to keep his voice calm and measured so as not to startle the girls more than necessary. 

Beth’s hands flew to her mouth, and Ella’s eyes widened in fearful anticipation. They had sensed that something was bothering Jamie, and his words were confirmation that something was amiss.

“Is everything okay with Mom?” Ella asked worriedly. 

“Not everything,” he began, before adding quickly, “She’s safe and she’s not hurt - it’s nothing like that. Girls, she just heard from Fulton. She did not get the professorship.”

They stared at him in disbelief for agonizingly long seconds. Ella finally broke the silence.

“There’s no way!” she said angrily. “There’s no way that happened!”

“No, Jamie! Noooooo!” Beth wailed, hands clasping her head in distress.

He had anticipated their reactions. Ella’s anger was completely in keeping with her fiery personality, and it would be a matter of mere moments before Beth broke down completely.

“I’m so sorry, girls. I know this is not the way any of us expected it to go.”

“Oh my God, Ella! I _knew_ we were being selfish coming to spend the day up here. Now mom’s dealing with this all on her own at home.” Beth broke down in deep, racking sobs and moved to Jamie’s side. He held her and allowed her to release her sorrow, comforting her as best he could. Ella joined her moments later, and they stood with their arms around Jamie and each other, for long, painful minutes. The girls’ sobs went straight to Jamie’s heart, and he blinked away his own tears as they unleashed their shock and sadness at the news he had just delivered. 

“Girls,” he said quietly, “I want you to know that she’s not alone. Armando will be there in twenty minutes, and we’ll leave here immediately so we can get to her as soon as we can.”

“Can we go right now?” Ella sniffed.

“Yes. Grab yer stuff. The kitchen packed some food for you, and it’s waiting in the car.”

Claire still hadn’t called by the time he reached the car with the girls, so he texted her again.

**Leaving the winery now, home by 7:30. Armando on his way to u**

The dots bounced as she tapped her reply.

**_Thank u! just got home from book club._ **

The first hour of the drive home was marked by question after question from the twins, punctuated by stifled sobs, sniffs, and occasional nose-blowing, as the pile of crumpled tissues in the back seat grew bigger with each passing mile. Jamie answered all their questions and responded to their comments thoughtfully and patiently. Despite their distress, some of their seemingly random comments brought a tiny smile to his lips. 

“What if the other guy says no to the professorship?”

“They wouldn't have announced him until they had all the contracts signed and sealed.”

“What if they made a mistake with that press release?”

“It’s highly unlikely. They would have checked and double-checked that.”

“Does Mom still have an actual job? Or does she have to leave Fulton completely? II never even asked her about that because I was so sure she would get it.”

“She still has her job, leannan. That hasn’t changed. She’s far too valuable to Fulton for them to lose her completely.”

“What does ‘leannan’ mean again?” Ella sniffed.

“It’s similar to sweetheart or honey, in this context. It’s what I call my niece sometimes too.”

“Our Dad has never called us anything but Ella and Beth,” Beth remarked, tears still rolling down her face

“I know, right? I was just thinking of that. I like ‘leannan’.”

“Will it be awkward for Mom now, having to work with this new guy?”

“Maybe for a short time. Your Mam is very professional and competent. She will make it her business to be helpful and welcoming. I have no doubt about that.”

“Her boss likes her. How come he couldn’t make the final decision?”

“The way your Mam explained it to me is that every educational institution has different Board structures and procedures. Fulton's Board decides on major faculty appointments once the candidates have been through all the selection panels and screenings and interviews. Then they short-list the top candidates and it goes to a vote. The situation with Joe is that he serves on the Board, but doesn't have a vote. He represents the faculty and guides the Board, but they make the big decisions. Seems like their Board became much more hands-on about things after PILF.”

“PILF! Oh God,” Beth groaned, “I hope that’s done for good! And I hope this doesn't go all over social media. Mom will hate that! Ella, put your phone down for like a min-”

“Whoa!" Ella exclaimed, "Anja Baranov was arrested! Her mugshot is all over Twitter!”

“Ella! Why do you still have Twitter? You know Mom doesn’t want you to.”

“Jamie, did you know about Anja being arrested?”

“I did. One of the executives from the studio that made Unauthorized Contact called me earlier to let me know. She is definitely making poor choices and obviously struggling with some personal things, so the studio is sending her to rehab to get the help she needs.”

“Jamie, can you convince Ella to delete her Twitter? Mom will be super mad.”

_Oh God! This is not one I expected to handle. Shit! What would Claire want me to do here?_

“Ella, did your Mam ask you to delete your Twitter account?”

“Not exactly, but she asked us both to stay off social media a bit and not post pictures publicly. Except for Snapping and TikTokking in our own friend group.”

_Not helpful._

“Okay, so when you think about it carefully, how do you think your Mam would react if she knew you were looking up Anja on Twitter?”

“Yah - I know she’d be mad. But I was really only following her because of all the TMZ stuff. And that’s how I got the notification about the Lois Lane thing during the reveal in Hollywood. I’ve been ignoring a bunch of notifications all day, and I finally opened one, and it was about her mugshot.”

“And did any thoughts about your Twitter account come to mind in that whole explanation to me, leannan?”

“Yep. You’re right. Mom wouldn’t be happy. I’m deleting it right now. I’m sorry, Jamie. It won’t happen again.” 

“Thanks Ella, I know your Mam would appreciate that.”

Their emotions started to settle down as the miles between them and Claire decreased, and when their tears finally abated, they realized how hungry they were. Tearing into the small cooler bag between them, they devoured the Buffalo chicken wraps and peanut butter brownies that the chef had packed for them.

“We should probably cancel the hang-out with our friends on Saturday night, Ella suggested. "It might be too much for Mom to deal with this weekend. What do you think, Jamie?”

“Jamie, what else do you think we can do to help Mom through this?”

“I think she’s going to want to keep things as normal as possible. Your Mam is incredibly resilient. She is a strong woman, and she will bounce back from this. The best thing we can do right now is carry on with our lives and our plans as they were. I don’t think there’s any need to cancel your get-together and I don’t think she’d want you to do that.”

“Do you think … do you think she’ll get over it soon? I hate to think of how hard it must be for her, and I want her to move past it quickly. What should we even say to her?” Ella’s voice was uncharacteristically small and tentative, and Jamie's heart hurt again.

“To be honest, I think it’s going to take a while for this to really sink in. She’s been working towards it for a long time, and right now we’re all still absorbing the news. The last thing she would want is for us to walk on eggshells when it comes to talking about it. She would prefer that we ask her any questions we have. The more we do that, the more she processes it herself, and that’s a good thing. Don’t hold back on your questions with her, she’ll welcome them.” 

As soon as they arrived home, they headed for the patio, where they spotted Armando and Claire seated on opposite ends of one of the sofas. Claire was pinned down by a large white and caramel-colored St. Bernard, which was spread over her lap and in the process of licking her chin. 

Armando got up to hoist Brandy off Claire’s lap so that she could stand and hug Jamie and the girls. They stood gathered in a tight hug while Armando took Brandy to find a spot to relieve herself. 

When they pulled apart, Claire looked at them earnestly and said, “I’m okay. Really. It came as a shock, and it’s still sinking in. But we’re going to recover from this setback and move forward. All of us.” 

“Mom, we’re so sorry that we weren’t here!”

“And we’re sorry that this happened. It’s so unfair!”

“Girls, you were exactly where you were supposed to be - having fun and enjoying an amazing day in a summer that has been really different. This disappointment that I’m going through is all part of life. It’s part of being an adult. I knew there was a strong chance the Board would go for the other candidate. Things are not always going to work out the way we want them to, and we have to pick ourselves up and keep going.”

Armando and Brandy returned from the lower part of the yard, and Brandy scampered over to Jamie, Claire and the girls, her claws scrabbling on the slate flooring. She tried to stop, but careened headlong into Ella, almost knocking her off her feet. Jamie caught her just in time, and they all collapsed laughing at the ungainly puppy’s antics. It was exactly the tension-breaker they needed, and Ella and Beth knelt down to pet Brandy. 

“She missed her walk this evening,” Armando said. “If you girls are up for it, I have her leash.”

“Yes! We’d love to walk Brandy! How far should we go?”

“Go for about a half hour, and then turn back. But be warned that she will stop a hundred times to sniff things and pee and poop, and she’ll be a general pain in the ass. But we adore her despite that. There are poop bags in the pouch on her leash. Gloves too - Tony gets grossed out and wants gloves as well as poop bags.” He rolled his eyes. 

Armando led Brandy and the girls to his car, where he dug out a leash and harness, and spent a few minutes attaching it securely and giving the girls some last minute pointers. 

As soon as they had the patio to themselves, Claire moved into Jamie’s arms and lay her head on his shoulder, where she could breathe in his familiar reassuring scent. He gently caressed the area between her shoulder blades. His fingers felt simultaneously comforting and sensual, and she wanted to lose herself in his embrace until sleep claimed her, but she knew she would have to wait a few hours for that.

“I’m sorry I couldn't talk earlier, my love. I knew that hearing your voice would shatter me. This is just what I needed. Being in your arms is all I need right now.” 

Armando re-joined them on the patio and Jamie continued to hold Claire in his embrace.

“Armando, I canna thank you enough. You are always there when we need you - you are always there for Claire.”

“Claire has been there for me through my own issues too. We will always be there for each other, Jamie. You can count on that. The girls are off on their walk with Brandy. Why don’t you two get caught up, while I go in and get us all a drink or tea or something?”

“I’d like for the three of us to sit and chat, Armando,” Jamie said, aware that Armando might feel like he was intruding on their chance to reconnect with each other. 

Claire pulled away from Jamie reluctantly. “Is anyone hungry? I can cobble something together.”

“No need, babe. Murtagh had the kitchen team pack some food for us.” 

They unpacked the cooler box, and each of them plated up some gnocchi with a rich bolognese sauce. While they re-heated their food, Armando and Claire threw together a salad and Jamie grabbed a reserve wine from the rack. They retreated to the patio to enjoy a relaxed lap dinner. 

“So good!” exclaimed Claire between bites. “Thanks for taking care of dinner, Jamie. And for making sure that the girls got some too. How did they take the news?”

“It was rough for all of us, Claire. There were a lot of tears from the girls. It tore at my heart.”

“Oh, Jamie. That hurts my heart too. Thank you for being there when they needed you.”

_I’m the cause of this - I’m the reason they needed comforting in the first place._

He kept his thoughts to himself, and instead told Claire that they asked a lot of questions during the drive home. “I tried to answer to the best of my knowledge, but I encouraged them to ask you questions too.”

"That’s good. I want them to feel comfortable asking me about this, rather than tiptoeing around me.”

“They spoke about canceling their get-together on Saturday night, but I thought it should go ahead. How do you feel about it?”

“Hundred percent agree. I don’t want this to affect their plans. We’ll have a great weekend with them.”

Jamie was starting to feel a little disconcerted about how well Claire seemed to be doing. She was always level-headed and calm, but he knew this was an enormous blow to her, and had expected a more subdued Claire this evening. Instead, she was as positive and effusive as always. He planned on walking Armando to the car later, and asking for his thoughts on it. For now, he would go with her current mood and try to offer whatever support he thought she needed. 

He also knew that the worst was still to come. They were amongst the limited group who knew the Board’s decision. By tomorrow, it would be widely known in Seattle’s business and education circles. It wouldn’t be front page news, of course, just a small insert in the education section. But it would be enough to bring more attention and humiliation to Claire. And the big unknown was how social media would react to the news. 

Claire was snuggled against Jamie on one of the sofas when the girls returned from their walk with Brandy. They sank into the sofa next to Armando, and Brandy headed straight to Jamie and Claire. She plopped one of her large paws on Jamie’s knee, and he reached out to pet her ears. That was all the invitation she needed. In seconds, she had scrambled up and stretched her large, heavy bulk across both of them.

“Jeez, Armando! What are you feeding her?” grunted Jamie, as he shifted Brandy into a more comfortable position.

“I know, right? She is growing fast.” 

They sat on the patio for another hour, listening to the girls share the highlights of their day on the river. Brandy proved to be the best therapy for all of them. Claire and Jamie petted her distractedly as they listened to the twins’ stories. The rhythmic movements of their hands on her soft fur were almost hypnotic, and the sense of calm that Brandy brought to this troubled evening was unexpected but very welcome. When she started to doze off on Claire's lap, Armando knew it was time to call it a night. 

“Okay, you guys, the girls are yawning here and it's time for me to get this gal home.”

Armando unfolded himself from the sofa and Brandy stretched languidly, then heaved herself off Claire and followed him lazily.

“I’ll give you a hand getting Brandy in the car,” Jamie offered, as Claire and the girls hugged Armando goodbye.

The two men stood chatting quietly on the driveway, while Claire went upstairs to tuck the girls in for the night. She knew instinctively that they needed that tonight. As she shut Ella’s door and headed to her bathroom to get ready for bed, her phone buzzed. It was a text from an unknown number. Frowning, she weighed up her options. Check it now, delete it without reading, or check tomorrow. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she unlocked her phone and tapped the message. 

**Claire, this is Joe - on my wife’s phone. I want you to take the day off tomorrow. It will be a busy one for you. I’ll take care of the paperwork. Can we walk and talk in your neighborhood trail tomorrow evening, 6 p.m.?**

**_Thank you. Yes. See you at 6._ **

Brandy flopped onto the back seat of the car and rested her large head on her paws, eyeing Jamie and Armando as they stood next to the car, deep in conversation.

“Armando, let me pick your brain here for a minute. Do you find it a little unusual that Claire seems to be handling this so well? When I think of her reaction after TMZ published the photos and how upset she was that they might affect the professorship, and I look at her calm demeanor tonight … I don’t know … it’s not what I expected. Is it just me, or are you seeing the same thing?” 

“I kinda am, to be honest. When I arrived, she gave me a long hug, and I expected tears, but there were none. I mean, she’s a strong woman who doesn’t fall apart in a crisis, but it seems like the news hasn't really sunk in. I wondered if she was putting on a brave face for the girls.”

”That’s probably part of it,” agreed Jamie. “Another part is that it hasn’t hit the news yet. Tomorrow will be a different ball game altogether as people start reaching out to her. It’s going to get very real, very fast tomorrow.”

“You’re right. A lot of her friends - probably Henry’s too - will be expressing their disappointment for her.”

“It’s going to be a tough few weeks as we all process this disappointment. I know that I brought this on her. I’m going to have to face that eventually.”

“Jamie, you can’t blame yourself! Are you kidding! This was all Anja. None of this would have happened if she hadn’t been so hell-bent on using you to further her career.”

“Anja would never have been a factor in Claire’s life if it wasn't for me. I’ll deal with my own guilt later, though. For now, I need to focus on Claire and support her through this.”

Armando had been focused solely on Claire this evening, but Jamie’s words added a new level of concern about them weathering this new and unpredictable storm. He searched Jamie’s unreadable expression. 

“Jamie, this is not on you,” he said firmly. “Claire would be horrified if you blamed yourself over this. You need to push that out of your mind.”

“I’m not going to focus on myself for now, Armando. Claire and her well-being - that’s the most important thing right now. Followed closely by my wanting to know more about the Board’s decision. I’m not going to raise that with her right away, but something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Claire was the better candidate by far, and yet she was passed over.” 

“I’ve been thinking about that a lot tonight too - based on what Claire has told me about the interviews, the meeting with the trustees, letters promising huge donations - some crazy shit was going on. This decision doesn’t make sense, and that got me thinking about … here, let me share this with you…”

He took his phone from his pocket and tapped a few times. They spoke for a few more minutes before Armando finally got in the driver’s seat and backed out of the driveway. 

Jamie walked towards the front door, tapping a quick message on his phone before locking up downstairs and heading to the bedroom.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He awoke to a faceful of soft brown curls. Having fallen asleep spooning Claire, he was mildly surprised that he awoke still spooning her, his arm draped protectively over her body. His thoughts moved from her curls to the press release and the difficult day ahead. He moved in closer to her, needing the warmth and softness of her body along the length of his. His arm tightened around her in unspoken affirmation that he intended to protect her and love her through whatever the day brought.

“You awake?” she asked softly.

“I am, mo chridhe. Can I hold you like this for a little longer?”

“Yes.” 

After long, silent minutes cocooned in him, she wriggled around to face him, and he pulled her in close again. Dropping feather-light kisses on her face, he tried to gauge her demeanor. She reached up to caress his face, their eyes fixed on each other. 

“Today will be difficult, Jamie.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Aye. It will be. I’ll be here for you, Claire. Just tell me what you need. Tell me how I can help.”

“I don’t know yet. l just know that I need you near me today. Yesterday, we were the only ones who knew, but the news goes out today, and I know I’ll be hearing from a lot of my friends, and former and current co-workers.”

“I imagine you will be fielding calls and texts all day.” 

“Joe texted me late last night. He wants me to take the day off - probably to give me a chance to get my bearings and handle my personal calls and messages. He also wants to meet on the walking trail tonight.”

“Oh? Interesting.” Jamie’s thoughts flitted briefly to the late-night text he had sent out.

“I have no idea what to expect from that meeting. We should probably get up and start our day,” she sighed.

“Do you want to go for a run with me first? It’ll put us both in a good place to tackle the day - physically and mentally.”

“Yes! I need that this morning.” 

Claire intentionally left her phone at home, and by the time they returned from their run, it had amassed a couple of dozen texts, private messages, and emails from friends and acquaintances.

Freshly showered and dressed, she and Jamie headed to the patio with their lattes and toast.

“I’m going to tackle this head-on, Jamie. I think that’s the best way to deal with this. Start responding to all these messages now, so that I’m not overwhelmed later.”

“That’s a good plan. We can sit here together and work on our own things. It’s a beautiful day to work outside.”

“It _is_ a beautiful day, my love.” She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. “I have so much to be thankful for. I have the best man on the planet by my side, and the sweetest girls any mom could hope for.”

Jamie wound his fingers into her curls and tenderly returned her kiss. 

“I love you so much, Claire,” he said softly. He ran his thumb across her lower lip and kissed her again before they picked up their laptops and started working on their fast-growing to-do lists.

It wasn’t long before Armando sent her a text that elicited a soft groan. She showed Jamie her screen.

**Heads-up. There were short stories about the professorship on King 5 and Komo News this morning. Nothing about PILF, TMZ, Jamie, just the press release basics from Fulton.**

“Ugh - I was hoping it wouldn’t appear on TV until tonight.”

“Let’s stay off the news websites, babe. They’re going to post what they’re going to post. Focus on yer tasks instead.”

It turned out to be a very busy morning, and less than an hour into their work time, the girls emerged from the kitchen with fresh lattes for both of them. 

“Here’s more caffeine if you need it,” Beth announced, trying to sound cheerful.

“We’re heading out to tumbling now.” Ella also sounded more subdued than usual. Claire stood up and hugged them, and seeing their mom in good spirits boosted them both.

“Jamie and I will be out here working for most of the day. It’s going to be okay, I promise. Go spend time with Ashlee and Hannah after tumbling. Do something fun. Love you girls.” 

Jenny FaceTimed Jamie at around 10:30, and he propped up his iPad so that they could both chat with her.

“Claire, I’m so sorry this happened. I know exactly how hard ye worked for that appointment, and how much ye deserved it.”

“It’s tough news to take, but I’m not going to wallow in grief. I still have a job. I have students relying on me to get them through an online course for credits, and I’m going to keep working hard at what I do.”

“How are the girls doing with this?”

“They took it hard yesterday, but we’re trying to keep things on an even keel here. They’re at tumbling now, and they’re having friends over tomorrow. It’s important for them to see me handling this well. Life will deal all of us blows from time to time, and I want them to know that they can handle anything that life throws at them.” 

“Good fer you, Claire. Ye’re a great example to them. Is that brother of mine being helpful?”

“I couldn't get through this without him, Jenny. He’s my strength and my foundation.”

Jamie reached across and took her hand in his. 

“Jamie, I hope you’re doing okay too. The week started out great - I saw all the good stuff around the Superman announcement. Congratulations and all. But it’s sad that the week is ending on a sour note.”

“Yes, Jenny. Thanks for pointing out the obvious,” he said wryly. “Other news that I received this week is that Anja is going to be in rehab for six months at least. In Switzerland.”

“Well that’s a relief! Thank God she’ll be too far away to cause more havoc. I should give you an update on Dougal.”

“Yes, please do. What’s going on there?”

“I saw him this morning. He stopped by to bring me some paperwork for the August meeting. Colum wanted him to go to a rehab facility in Wales, but he refused. He did sign up for AA locally and has been sticking with their program. He has a sponsor who is mentoring him. A guy he went to school with who still lives in the same town, believe it or not. Dougal seems much more calm and focused, and he’s been working hard on the tourism business. He asked about ye both, and I shared the latest about Fulton. He seemed genuinely remorseful and he’s planning on writing ye a note, Claire - just giving ye advance notice.”

“He was planning on writing Claire an apology last time I saw him in L.A.,” Jamie said cynically. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“I guess we’ll see,” Jenny shrugged. “Jamie, we need to talk about you attending the August meeting. I know ye’re anxious to see the kids, but I feel like yer place is there in Seattle right now. With Claire and Beth and Ella.”

“That’s what I was thinking too-”

“No!” Claire interjected. “I don’t want you to change your plans. Your August Lallybroch meeting is an annual family fixture, and I know Jamie misses the kids so much. There’s also a lot of business to discuss. Jamie needs to be there. I will be fine here, trust me. The next few days will be the worst, but as things settle, I will also settle back into my work routine, and it will get back to business as usual.”

She sounded firm and determined, and neither Jenny nor Jamie argued back for a moment.

“Okay,” Jenny began tentatively, “let’s see how things go. We can be flexible with virtual meetings and the like.” 

After the FaceTime call ended, Claire reiterated her thoughts.

“I really don’t want you to change your plans. We agreed to keep things normal.”

“We are.”

“Well, normal means going to Lallybroch in August like you always do.”

“I have every intention of doing that.”

“It’s July 31st today. Have you booked your flights?”

“Not yet. But before you get mad at me, it’s not because of this. There are a few factors holding me back.” He counted them off on his fingers. “First, I’m waiting to hear from DC/Panther on the Superman schedule. Second, things will change drastically now with the publicity tour for Unauthorized Contact. Geillis is reworking it, but I’ll have to do some solo stuff - and probably quite soon, since the DUI arrest is big news right now. And the third thing is that pandemic restrictions in the UK are stricter than here, so I’m not sure what the quarantine restrictions will look like, or whether I can even fly there. It seems to change by the day.”

They were interrupted by a call on Claire’s phone. 

“I don’t recognize the number,” she said.

"Maybe you should let it go to voicemail,” Jamie suggested. “It might be the press.”

“You’re right. For a communications expert, I am dismally unprepared for these unexpected calls. I need to script out a few standard responses, just in case.”

She tapped the voicemail as soon as it had processed, listened carefully. Her eyes widened slightly, and her eyebrows shot up. Grabbing her pen, she made hasty notes on a notepad next to her laptop. She set her phone down and Jamie waited for her to fill him in.

“That was one of Costco’s VPs. She asked if I’m available to meet early next week.”

Jamie smiled, a glimmer of triumph and pride in his expression. “I knew this would happen,” he said. “Seattle’s biggest companies will be lining up to offer you top jobs.” 

He also knew that she would decline all the corporate offers she received. They would be a confidence boost - and validation that the business community recognized her excellence and expertise. But her heart was squarely in academia, and she loved the challenge of nurturing young minds and making critical thinkers of students who started their year in her classes with fixed ideas of what business studies entailed. By the time they left, they were revolutionary thinkers who understood the importance of effective communications in strategy implementation.

“I have a feeling that Amazon might reach out too,” she said pensively. “When I worked on the research studies with them, they made multiple overtures, but I brushed them off politely.”

“What’s your plan for dealing with the corporates who make you offers?”

“I’ll definitely meet with them and hear them out. It’s great networking for future studies that I may want to do with them. But I’m not going to consider offers at the moment. I’m not ready to give up on my academic ambitions yet.”

She spent the next twenty minutes working on a few scripted responses in case the media called for her reaction to Fulton’s announcement. Pulling up the article on the website, she scanned it carefully for tone and terminology so that her messaging aligned with Fulton’s. The Trustees would no doubt prefer that she refer callers back to Fulton’s media team, but when the press asked for a personal reaction, she wanted her voice heard, even if it was in perfect alignment with that of Fulton Business School. She would not give them the pleasure of allowing someone else to deliver her message.

> _Wharton’s Warwick Davidson Appointed Professor of Business Communications at Fulton Business School._
> 
> _After a months-long search that included interviews with candidates from within their own ranks and from leading business schools around the country, Fulton Business School is pleased to announce the appointment of Warwick Davidson_ _as Professor of Business Communications within the MBA Program. Professor Davidson was previously at Wharton Business School, where he served an illustrious 8 year career as Associate Professor, and more recently, Professor of Corporate Communications in the MBA Program. At Fulton, Davidson will lead a team of 11 associate professors and lecturers in a department that has spearheaded innovative programs and studies at some of Seattle’s foremost companies. Dean of Fulton’s MBA Program, Prof. Joe Abernathy, confirmed that Davidson will assume his responsibilities immediately._ _“We look forward to welcoming Professor Davidson to Fulton, and to the contribution he will make to our world-class MBA Program.”_

Claire wondered how many times Joe had tweaked his statement. To the Seattle Times readership, it sounded like a sincere welcome from the head of an academic program, but to her ears it sounded perfunctory and hollow. She forced herself not to think about how it might have sounded had it been her name in the headline instead of Davidson’s. 

Within an hour of drafting three standard messages that worked well with the sparse information and business-like tone of Fulton’s release, she had already referred to them twice as she fielded a call from King 5 News, and another from The Olympian newspaper. 

They were about to break for lunch when Jamie’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. Checking caller ID, he grimaced and stood up to take the call. “It’s Geillis Duncan.”

He paced around the patio as he and Geillis went back and forth in a discussion about kicking off the publicity tour. Listening to Jamie’s side of the conversation gave Claire a decent idea of the nature of the call.

“The timing for me personally is really bad, Geillis. There’s a lot going on right now, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

There was a brief silence as he listened to her response, then replied firmly.

“I get that, I really do. And I understand that timing is of the essence for Millennium. Is there any chance I can do virtual appearances? They're all talk shows or late-night, and no-one’s doing live guests - thanks to Anja.” 

He listened again.

“Oh, you have? I guess you’re the ones with all the influence, then. I have to ask, Geillis … is there any chance you can delay it by one week?”

He listened again and pursed his lips - a clear indication that her response was not the one he wanted.

“Okay. I’ll check in with you again later this afternoon.” 

“They want you next week, don’t they?” Claire asked, preempting his update about the phone call.

He sat next to her on the sofa and exhaled a long, slow breath. “Yes, they do. They know that I’ll be needed on Superman within a couple of weeks, and they want me to do a series of talks shows and late-nights to take the edge off the fallout from Anja’s DUI. In New York and L.A. The Oscar campaign is intensifying.” 

“I hope you’re not considering telling them no because of my situation? Jamie, you promised!" she said sharply.

"Claire-"

"I’m not a helpless, flailing woman," she snapped brusquely. "I can cope with this on my own.”

He looked wounded at the angry tone behind her words, and she regretted her outburst immediately.

“I didn’t mean to imply that you are helpless, Claire. This morning you told me you wanted me nearby, and I was trying to work my schedule out so that I could be here for you. I’m not sure what you want me to do. Please help me out here. How can I best help you?” 

She was instantly overcome with remorse. “I’m so sorry, Jamie. You did not deserve that. I know you are trying to help, and I’m deeply grateful. I was trying to make the point that I can deal with this on my own while you’re gone.”

“I know you can, mo ghràidh. I know you have the strength and resilience to come through this on your own. You are vehemently independent, and it’s one of the things I love most about you.” He interlaced his fingers with hers and held her hand on his lap. “You built your career single-handedly and you have done things in the past couple of years that have blazed trails in your profession and placed you well ahead of your peers. But now and again, life throws us a curve-ball that leaves us off-balance. And I get that you’ve become adept at re-balancing things yourself. All I’m saying is that you don’t need to do it on your own. There’s the two of us now.” 

She leaned into him and lay her head on his shoulder.

“I love you so much, Jamie. I love that you feel almost a visceral need to help me through this. There is no one in the world I would rather have by my side through all of life’s curve-balls. But I want you to understand that I also have a deep need to see you reach your goals.” She straightened up and looked into his eyes. “What I would love right now is to see you focus on the Unauthorized Contact publicity events, without worrying about how I’m doing. I want you to go all out for that Oscar. I want to walk the red carpet with you at the Awards show, and I want to do it wearing the most beautiful dress I’ve ever worn. I want us to stand there with our arms around each other so that TMZ - and everyone else - can capture the love we feel when we look at each other. I want to be the first one you kiss when they call out your name. I want to see you proudly show off your golden statue at the Governor’s Ball afterwards, and then I want to dance the rest of the night away with you at the Vanity Fair party. Can you promise you’ll do that one thing for me? Go all out with the publicity tour and make an impression with the Academy’s voters.” 

She looked at him with renewed intensity, “Because yes, you’re right, there’s the two of us now … and everyone will bloody well know that on Oscar night!”

He tipped her head back and kissed her with infinite tenderness.

“I’m ready to go for it, Claire. If you’re willing to be by my side through this campaign and all its events and commitments, I will go all out.”

“I’m right here, my love. I’m already by your side, and always will be. You don’t need to ask. Now call Geillis back and tell her it’s all good.”

He chuckled as he tapped his phone. “Yes, ma’am!”

By mid afternoon, she had successfully tackled much of her interminably long list of texts and emails, responding with grace and appreciation to all the messages of support. She sent longer, heartfelt notes to Suki and Milo, Melissa, Tara, and Murtagh. Even Helen Matson had reached out, having no doubt asked Murtagh for her contact details. 

Microsoft’s Senior VP of Global Talent Acquisition had sent her an email requesting a meeting at her earliest opportunity. Since he would be traveling over the next two weeks, he offered to send a jet to fly her to a location that she found convenient. 

Dozens of past students and former cohort members around the country sent her direct and private messages via email and social media. She replied to every one politely, professionally, and always with deep gratitude for their thoughtfulness. 

As expected, her Fulton co-workers were completely blindsided and devastated, and she took extra care with her responses to their messages. Rather than send Tonya a text, she called her and spent almost a half hour comforting the almost inconsolable intern, while Jamie took delivery of three flower arrangements at the front door. The first was from Milo and Suki, and the second was from the head of the department that she had worked with at Amazon during her research study there. 

Jamie placed the two arrangements prominently on the kitchen island and in the family room. The third arrangement was from Jeff Campbell. Jamie tucked that one away on the secluded dining room table.

Her book club members had sent messages of support and solidarity. Lauren texted her to let her know that she would be dropping off dinner later. 

**Hey hun - hope ur day is going okay. Been thinking of u all night and all day! I’m bringing u guys dinner. 6:30’ish, jerk drumsticks with Caribbean rice and roasted root vegetables, just wanted u to have one thing less to think about tonight.**

**_OMG! You are a godsend and l love u! I have a meeting at 6:00, but Jamie and girls will be here._ **

She took a break from responding to messages and listened to her voicemails, pausing at one point to jot some details down on her notepad.

“Something interesting?” Jamie asked.

“The Dean of Haas Business School left a message. She asked me to call her on Monday morning.”

“Where is Haas based?” Jamie asked. 

“UC Berkeley. Near San Francisco. It’s ranked higher than Fulton - an excellent school.”

Jamie nodded quietly. He would never stand in the way of Claire’s career aspirations, but he felt a flicker of disquiet at the thought of their joint plans and dreams being upended by attractive offers from far-flung business schools.

When Ella and Beth arrived home, they settled into the sofa for a long snuggle with Claire. 

“Let’s talk about the food for tomorrow and make a shopping list. We can go to the grocery store in the morning,” she suggested.

She and the twins planned the food for the next day, while Jamie checked the levels in the pool and hot-tub, and inflated the basketballs, volleyballs and pool floats. 

Redirecting her energies to the girls and their planned get-together was a welcome respite from endless thoughts of the Trustees, the professorship, the donations - things that had swirled around the edges of her mind all day. She had intentionally kept them on the outskirts of her thoughts as she focused on the day’s tasks, but she would have to face them head-on when she met with Joe. 

By the time 6:00 p.m. rolled around, she was emotionally exhausted, but ready to power through a meeting with Joe. She walked up to the park, well disguised with her curls stuffed into a floppy wide-brimmed khaki hat; her mask and sunglasses adding to her anonymity. 

Joe’s car was already parked in the small lot, and as she walked into the trail, she spotted him on the cool, shaded path ahead. 

“Claire,” he greeted her with a warm smile, and she was thankful that there wasn’t an iota of pity in his voice or expression. 

“Hi, Joe,” she replied steadily. She waited for him to lead the discussion. 

“How are you doing?” he searched her face, noticing that her eyes looked tired and lacked their usual sparkle. 

“It’s been a long day, Joe. I appreciate the day off. It’s given me time to respond to messages of support and encouragement.”

“I imagine you’ve been inundated.”

“It’s been overwhelming. I didn’t expect quite as many messages.”

“And a few approaches by the corporates, no doubt?”

“Yes.”

“I saw that coming. You didn’t really answer my question though, Claire. How are you doing.”

She exhaled slowly, gathering her thoughts before she responded. Joe expected nothing but honesty, and she would give it to him.

“It’s been difficult Joe. As much as the flood of messages have buoyed and encouraged me, and the approaches by corporates hinting at job offers are a great morale and confidence boost, I feel humiliated and embarrassed by how public it is. I was a little unprepared for that today. It was a small insert in the Seattle Times on a Friday. But it was on TV news channels this morning, and that opened it up to social media. I haven't even checked the reaction there, but I imagine it’s a smear-fest of PILF hash-tags and TMZ pictures. I can’t even go there right now. It’s soul-crushing and painful.”

She stole a quick glance at Joe’s reaction. Was she giving him too much personal information? But Joe looked interested and engaged, his small frown revealing his concern for Claire.

“You’d think that after PILF and TMZ, I’d be better prepared for all of this, but it knocked me sideways. I’ve been all over the emotional spectrum today. I apologize for venting so openly, Joe. I hope this isn’t uncomfortable for you.”

“Not at all, Claire. What is uncomfortable for me is this entire situation. You know this is not what I wanted. I have the greatest respect for Davidson, but I did not feel that he was the better candidate for the job. I think you know that.”

She nodded once and allowed him to continue as they walked side by side. 

“During last week’s meeting, I tracked reactions and noted comments in great detail. I noticed that you did too.”

“I did.”

He continued, “Well after the meeting, I did my own analysis and calculated and re-calculated the votes. It’s embarrassing for me to say this, because you should have received a clear majority of the Trustees’ votes, but my calculations put them at a dead heat with one unknown, the tie-breaker.”

“I knew it would be close.”

“And that’s a sad commentary on the make-up of our board rather than a reflection of your suitability for the job.”

“It is incredibly discouraging that we are still taking two steps forward and one step back. How did Fulton’s board become such a bastion of the white male patriarchy!”

“It’s time for big changes there, Claire. No doubt about it. And something about this Board decision is gnawing at me and telling me that it may lead us down the path towards long overdue changes.”

Her head jerked up, and she stared at him, startled by how much he appeared to want to open up. 

Joe continued, “Something about the Foundation’s donation doesn’t sit right with me. And the tie-breaker was confusing me too. Until I did a little digging.”

He paused and looked ahead of him, deep in thought as they walked slowly down the trail. Claire’s thoughts went back to his late night text … from his wife’s phone. 

“This meeting tonight never happened, Joe,” she said quietly. “Even the twins don’t know I’m here - they think I merely needed a walk to clear my head. Only Jamie knows, and I trust him with my life. If you need to tell me something, I’m all ears.” 

He studied her face for a moment, “My unknown vote was Meredith Channing.” 

“I recognize her name as a Trustee, but that’s all. Anything in particular I should know about her?”

“She’s a Seattle resident, 52 years old, been on the board for two years.”

“Okay …”

“I did a little quiet digging. She’s been married to Allan Channing for 23 years. She’s on the board of several charitable foundations in Seattle, and a patron of Seattle Arts and Culture.”

“Allan Channing? Founder and owner of Atlas Avionics? That’s some big money, Joe. And he’s a Fulton alum.” Claire was familiar with all the major players in Seattle’s business arena, and Channing was in the upper echelons. 

“Yes. His company has sponsored two annual Fulton scholarships for many years. Along with the occasional hefty donation.”

They walked a little farther into the trail and Joe seemed to be on the verge of telling her something else. She remained silent, allowing him to make the decision about whether to tell her or not. It was unnerving, but she'd already received the worst news in the whole professorship saga, and nothing he told her now would change the outcome.

At last, he cleared his throat and spoke again.

“Prior to her marriage, Meredith’s last name was Yarborough.” 

Claire’s head shot up and she stopped in her tracks. She slowly turned to face Joe, her face reflecting her shock and disbelief.

“Yarborough?” she repeated. “How … what…?”

Joe nodded as realization settled over Claire’s features. When she spoke again, her voice was stiff with repressed anger.

“That’s the same last name as one of the boys involved in the PILF situation.”


	47. Chapter 47

* * *

“Yes. Meredith Channing is his aunt. Her brother is Noah Yarborough’s father.”

“How did she get on our Board?” Claire was incredulous. “How did no-one pick up on that when she was vetted as a potential Trustee?”

“Background checks are very specific in what they look for - arrests, social media presence, employment history, education, criminal records, credit history - maiden name is not a factor if everything else came up clean. Which it did.”

“That’s unbelievable. Such a massive conflict of interest! Especially when her appointment was so soon after PILF.”

“I agree. She worked her network and her contacts hard to get on the Board, Claire. It was a calculated effort. And her history of working with charitable foundations, board memberships, supporting arts, culture, education, inner city development - that all made her an attractive proposition. She glided right in.”

“And she’s been waiting for her moment to get to me. Why? Family vendetta?”

“That might be a part of it. I think the bigger part is that the family is passionately pro-Fulton and pro-UDub. Allan Channing is all about his alma mater and makes big donations to Huskies Football in addition to supporting Fulton. He and Meredith never had kids, and Noah is like a son to them. He's been the golden boy of the family for years. He was an academic and athletic superstar throughout high school. Valedictorian, Honor Roll, Rotary student of the Year. Channing wants his nephew to be a part of all that UDub and Fulton glory. Prestigious university, prestigious degree. All part of the legacy, you know. The family wants big things for Noah.”

“And then came PILF.”

“Yes. Unlike the other two boys, whose families were mortified about them being suspended and about their behavior, Noah’s family tried to fight the suspension. Then they tried to buy him out of it with a big donation. But when social media went after the boys, it forced them all to transfer out of state. I suspect Noah’s family is gearing up to get him back to Fulton for postgrad studies.”

“Gotta have that Fulton degree behind his name, huh?” She tried to not sound bitter, but she was still reeling. “So the strategy is for the family to do everything they can to push me out in case I try to block his MBA application. Including getting Aunt Meredith on the Board to help things along. This whole thing with TMZ must have been a Godsend for them!”

“It appears so, Claire.”

“This is all incredibly shocking, and I appreciate you sharing it with me, Joe. It won’t change things, but it is oddly comforting to have this affirmation that my losing the professorship was never about my abilities. There were forces at play that made it near-impossible.”

“It’s one of the reasons I wanted to meet you tonight. I know how hard you worked for this professorship. You were the presumptive appointee - everyone at Fulton expected … hoped… that it would be you. All you’ve heard for the past six weeks or more, is that the professorship was already yours. And to have it end like this is a blow. It’s important that you know there were external forces driving the outcome. They came at you from two angles. One is the Channing-Yarborough connection, and the other is the one you brought to my attention. Wolverton and his cronies. I haven’t managed to make any headway on that Foundation.”

“That is the most stressful part of all of this to me, Joe. Wolverton, Greenberg, their cronies on the Board. There is something sinister there, and I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with it right now. For the next few weeks I need to focus on my work … my students. I need to work through this for my sake and for my family’s sake. My girls need me to be fully engaged as they start Junior year in a remote learning environment. And I want to be there for Jamie as he is for me. He is starting a big publicity tour and a new movie.”

“Of course. I would expect nothing less from you.”

“I want you to know that I’m not throwing in the towel. I need to know why Wolverton and his minions were so hell-bent on getting me out. It’s important for me, for Fulton, and for every woman who has been marginalized by white male supremacy. I need a few weeks before I can even start to unpack that.”

“Understood.”

They turned around and started to make their way back to the parking lot.

“What are the plans for on-boarding Davidson? I am more than happy to help.”

“Thanks, Claire. I’ll share the plan with you on Monday. Davidson’s in town finalizing his house purchase and other relocation details. There will be a small welcome reception for him in my conference room on Tuesday afternoon at 4:00. I don’t expect you to be there. There will be plenty of time for you-”

“I’ll be there, Joe.”

“Some of the Trustees will be there.”

“Wonderful. I’m looking forward to seeing them.”

While Claire was out meeting with Joe, Jamie secluded himself in the study to work on a secret project for Sunday. He researched a few things on the internet, fired off a couple of emails, and called Greta at the stables.

Just before 6:30, Claire’s friend and neighbor, Lauren, delivered the meal she had promised earlier. Jamie greeted her at the door, and helped her carry the insulated bag into the kitchen. They introduced themselves and made small talk for a few minutes. Lauren almost had to pinch herself, but managed to behave like it was entirely normal for her to be standing in a kitchen - in her neighborhood - chatting with a Hollywood heartthrob.

Finding her congenial and sincere, Jamie took a chance and brought her into his confidence about Sunday’s secret project. He sought her advice and recommendations on a number of things. Lauren was thrilled to be drawn into a clandestine plan, and proved to be a huge help. She was dialed into the social and recreation scenes in Seattle, and knew all the top vendors and service providers in any industry worth knowing about. She took over a critical aspect of Jamie’s plan, promising that it would all be arranged by the next morning, well ahead of Sunday’s deadline. This left him with a handful of smaller details to handle - more than manageable, given the tight timeline. They traded numbers, and she promised to text him the moment she had confirmation that everything was on track.

“Thank you so much, Lauren! I really appreciate it. And thanks for the dinner too. So thoughtful of you. It’s been a rough and busy day, and making dinner was the last thing on our minds.”

“You’re very welcome. It was good meeting you. I’m so happy that Claire has you to ride out this storm with her. We’ll chat tomorrow.” 

Jamie saw Lauren to the door, and called Murtagh as he headed back out to the patio to join the girls. 

“Murtagh, I’m calling to thank ye again for last night. It was a bit fraught, and your help was verra much appreciated. I’m calling for an update. How did it go with Helen?”

“I’m with her right now, actually. She extended her stay through the weekend, and we’re about to settle down to dinner here. How’s Claire doing? And the girls?”

“It’s not been the easiest of days, but the girls are doing fairly well considering the circumstances. I spent all day juggling publicity tours and Superman schedules, but it was much harder for Claire. So many people reached out to her, as ye can imagine. And of course all the messages are wonderful and deeply appreciated, but it’s just reminder after reminder of the disappointment she must be feeling. The upside is that she’s been approached by a decent number of players in big business - not just ‘Seattle-big’ - huge national corporations. So that is giving her a boost, even though she’s unlikely to entertain the offers.”

“Hmm. I thought that might happen.”

“So Helen extended her stay? She must like it there.”

“I’ll call you over the weekend, Jamie. We’re about to order dinner.”

Jamie hung up with a glimmer of a smile tugging at his lips.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

They awoke to a beautiful day. Clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine boded well for a fun evening get-together for the twins and their friends. Claire dragged the girls into the man cave to do a yoga session with her, while Jamie went for a run. She needed the intensity of a good workout and deep stretching to loosen some of the tension that had built up around her neck and shoulders, and doing it with the girls was good mom-daughter bonding at a time when they really needed to see her reacting proactively and positively to adversity.

“Whoa, Mom! No wonder you’re so fit and flexible! That was tough. I thought we’d be sitting in the lotus position, meditating. I’m super sweaty after that.”

“I told you it was a great work out. It’s important to do some yoga and stretching - especially with the strength and conditioning that you both do. Let’s get showered and dressed, and we can head out to buy the groceries we need for this afternoon.”

While they did their shopping, Jamie drove to Woodinville - at Greta’s suggestion - and stocked up on some things he needed for Sunday. Lauren texted him while he was out, confirming that her part of the planning was all systems go. He returned home to help Claire and the girls prepare for their summer party. 

Deacon had offered to come early and help, and Beth eagerly took him up on it. While she and Ella prepared the food with Claire’s help, Jamie recruited Deacon to help him set up the patio with plates, flatware, and a large cooler filled with Italian soda, seltzer, and water. When all the major preparation was done, and friends were about to start arriving, Ella set out snacks and dips, while Beth and Deacon fine-tuned the playlist.

Jamie and Claire met the teens at the door as they arrived, and while the teens were clearly a little starstruck by meeting Jamie, they were respectful and polite, and every one of them had agreed to the twins’ requests not to take pictures of him or post anything about the afternoon on social media. 

After donning their swimsuits, the teens gathered around the snacks on the patio and planned what to do first. A volleyball game kicked off the proceedings, one side informally captained by Beth, and the other by Ella. It was a great ice-breaker, immediately integrating Deacon into the group, as he drew on his athleticism and proved to be a boon to Beth’s team. They thrashed Ella’s team convincingly and weren’t exactly modest with their celebrations. Ella’s group exacted their retribution shortly thereafter, when they wiped out their competition in a pool relay. 

While the teens competed, squealed, and laughed their way through their activities, Claire fired up the grill and she and Jamie prepared the food per the girls’ instructions, setting out an eclectic buffet of burgers, hotdogs, wings and a host of fixings and toppings. 

Having worked up quite an appetite, the teens raced up to the patio the moment Claire called to them, and amid chatter, music, and loud peals of laughter, they devoured most of what had been set out for them. Deacon was never far from Beth, and Claire noticed that he brought her a soda when he grabbed one for himself, took her plate from her when she was done with her meal, and brushed a curl from her face when her fingers were covered in barbecue sauce. 

After their early dinner, Claire urged the group to move down to the pool so that she and Jamie could clear the patio and get it ready for a movie later. Together, they loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up in the kitchen. Claire wiped all the work surfaces, while Jamie rinsed out the sink. They could hear the exuberant sounds of the party from the lowest part of the yard. It was the joyful noise of teens whose lives had been rudely interrupted by a global pandemic, and in their safe bubble of friends, they felt uninhibited and ready to celebrate summer - even if it was a little later than usual this year. Jamie looked out of the window towards the shouts and laughter, but from this part of the house, the pool was out of sight.

“They seem like a good bunch of kids,” he remarked.

“They are. I know all of them and they’re great kids. Most have been at school with the girls since 6th grade, and I know the families too. All of them reached out to me yesterday.”

She moved over to where Jamie stood by the sink and wrapped her arms around him from behind, her body pressed up against his back.

“Thanks for all your help today. It’s going really well, and I couldn't have done it without you.”

“Well, apart from me almost burning the hot-dogs, it’s been a good afternoon for them.”

Her hands drifted slowly down from his midriff to his thighs, and she felt his body stiffen slightly. She ran a hand firmly back up his thigh, over the rough texture of his jeans, pushing between his legs and playfully grabbing a handful.

“Would ye care to explain what you’re doing, Beauchamp?”

“Why Fraser, I thought that would be perfectly obvious. I’m helping myself to a handful of my man.”

“You’re not exactly setting a good example for the teens out there,“ he teased.

“There's no way they can see us from down there - and they’re too busy to notice us anyway.”

“I hope you’re noticing what’s going on in your handful.” His body was reacting strongly to her body and hands all over him.

“I most certainly am, Fraser,” she sighed. “Just getting a little appetizer of what you've got in store for me later.” 

“If you carry on like that, I might not wait until later.” 

He grabbed her hand, and turned around to face her. Pulling her in close, he leaned in for a long and passionate kiss. 

“Can we send them all home and go upstairs?” he murmured on her lips.

“No, of course not,” she giggled, ”but we can look forward to some alone time later. And when I get you alone, Fraser, I’m-”

“Stop talking and kiss me,” his hands moved down to cup her butt. “I want you so much, and your sweet promises are not helping my self-control here.”

Holding his face between gentle hands, she kissed him deeply, tasting the wine he’d been sipping and re-discovering the warm combination of soft and hard spaces that she loved to explore with her tongue. He pulled her hips in closer and moaned in a blend of pleasure and regret - knowing that they would have to wait a few more hours before they could finally indulge in some uninhibited lovemaking. 

They pulled apart with a start when the door from the patio opened and closed again, and Ashlee stepped into the kitchen.

“Oh,” she said, startled to see them standing in such close proximity at the sink, “I didn’t know you guys were in here. I need to use the bathroom.”

“No problem, Ashlee. We’re just cleaning up.”

Ashlee padded through the kitchen in her bare feet, and Jamie stifled a laugh.

“Of course it would be Ashlee who almost busts us!” Claire whispered dramatically.

“Maybe she’ll convey the message to her father,” Jamie said wryly.

“Jamie! You need to behave until the kids are gone!”

“ _I_ need to behave? If memory serves, I believe you were the one who grabbed a handful first. Not that I have any complaints, mind ye.”

As the sun settled and the last rays swept up the mountain peaks in the distance, the teens lit the fire table on the patio and made s’mores while they watched a movie.

Claire and Jamie moved to the family room where Claire lay with her head on his lap and started reading the book that Lauren had dropped off along with the previous night’s dinner. It was her book club’s choice for the following month, _Between the World and Me_ , by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Jamie re-read his favorite parts of _The Alchemist,_ playing absently with Claire's curls as they both enjoyed some quality reading.

When Jamie felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he groaned aloud and reluctantly checked his texts.

“It’s from Jon Corzak. He literally drove Anja to the airport himself and put her on the flight to Zurich. She’s on her way to rehab.”

“Thank God for that,” Claire’s relief was deep and palpable. They would not need to worry about Anja again for a very long time.

The teens drifted indoors to get dressed, and after they had all left, Jamie, Claire and the twins tidied up outside, and gathered around the kitchen island before bedtime. Jamie made them all a cup of chamomile tea, and as they sat sipping, the girls shared the highlights of their day.

“Thank you for letting us host - it went really well. Everyone said it was so much fun to get together again!”

“And thanks for doing all the food while we showed Beth’s team who was boss in the pool.”

“Yah, after we wiped the floor with you at volleyball,” Beth shot back playfully.

“Sounds like a pretty even battle to me,” Claire pointed out. “You both won.”

“Your Mam’s right,” Jamie agreed, “and while I have everyone sitting here, I wanted to talk really quickly about tomorrow’s plans.”

“We don’t have any plans,” Ella said, puzzled.

“I know,” Jamie said, “We planned on a quiet weekend, apart from tonight’s party, but since I’m going to be gone all week-”

“What? Noooooo!” Beth groaned.

“I know, I'm sorry girls. I haven't had a chance to tell you about this yet. Your Mam knows, though. I’m doing a series of talk shows and morning shows this week in L.A. and New York. I’ll be back on Friday.”

“Ugh - that’s so long, Jamie! A whole week,” Ella complained.

“Girls - I know we all prefer when everyone’s home together, but this is hard on Jamie too. He’d far rather be here with us than traveling. Especially this week.”

“Sorry, Jamie. We didn’t mean to make you feel worse about it. It’s just that ... we didn’t expect it.”

“It’s okay, leannan. I wish I could be here with all of you too. And because I’m going to be gone all week, I wanted us to have some family time tomorrow - just the four of us. I’ve planned a little surprise outing.” 

“Ooh - I love surprises,” Beth grinned, waiting for more information.

“What are we going to be doing?” Ella prodded.

“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told ye. All I can tell you is that you need to be in yer riding gear by 11:00 a.m.”

“Riding gear?” Claire asked, perplexed. “What about you?”

“That’s where I was this morning. Greta recommended a store in Woodinville, and I bought myself a decent saddle and paddock boots. I’m all set. That’s all I’m telling you about tomorrow.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

They arrived at Greta’s stables at around 11:30. Greta was more excited to see them than the girls could remember in all the years they had stabled with her. Smiling conspiratorially at Jamie, she handed him a folded sheet of paper and cryptically told him that everything was ready. She distributed helmets and had one of the stable’s employees fit Jamie’s new saddle to a huge and magnificent black horse named Odyssey.

“He was a feisty one when we got him, Jamie, but you’ll find he’s wonderful now. He'll try to show you that he's boss, so he needs a confident hand and a firm set of thighs if you ever want to ride him bareback.”

Claire did her damnedest not to smirk, and Jamie didn’t dare make eye contact with her. While the girls mounted Sugar and Spice, Jamie helped Claire with Calypso.

“I hope those firm thighs work as well on Odyssey as they do on me,” she said under her breath as he gave her a leg-up. Jamie responded with his two-eyed wink, and hoisted himself onto Odyssey.

The four of them set off on a slow trot, gradually speeding up to a gentle canter through Greta’s meandering trail, which eventually intersected a wider public trail shared by equestrians, walkers, and hikers. They slowed back down to a walk, and continued along the public trail, chatting animatedly and casually greeting other users of the trail as they moved along. 

After a couple of miles, they turned back and rejoined Greta’s private pathway, gathering just beyond the intersection of the two trails.

“Okay girls, I’m going to take the lead from here," Jamie announced. "Just drop in behind me. We’ll take it slower when we get off the trail because it’s unpaved and a little rugged.”

Unfolding the sheet of paper Greta had given him earlier, he guided Odyssey to the front of the small group. The big stallion led them in a rhythmic trot along the trail, as Jamie followed the crude map Greta had drawn for him. When they broke from the trail, he slowed the horses to a slow walk on the natural, unpaved terrain. 

They soon arrived at a clearing dominated by a large pond edged with reeds and water lilies, and skirted by a wide expanse of lawn. The water was clear and smooth, and reflected the blue skies and wispy clouds in what looked like a Monsted painting. A bug flitted too close to the surface of the water and sent lazy concentric circles rippling all the way out to the edges of the pond, distorting its reflections for a brief moment. A sweeping line of dense trees and shrubbery beyond the lawn afforded the area complete privacy. There were small clusters of trees near the banks of the pond, and the whole scene was peacefully and invitingly bucolic.

“Wow,” Claire said softly, “this is spectacular!”

“This must be Greta’s famous secret pond! She never lets any of the riders come this far down the trail,” Ella pointed out quietly.

“I know - I was starting to doubt whether there even was a secret pond. It’s so beautiful!” Beth sighed. “Is this the surprise, Jamie?”

“It’s part of it, leannan. Let’s keep going.”

They continued at a gentle walk around the pond, past two shrub-heavy thickets and came to a stop when they saw a small cluster of trees that cast their broad shade over a colorful picnic set-up about fifty yards ahead. 

There was a collective gasp from Claire and the twins, and they all turned to look at Jamie, who was beaming with pleasure. He had hoped that the picnic company would do a decent job at such short notice, but the beautiful scene far surpassed his expectations. 

Brightly colored blankets and throws were spread across the grass under the shaded area, and colorful cushions surrounded two low trestle tables that were set for a sumptuous picnic. Piled high with seasonal fruit, cheeses, crackers and charcuterie meats, the table also boasted beautiful place settings for four, and an ice-filled pail stocked with a bottle of Claire’s favorite wine from The Grotto, and Italian sodas for the girls. A large umbrella added to the shaded space, and cooler boxes filled with beverages and an assortment of gourmet sandwiches were placed at the base of the largest tree. 

Claire reached out and took Jamie’s hand. Her eyes glistened as tears threatened to spill.

“Jamie, what a beautiful way to spend a family day before your week away from us.”

“I can’t believe you did all of this for us. It is so amazing,” Beth said in awe.

“You always think of everything, Jamie,” Ella added appreciatively. “Thank you for doing this.”

“I’m just thrilled that you’re happy to spend the day with me and your Mam," he responded. “Bring the horses over to the hitching rails. Greta’s sending a couple of volunteers over on the 4-wheelers to take care of the horses and clean up afterwards, so we can enjoy our picnic.”

Jamie helped them all dismount and they pulled their boots off to get comfortable before settling down to enjoy their picnic. The picnic provider had even supplied a fully charged blue-tooth speaker and Claire linked her Uncle Lamb-inspired, 50's and 60’s soul playlist - the perfect accompaniment to a lazy afternoon.

After they had all eaten their fill, they lay back on the cushions and descended into the quiet peace of this insulated part of Greta’s usually bustling property. The girls wanted to know all about Jamie’s talk show appearances over the coming week, and he indulged them with all the details they asked for. They responded with enthusiastic come-backs and replies, but as the conversation continued, he and Claire noticed the girls’ responses becoming more and more lethargic. 

Eventually, all the activity from their summer party, their late night, and the heavy heat of the day caught up with them and they slowly nodded off within minutes of each other.

“The girls are napping,” Claire whispered.

“Exhausting few days for them,” Jamie said softly, as Claire fed him a chunk of lemon bar.

“Oooh - that’s good,” Jamie mumbled, his mouth puckering slightly as he savored the tangy dessert. “Tart!”

“Are you calling me a tart?” she whispered dramatically.

“Based on last night’s performance … yes!” he whispered back, licking the remnants off her fingers. 

“There’s no hope for you, Jamie!" She sighed and caressed his face gently. "You know I’m going to miss you so dang much this week, right? Who’s going to make me laugh every day?”

“I’ll miss you so much too, Claire. It won’t be easy. I’m glad we’re spending today relaxing together. Even if they are napping through some of it,” he chuckled.

“This is such a wonderful, magical afternoon. How and when did you pull all this together?”

“Friday night when you went to see Joe. I’ve been wanting to make time to come here with you when you could ride Calypso and I could ride another of Greta’s horses. Seeing how well everyone responded to Brandy on Thursday night, I figured that more animal love would be good for all of us. The idea just grew from there. I called Greta, and she was so excited to help. Then I researched companies that could do a picnic, and shortlisted a few. When Lauren dropped off the food, I asked her advice, and she offered to help. She knows the picnic people.”

“Yep - that’s Lauren. She would know exactly who’s who in almost every area you could possibly want to know about. That was so nice of her.”

“It was. She and Armando are good friends to you, mo chridhe. Makes me feel better about leaving you in a tough week, knowing that you can lean on them in need.”

“It’s going to be a tough week for you too - lots of moving from show to show. It sounds exhausting. Is there a part of the week that you’re even looking forward to?”

“Trevor Noah. He’s always sincere and genuinely interested. So many late night hosts play to the audience only - and that’s okay, it’s their job. The viewership comes first. But Trevor always comes across like he’s really interested in my responses. Like he cares.”

The song on Claire’s playlist changed at that moment, and Wilson Pickett’s ‘In The Midnight Hour’ drifted out of the speaker. Jamie leapt to his feet.

“Dance with me, babe. I love this 60’s stuff,” he said, pulling her to her feet. Their energy and mood matched the tempo of the song. Stifling their laughter, they abandoned all inhibitions as Jamie twirled her around, pulled her into his arms, and then twirled her out again. Pulling her in close with his large hand across the breadth of her lower back, he clasped her free hand and they moved to the music, smiling into each other’s eyes. Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder, and when Wilson Pickett faded into Percy Sledge’s ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’, he wrapped both arms around her, and she twined her hands around his neck. Their tempo slowed to meet the rhythm of the music, and he pressed his lips to her forehead.

On the other side of the table, Ella stirred and opened an eye.

“Oh, God, Beth,” she whispered, nudging her sister gently.

“Huh?” Beth muttered sleepily. “What?”

“Shhh! They’re dancing.”

“Oh Jeez. For real? Not making out though?”

“No, just dancing.”

“I’ve gotta see this. They’re so cute!”

Beth sat up slowly, and smiled sweetly at the sight of Jamie and her mom dancing. 

“Every man should look at his woman the way he looks at Mom,” she whispered to Ella.

“Uh … in case you hadn’t noticed, that’s pretty close to how Deacon looks at you.”

Beth blushed slightly and tried not to smile. 

“The girls are awake,” Jamie murmured into Claire’s ear.

“Great. Keep dancing. I want them to see how a good man treats his woman.”

The song changed to uptempo ‘Cry To Me’, and they moved back into a more energetic dance with lots of twirls and laughter, and a final flourish as Jamie supported Claire into a deep dip over his arm. He pulled her back up and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips.

“Whoop, whoop.” The girls were clearly over their initial embarrassment and applauded the dance heartily.

"What? Not too cringey for you?" Claire teased.

“No, that was super cute. Sorry we fell asleep on you guys!” Beth apologized sheepishly.

“It's okay, you were only out for about 20 minutes!” Claire reassured them. “But you missed dessert. I’ll get it out for you.”

They spent another hour nibbling on picnic treats and enjoying each others’ conversation and company, until two volunteers arrived in the 4-wheelers. 

“Hi, we were told to come and clean up at 4:30. Do you want us to come back?”

“No, you’re fine,” Jamie confirmed. “We’ll get back on the horses and you can go ahead. Thanks for helping out.”

They made their way back to the stables at a good canter. Jamie enjoyed the challenge of riding a big powerful stallion like Odyssey, and looked forward to riding him again when he could bring him to a faster pace. 

Greta was all smiles when they got back. “Oh, this man is so special, Dr. Beauchamp,” she gushed at Claire and the rest of the group. “What a romantic thing to do for you - and to include the girls too. He’s a keeper for sure! I hope you all enjoyed the picnic.”

“It was wonderful, Greta, thank you. And yes, he most certainly is a keeper,” Claire smiled.

Once home, their day of family bonding extended to a refreshing early evening swim to cool off after a hot, early August day. The twins declared a pajama and movie evening, and they met in the media room to watch ‘Hidden Figures’, a movie that had been recommended by last year's Advisory teacher as a great choice for family movie night over the summer. 

“Great choice!” Jamie said. “It’s one of my favorite movies of all time, and such an important movie for all young women to watch. There are so many important themes embedded in it, and it’s very empowering because it’s based on the real-life stories of three amazing women." 

After the movie ended, they all had a deep and powerful discussion on the rampant sexism and racism that the women had faced working in a traditionally white, male environment in the 1960's.

“Thank God things are better now!” Ella declared.

“I can’t imagine working under those conditions,” Beth said.

Claire and Jamie looked at each briefly. Each knew what the other was thinking, and while Jamie didn’t want to pick at the scab of Claire’s painful past few days, he also didn’t want the twins’ comments to go unaddressed . 

“You’re right, girls - things are a lot better for women now,” he began, “but we, as a society, still have some way to go before we can say that the issues these three women battled are completely resolved.”

“I thought that the MeToo movement had made a big difference for women in general,” Beth pointed out.

“It made a big difference in exposing some very ugly and abusive behavior by people in power. But we still have a lot more to do when it comes to organizational gender and racial inequalities. Almost ten years ago, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - the people who vote for the Oscars - was predominantly white and male. They've made some progress, but there is still a lot of work to do to achieve a better balance. It is still dominated by white males, but there are more women and people of color now than ever before.”

"That's slow progress - and it's only the entertainment industry," Ella commented.

"Your generation will have to use yer voices to continue bringing about much-needed change in almost every industry and profession."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Early on Monday morning, Claire spent an hour on a Zoom call with Joe Abernathy and a group of faculty members in the Communications department. They worked collaboratively on a plan for on-boarding Professor Davidson. Claire, in all her professionalism, would be taking an active role in helping Davidson find his feet and get used to Fulton’s way of doing things.

She also replied to the corporates that had reached out to her on Friday, starting with Costco and Microsoft. By mid-morning, her contacts at Amazon had invited her to a working lunch later in the week to meet some of the senior executives and discuss 'broad plans that would benefit from your involvement'. She called the Dean at Haas Business School and got a busy signal. She left a voice-mail and checked it off her morning's to-do list. The Dean would no doubt call back at her convenience.

At around 10:00 a.m., she and the girls gathered in the foyer to say goodbye to Jamie. Millennium had arranged for a limo driver to pick him up and drive him to Boeing Field for his noon flight to Van Nuys. He would be in publicity meetings with Geillis and her team all afternoon. On Tuesday, he would tape Ellen and Kimmel, and after debriefing again with Geillis, the whole troop would board another private jet and fly through the night for an early morning arrival in New York on Wednesday. 

The limo was a few minutes out, and the girls hugged Jamie in their now-familiar group hug. He planted a kiss on each girl’s head.

“You girls take good care of yourselves and your Mam,” he said, feeling unusually emotional. This goodbye felt different. New York was so much farther away, and he didn’t relish the idea of being clear across the country at a time when he wanted to be available for Claire the minute she indicated that she needed him. 

“Have a great time, Jamie,” Ella said softly. “We’ll take good care of Mom, so don’t worry about things back here. You should go and have fun at all the talk shows. I’m going to miss you, Jamie. This weekend was so special.”

“Yes, it was, Ella. You and Beth made it a fantastic weekend - magical, as your mom described it. You girls are such a precious gift to me.”

“I’m too sad to speak, so I’ll just hug,” Beth said in a small voice as tears rolled down her face.

“Don’t be sad, Beth. Friday is just a few days away,” Jamie gave them both an extra little squeeze and they pulled away from him to allow Claire to move into his arms. A sense of guilt and sorrow hovered over him as he held Claire tightly. He blinked away tears that had welled in his eyes, and pushed aside his thoughts of self-blame. Claire had been adamant about that, and he had promised her he wouldn't go there. 

Taking her face gently between his hands, he kissed her with immeasurable tenderness. Keeping his lips lightly on hers, he spoke his words of love - raw and honest and straight from his heart.

“I love you so much, Claire. I’m leaving part of my heart with you and taking part of yours with me. I won’t feel whole until we’re together again.”

“Me too, my love. Friday cannot come soon enough. I will feel like half of my soul is missing until you’re back in my arms. I love you so much.”

They kissed again, and his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He grabbed his bags and walked quickly down the stairs to the waiting limo.

Claire stood at the open front door feeling quite bereft as she watched the limo drive Jamie away. She, too, felt an added layer of sadness and heaviness. New York was so far away. At least when he was in L.A., he was in the same time zone and could be home within a few hours if the need arose. New York felt a world away right now. 

She shook her head as she closed the door. She needed to pull herself together. Had he gone on this publicity tour in any other week, she would not be feeling so sorrowful. 

_Hold it together, dammit. The events of last week, the drama of the Superman reveal, the shock of losing the professorship - all of that plus the cumulative stress of Anja’s shenanigans before that - it’s all bubbling up to the surface and making Jamie’s week away feel worse. You’ve done great until now - not even a tear! You can’t let the girls see you fall apart._

She powered through the rest of the day while the girls attended Volleyball training and by the time they got home, Claire had made them spaghetti and made-from-scratch meatballs - one of their favorite meals. She was looking forward to enjoying a night with them and they spent a wonderful few hours enjoying each other’s company in the family room. 

“Don’t cook for us tomorrow night,” Beth reminded Claire. “We have community service in the school gym and they’re providing pizza. It’ll be quite a late event, but we should be home by 10:30 p.m.”

“I’m glad you reminded me - I’ll have leftovers. What’s your service project this time?”

“We’re putting together care-packages for older adults in retirement facilities. They’re super isolated because of the pandemic, and we’re putting together games, craft supplies, books, treats - things like that.”

“That sounds wonderful. I’m glad you’re doing that.” Her thoughts drifted to Nonna and Uncle Lamb, and how hard pandemic restrictions must be for them. She added a call to each of them to her to-do list, then berated herself mentally.

_What kind of crazy world do we live in when we have to remind ourselves to call the most important people in our lives!_

Jamie called her as she was getting into bed and they spoke for a half hour about their day. Jamie’s planning meetings for the week’s talk shows had gone well, and the only thing he insisted on for the interviews was no personal questions. He knew that questions about Anja were inevitable, and Millennium’s message was that she was going through a few difficulties, and the studio was supporting her recovery. Everyone would come out looking golden. Jamie was the professional and compassionate co-star, Millennium was the caring, proactive studio, and Anja had the foresight to know when she needed to seek help. The Oscar campaign would survive - even thrive - according to a very confident Geillis.

Claire updated Jamie on her responses to the corporates that had approached her.

"What about Haas?" he asked.

"We're playing phone tag. I left her two messages and she left two for me. We'll eventually connect."

She also shared about helping Davidson to get settled in his new job. It didn’t sit well with Jamie that Claire had to be involved in that, but he understood her need to be completely professional about it. He was also concerned about her attending the welcome reception for Davidson the following afternoon, but she assured him she would make a fleeting appearance and leave soon after greeting and welcoming him. 

She hugged Jamie's pillow close to her body as she fell asleep. His scent lingered on it and filtered through to her very soul, soothing and lulling her into a deep sleep.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

She awoke with a start to a text from Jamie, and tapped to read it right away. 

**Woke up thinking of you babe, and hating the fact that I’ve neglected to send you musical poetry lately.**

**Here’s one I want you to listen to - inspired by your 60's playlist from our magical day yesterday. My fav line is:**

**_This magic moment while your lips are close to mine, Will last forever, forever till the end of time'_ **

He included a link to 'This Magic Moment' by The Drifters, and she clicked on it and listened. It was such a sweet, upbeat, retro little song, that it immediately lifted her mood. She hit repeat and listened again, paying closer attention to the lyrics, then replied to him.

**Best way to wake up is always with ur kisses, my love, but in your absence i’ll take the musical poetry.**

**I love this one! Thk U. Love you! Good luck at the Ellen taping, can’t wait to see it later. My fav line, BTW:**

**** **** **_'Everything I want I have whenever I hold you tight'_ **

Claire worked on campus all day, spending several hours Zooming with students seeking her advice on course selection for the forthcoming year. Some already knew her from previous classes and cohorts, and expressed their sadness and regret over the professorship. Claire responded with her customary appreciation and professionalism. 

At around 4:00 p.m., she stopped revising her in-progress paper for publication, and went to the bathroom to freshen up, tucking errant curls back into her bun, touching up her lipstick, and refreshing her fragrance with a light spritz of Daisy.

She walked up the stairs and along the hallway to the conference room. The click-clack of her heels on the hard surface made her stride sound a lot more confident than she felt inside. Her stomach was in knots, and she was bracing for all the knowing but subtle looks of triumph or regret that would be cast her way as soon as she entered the room.

She took a face-mask from Tonya, who was handing them out at the door. Relieved that the mask prevented anyone from lip-reading their conversation, she greeted Tonya warmly.

“Tonya, it’s so good to see you. I’m sorry I was too busy to chat with you today. Feel free to stop by later this week. Who’s already here?” She jerked her slightly towards the conference room.

“Dr. B, I’m really happy you came. It shows everyone here what you’re made of. Professor Davidson is in there with Dean Abernathy. About eight or nine Trustees, including Wolverton. Quite a few from Fulton’s faculty and a few big-wigs from UDub.”

“Meredith Channing?” 

“No. She declined the invitation.”

“Coward!” Claire muttered.

“I’m sorry, Dr. B - I missed that. The mask makes it harder - what did you say?”

‘Never mind. I should go in. Thanks again, Tonya.”

Claire entered the room and immediately suspected that the event was fast approaching the pandemic-recommended capacity for a room this size. That would make it easier to find an excuse to leave early. Two of Claire’s department colleagues had entered minutes before her, and one brought her a glass of white wine. 

“I’ll be your wing-person if you want to work the room together,” she offered. She was one of Claire's closest allies in the department, and had been the first of the faculty to reach out on Friday.

“Thank you so much, Angie. Yes - I’ll take you up on that.” 

She scanned the room quickly and spied Wolverton in the same corner in which he’d held court with a handful of Trustees at the infamous pre-vote meeting that had taken place just over a week earlier. He turned and greeted her with a cursory nod of the head, which she returned with a neutral expression. The knots in her stomach tightened as she approached small clusters of people. Heads turned in greeting, many of them turning away again when they realized who was behind the mask. Most of them simply didn’t know what to say. A few greeted her warmly, placing a comforting hand on her arm or shoulder. It was excruciatingly humiliating, but she held her head high and moved around the room greeting people and nodding curtly, but politely, at Trustees as they made eye contact. Some regarded her with a mix of guilt and pity, and others with a mix of regret and pity. 

Angie got sucked into a protracted work-related discussion with another faculty member, so Claire moved on, anxious to leave the reception as soon as it was decent to do so. She spotted Joe standing with an unfamiliar man near the middle of the room and she made her way over to him.

“Ah, Dr. Beauchamp, it’s good to see you,” Joe greeted her formally. “Allow me to introduce you to Professor Warwick Davidson. This is Dr. Claire Beauchamp, another rising star in our faculty.”

“Claire extended her hand and her eyes smiled at him above her mask. “Please call me Claire. Congratulations, Professor Davidson, and welcome to Fulton. And Seattle.”

Davidson was neatly groomed and appeared to be clean-shaven, with piercing blue eyes, dark hair and fine features - at least from what she could determine from what wasn't hidden by his face mask. 

“Warwick,” he said, smiling back in reply. “It’s good to meet you Claire. I’ve heard a lot about you, and I’ve read your work. I’m looking forward to working with you. Thank you for the good wishes.”

There was a moment of awkward silence, and Claire quickly filled it with small-talk, asking, “How has your house-hunting experience been?”

“Painful, to be honest. It is ridiculously expensive out here, and everything disappears off the market within days of being listed. Luckily we’ve found something to rent for a year or so.”

“Oh, that’s great! That’ll give you a breather and let you find something more permanent in your own time. Less pressure that way.”

“Exactly what we thought.”

A few people had lined up behind Claire to greet the new addition to Fulton’s faculty.

“Warwick, it looks like you have a line of people waiting to meet you, so I’ll get out of the way. I look forward to seeing you when you start officially next week.”

“Yes, thank you, Claire. I’d love to grab lunch and chat informally.”

She smiled, and discreetly made her way out of the room.

Once home, she headed upstairs to shower and wash away the stresses of the day. Breathing a sigh of relief that the work portion of her day was over, she pulled on yoga pants and a soft sweater. The embarrassment and humiliation of having to face the Trustees and a large group of coworkers was over for the day - even the limited interactions she’d had with Wolverton and his supporters were enough to add an element of stress and anxiety to her evening. 

She had missed a call from Jamie while she was in the shower, and quickly tapped the voicemail. 

_“Hi babe, I hope you’re home. Please don’t think about work tonight - I know that welcome party couldn't have been fun with the Trustees there. No more thinking about them. Think only about how much I love you and cannot wait until I see you on Friday. I’m going into the Kimmel taping now. After that, there’s a Millennium de-briefing and then we’re heading to the airport for the flight to NYC. I’ll call you in the morning. Goodnight, mo ghràidh. I love you so much, it hurts.”_

Her heart constricted at that last bit - she knew exactly what he meant.

Grabbing a bowl of reheated leftovers, she moved to the family room and turned on the DVR recording of the Ellen Show, which had aired mid-afternoon. Her heart did a little leap as she watched Jamie walk onto the set to the upbeat music selected by tWitch, the show’s resident DJ and dance expert. Jamie did an awkward little solo dance, which delighted Ellen and the socially distanced studio audience, and he sat in his solo armchair at least six feet from Ellen. 

Ellen stuck to the script religiously, and Jamie answered all her questions about Unauthorized Contact exactly as he’d been briefed. Even the questions about Anja went smoothly, and Jamie rubbed his chin briefly, knowing that this would be the part of his interview when Claire would most appreciate the fact that he was thinking of her. Sure enough, her heart skipped a full beat or two at that point. She felt irrationally tearful by his thoughtfulness - he was never far from her thoughts, and that chin touch confirmed that she was never far from his. Repressing her tears again, she continued watching, and as soon as Jamie’s segment ended, she got up to put her bowl in the dishwasher. 

She desperately wanted to see him and talk to him and tell him how much she missed and loved him, but she’d have to wait until morning. Glancing at her phone, she was gripped by a sudden and unexpected wave of loneliness. It would be several hours before the girls returned from their service project, and the house suddenly felt very big and very quiet and very isolated.

She wandered into the study, where she would be surrounded by Jamie’s things, and sat in the chair. On one side of the desk were his neatly stacked folders with paperwork on Superman, The Grotto, Lallybroch, and Unauthorized Contact. A notepad sat in the middle of the desk, and on it he’d written his shortlist of picnic companies. At the top of the page he'd written 'Family Day'. She swallowed hard as she thought of how thoughtful and considerate and loving he was with her and the girls, and how quickly and deeply they had fallen into being a tight-knit, loving unit. Most of all, she thought of how he always knew exactly what to say to make her feel loved and cherished and valued. 

_"I’m leaving part of my heart with you and taking part of yours with me. I won’t feel whole until we’re together again.”_

_"Think only about how much I love you and cannot wait until I see you on Friday.”_

She placed a hand over her heart and leaned back in the chair. A solitary tear rolled slowly down her face. She wiped it away angrily, and took a deep breath.

_It’s okay to give in, dammit. You need to let it out - you’ll feel so much better._

Before she could give in to the emotional release that she so desperately needed, her app pinged, alerting her that there was someone at the front door. She tapped the video feed and watched as it focused on a large Louis Vuitton suitcase directly outside her front door.

Puzzled, she got up and started to walk to the front door. Checking the video again, she zoomed in and saw an airport limo in the driveway. It was dark out, and the video was a little fuzzy, but she could make out the driver getting another suitcase out of the trunk. The owner of the Louis Vuitton luggage was obscured by the limo driver.

It suddenly occurred to her that the passenger might have given the driver the wrong address. Slipping her phone into her waistband, she moved quickly to the front door hoping to catch the driver before he drove off, leaving his passenger stranded on her doorstep. 

She pulled the door open as the limo accelerated up her street. Claire watched the red tail-lights in dismay, then looked in confusion at the woman standing before her. Her hands flew to her mouth. For a few moments, she stood frozen as the woman allowed her to take in what was happening. 

Neither of them spoke as a sobbing Claire collapsed into Melissa Thornton’s arms. 

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	48. Chapter 48

* * *

Melissa stood on the doorstep, holding Claire close in her arms, hearing and feeling every sob. Her heart felt painfully heavy for her friend. As Claire’s tears slowly subsided, Melissa led her inside the house and closed the door.

“Go upstairs and put on your pajamas,” she said gently. “We’ll be talking until late tonight. I’ll meet you in the family room as soon as I have mine on. Okay to take the smaller guest room?”

“No … take the big one. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Ten minutes later they were in pajamas and robes, curled up in armchairs in the family room. Melissa had poured them each a glass of wine, and they settled in for a long talk.

“I still can’t believe you’re here!” Claire began, “How … what …?”

“Jamie. He texted me on Thursday night. Armando shared my contact details with him and he let me know about the press release, and said that something ‘wasn’t sitting well’ with him. I happened to agree and booked a flight as soon as I could leave my Atlanta office.”

“This is such a busy time for you, Mel. Weren’t you busy getting a couple of Senators out of hot water.”

“Done and dusted,” she declared. “Well, almost. I can finish the last few details from here. Their seats are secure for six more years.”

“What did Jamie tell you about the professorship vote?”

“Not much. Just that there was something untoward about it. If you’re working from home tomorrow, I would love to steal some of your time over lunch and whenever you can break away over the next few days so that I can get the full story from you.”

Claire rested her head back on the chair and closed her eyes. “Why, Melissa? It’s too late to do anything about it now.”

“It’s never too late.”

“I want to get to the bottom of this mess too, but I met Warwick Davidson earlier, and he was pleasant and friendly, and it struck me that it’s not just my life and career that have been impacted by the Board and their duplicity. It could easily affect Davidson too. I would feel awful if we started to make a noise and dragged him into something unpleasant. None of this is on him.”

“I would never make this about Davidson, you can trust me on that. But I need to get a lot more information so that I can get a sense of whether there is something to pursue here, and if there is, I need to come up with a strategy to pursue it without Davidson becoming collateral damage.” 

“I don’t know, Melissa … there’s a lot of big money behind whatever is going on.”

“I love big money! When the stakes are high and the players have a lot to lose, it makes things way more exciting. But let’s not think about it tonight. We’ll have lots of time to talk about it later.”

“How long are you staying?”

“As long as it takes. I can easily work remotely, and my office is in Marsali’s very capable hands.”

“Marsali was promoted again? That’s awesome! I knew she’d be an asset to you!” Marsali MacKimmie had been one of Claire’s students when she first started teaching at Fulton. She had completed her law degree at Duke University, quickly and convincingly passed her board exams, and enrolled for an MBA at Fulton shortly thereafter. Claire had helped her secure an internship at Melissa’s firm, and wasn’t at all surprised when Melissa offered her a permanent job the day she started interning.

“Absolute Godsend! Nothing gets past her, and she’ll deal with whatever issues come in so that I’m free to focus on what’s happening here. This is important to me, Claire.”

“I don’t even know what to say.” Claire sighed a deep, ragged sigh. “It’s important to me too. It goes beyond my personal disappointment and all the humiliation. Far beyond that. I just don’t know that I have the energy this week.”

“That’s why I’m here. I need about a week to gather my facts and information. My team will work long hours on this, so it won’t drag on for weeks and weeks. You need to carry on doing what you've been doing. Let me do what I do."

“I have a summer cohort for an online course. And I’m working on a new article for publication.”

“See? You won’t need to think about the Board and this whole mess until I brief you and Jamie. You have plenty to keep you busy.”

“I also have some potential offers from corporates.”

Melissa’s eyes narrowed slightly as she regarded her friend. “I knew you would. Anything you’re considering?”

“I’ve basically just responded to their opening salvos. You know I’m not ready to leave academia. I love it too much. But I still want to meet with the companies that approached me. It’s great networking as I start planning some new studies in reputational risk and social responsibility across departments and disciplines. I’d love to partner with them at some point.”

“I think that’s a great idea. Keep those doors just slightly open.”

“The Dean at Haas called me too.”

“Liz Hoffman? And? You called her back, right?”

“After multiple attempts, we finally emailed and scheduled a video call for tomorrow afternoon. But I don’t want to talk about Haas right now. Too many things to think about when I go down that road.” 

“I know, Claire. You will be facing a lot of big decisions in the weeks ahead.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “For now, let me focus on you and how much I love that you’re here. Your timing tonight was impeccable.”

“You were long overdue for a good release.”

Claire winced. “I know - I’m sorry for blubbering all over you. Tonight was the first time I’ve broken down over this. I knew it was coming though, and I’ve been fighting it for days.”

“Why? Even I cry sometimes - mostly out of rage at some of the things I work on. MeToo, abusive situations, child victims.”

“I couldn’t break down in front of Jamie, Melissa.”

“Why not?” Melissa was taken aback. “He cared enough to find me and get me here - why would you not let yourself open up to him? Don’t tell me he sees crying as weak and ‘feminine’?”

“No! God, no. I’ve seen him get tearful several times. If he sees me break down over this, he’ll blame himself, and I don’t want that. We’ve spoken about it several times, and he promised me he wouldn’t take on the blame, but I know him well enough to know that he will do exactly that.” 

“It’s inevitable that he will feel responsible to some extent, Claire. His connection to Anja was the catalyst for all of this. There’s no getting around that. You’ll have to find a way to work through that together. You can’t stop him from feeling guilty by suppressing your own feelings. That’s not healthy.”

“I know,” she sighed, “I think we both have a deep-seated need to protect each other.”

“He sounds like every woman’s dream man. I’m looking forward to meeting him. When does he get back?”

“Friday - early afternoon.”

“Just a couple of days away, hon. What time will the twins be home? I can’t wait to see them. Tell me what’s going on in their lives.” 

“They’ll probably be back within the next half hour. They are going to be so excited to see you.” 

They were more than excited. Amid squeals of delighted surprise and prolonged hugs, the twins welcomed Melissa with their characteristic exuberance. 

“We had no idea you were coming! Mom, why didn’t you tell us?” demanded Ella.

“She surprised me too!”

“How fun!” Beth was positively glowing with excitement. “How long are you staying, Melissa?”

“A few weeks, I have no confirmed return date. I wanted to spend time with you guys and your mom. I know you’ve had crazy times here, and I wanted to see if I could help in any way.”

The girls pondered that for a few seconds. They knew a little about what Melissa’s work entailed, and realization quickly started to sink in.

“Wait - are you talking about the professorship? Isn’t that a done deal?” Beth asked.

“Yeah. Surely they can’t reverse that after it’s already been announced in public,” Ella added.

“We can’t reverse it,” Melissa confirmed, “but I want to look into a few other things. Maybe there are some other opportunities for your mom. We’ll see. I don’t want you girls worrying about anything - I’m really just looking at it as your mom’s friend. And I’ll share whatever I come up with. You know this has got to stay between all of us and Jamie only. You can’t even share this with boyfriends.” She looked at Beth with a knowing little smile.

Blushing, Beth replied, “We know, Melissa. Almost everything we’ve been dealing with in the past couple of months has been super confidential. We won’t say a word to anyone.”

Delighting in the girls’ animated conversation, Melissa bombarded them with questions and praise about the previous school year’s academic and athletic accomplishments, and about the effects the pandemic was having on their social lives. They continued to talk until the Kimmel show aired, when they gathered around the family room TV to watch Jamie’s segment. Like the Ellen Show, everything was perfectly on-message and on-script, with no awkward questions. Geillis Duncan had done a superb job of priming the producers of both shows, and there were no surprises. 

The girls went to bed after the show, while Claire and Melissa stayed up to talk and catch up a little more on each other’s lives since they had last spent time together in person. They deliberately pushed thoughts and talk of the Trustees aside, focusing instead on their personal lives and reminiscing about the many special moments they had shared during their annual weekends to destination cities around the country.

Before heading to bed, they took a quick selfie together, and Claire texted it to Jamie with a simple message.

**Thank you. 😘**

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie taped the Kelly and Ryan Show at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday morning, and FaceTimed Claire the minute he got off the set. She was still in bed, and he smiled slowly at the sight of her sleep-mussed curls spread over the pillow.

“God, babe, you’ve no idea how badly I want to be in that bed with you right now.”

“Oh, I wish! Two more sleeps, my love. Did you get my text?”

“I did. And I must admit I was nervous about how you would view my contacting Melissa. I knew you could use a friend this week, but more than that, I wanted someone who could independently and discreetly look into the Trustee’s actions without causing trouble for you.”

“I love that you did that, Jamie. How could I not appreciate how thoughtful and insightful you are? You always know exactly what to say and do - in any situation. Melissa’s the perfect person to look into the Board. I want her to do it really carefully. She and I have spoken about my level of comfort around Davidson and how I really don’t want this to ricochet on him.” 

“That’s the trickiest part of all of this. Nothing about this appointment is fair on him either. How was the reception? Were there many Trustees?”

“I think nine, total. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but I didn’t stay too long. Davidson was very pleasant and friendly. As weird as this sounds, I’m looking forward to getting to know him better. None of this is his fault.”

“You’re right, and it makes me even more angry at the Board. They’re messing with two people’s careers. It’s disgraceful. Did ye hear back from Haas?”

“Yes, we finally set up a video call for later today.”

“Hmm. Okay. Well … let me know how that goes.”

The hesitation in his voice revealed that he was troubled by the idea of an out-of-state college pursuing her. She didn’t want to talk about it with him yet - she certainly didn't want to give him a false sense of security by telling him she wasn’t interested in another college. Not until she knew exactly what Haas had in mind. 

Changing the subject, she said brightly, “I watched Ellen when I got back from work. And Melissa, the girls and I watched Kimmel together. You did great. There were no awkward moments or questions in either.”

“Hah! We can thank Geillis for that. I’ve never seen producers so intimidated by a studio exec! Even Tara was impressed.”

“What time are you taping Fallon?”

“Around 5:00p.m. I have a few hours to kill, so I’m going to hit Madison and 5th Avenue. Can ye do me a favor and send me ideas for a little something from New York for Ella and Beth? No protesting - just ideas.”

He already knew what he was buying for Claire. 

“Oh, Jamie! You know you don't have to do that. But I know you'll do it anyway, so I'll send some suggestions.”

“Thank you. I love you and I miss you, and I’ll call again later.”

“I love you too, and I can’t wait to be back in your arms again.”

Claire and Melissa set up the smaller guestroom for Melissa to use as her office. The room had a cherry-wood writing desk that worked perfectly as her workspace. An empty chest of drawers was quickly re-purposed as a filing system, and the nightstands and bed provided surface areas for future printouts that she would spread out as she pondered the information that her office would soon be gathering and transmitting to her. 

Working from home, Claire spent much of her day refining her paper for publication, breaking away occasionally to meet with Melissa for a caffeine boost, or to check with Joe and the on-boarding team on specifics for Davidson’s orientation. 

Melissa spent all of Wednesday gathering preliminary facts and information. Claire was her main source for now, and over several short coffee breaks and a longer lunch break on the patio, Melissa compiled a list of names as she listened to Claire describe several meetings, interviews, and discussions centered around PILF and, more recently, the professorship process. She took copious notes and made a list of significant names that warranted further investigation.

By mid-afternoon, Melissa had distributed her list of names to various experts in her team in Atlanta. Each of her associates had very specific skill-sets, and they were adept at finding information that was not readily available to the public. 

Using whatever sources they needed - including the dark web - they started to compile an electronic dossier that would prove exceptionally helpful to Melissa in her investigation. 

At around 4:00 p.m., Melissa skimmed all her notes and highlighted certain areas. Then she made a phone call to Trevor Noah that she knew would spark frenzied activity in Jamie’s Millennium team. It was 7:00 p.m. in New York, and that meant there was no time to waste. Her phone call sparked even more frenzied activity at The Daily Show’s studios on 11th Avenue, but she really wanted some specific questions included during Jamie’s appearance, and Trevor was on board with that. His team was accustomed to working on unexpected stories under tight deadlines, and a few hours later, everything was well under control. 

She briefed Claire about the additional questions over dinner, because it would throw her name back into the spotlight, both during and after the show. Claire agreed to it, as long as Jamie was thoroughly briefed and Trevor could be relied upon to stick to the script. Melissa assured her that both of those stipulations were reasonable and doable. 

Before turning in for the night, Melissa checked her texts and emails again, and read two or three high-priority emails. Her last text for the day was to Jamie, asking him to check his email as soon as he awoke. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Thursday brought clear blue skies and August heat to both coasts, and New York and Seattle would soon be sweltering in 90º heat. Melissa and Claire went for a long run at 6:00 a.m., while the air was still fresh. 

Walking the last mile to cool down, they discussed Claire’s conversation the previous day with Dean Elizabeth Hoffman from Haas Business School.

“She wasn’t exactly bashful about her reason for wanting to speak to me. I like her direct approach. Why tiptoe around the fact that she wants me to join her team?”

“So you’re considering it?”

“Not yet. Although I must admit that it’s incredibly flattering that one of the top 10 business schools in the country is pursuing me. I need to know a lot more about the job and what it entails. I could tell that what interested her most about me was my work with Amazon, Costco, and Boeing.”

“That’s exciting, right? She’s probably already targeting Silicon Valley giants like Apple, Google, Chevron. The fact that she appreciates your avant-garde approach to corporate communications is huge! I know that Abernathy supports you in those initiatives, but your Board is hopelessly behind the times. I can’t imagine that being the case with Haas.”

“That is right at the top of my list of questions for her when we meet. The make-up of their board.” 

“As it should be. What did Jamie think about it?”

Claire hesitated. “He's been very positive and encouraging about the level of interest from Haas but I sense his underlying worry about it being in California. We didn’t speak about that - I’d rather do that face-to-face when he gets back. I know he’s a little unsettled, and I am so grateful for his support, despite his feelings.”

“I love how supportive he is. How supportive you are of each other.”

“He’s been amazing throughout all of this, Mel. He knows how much I want to stay in education, and he hasn’t pushed me to consider accepting a corporate offer. And what I appreciate most of all is that he has never suggested that I throw in the towel completely and let him take care of me and the twins.”

“I love a man who appreciates a woman’s need to carve her own path. This has to be difficult for both of you to navigate, given where your relationship stands.” 

“We have so much of our future planned out here already. Our family - not just the twins - we’ve spoken about babies, Mel. Then there’s the house, the winery, building a life together in Seattle. I can’t blame him for worrying that an out-of-state job might mess with some of those plans.”

“You really need to make time to talk about it in greater detail and explore all the possible ways that an offer from Haas may or may not work for you as a family. There’s so much to consider.”

“I know. I’ll only do that when he gets back - don’t want to worry him with all the details while he’s in the middle of a really busy week.”

“And I just made it busier by extending his six minute segment on The Daily Show to eleven minutes.”

“Can you run the basics by me - how you pulled this off, the type of questions Trevor will ask him - that sort of thing.”

“Sure. I called Trevor yesterday afternoon, and gave him a brief run-down on what I want him to ask. I gave him no inside information - just what’s publicly available in mainstream media. It will have been a busy night for Jamie’s team. Noah’s producers too, but they’re used to last minute stuff.”

“What kind of personal questions will he ask?”

“The first few questions will likely be similar to the ‘Unauthorized Contact’ discussion we heard on Ellen and Kimmel. Millennium’s publicist will have thoroughly briefed The Daily Show’s producers. I also sent Trevor a handful of questions, and his producers will be finessing those and bouncing them off Jamie’s team. Last night, Trevor emailed me the questions that he will be using as guidelines. I forwarded them to Jamie along with a handful of suggested responses. Between that and the publicists’ briefings, he is more than ready.”

After showering and dressing comfortably for a work-from-home day, Melissa and Claire spent the morning working on their tasks. Claire was still fielding emails and texts from people who had learned that she was passed over for a huge promotion. She continued her dialogues with the companies that had reached out to her, and scheduled face-to-face or virtual meetings with all of them over the next two weeks. 

Melissa started to receive information and follow-up questions from her team in Atlanta. Some names on her list required deeper digging than others, and a couple of them reached a dead-end when the words “Access Denied” popped up on the screen. Melissa authorized the use of any means necessary to get the information. While she waited, she printed out photos, bios, profiles and summaries, and taped them methodically to the wall in the smaller guest room.

By early afternoon, Claire needed a break. Deciding that iced tea was the perfect cooler for a hot day, she made a large jug and took a glass up to Melissa. She walked into the guest room and froze on the spot, her eyes widening when she saw the printouts taped to the wall and spread out over the bed. 

“Whoa - you’ve turned this into quite the ‘situation room’!”

Melissa took her glass of iced tea gratefully and waited for Claire’s reactions as she paused in front of some of the print-outs, absorbing new information about names she had shared with Melissa. 

Standing in front of Leo Greenberg’s section, she read the pages there, and turned to Melissa with raised brows. 

“Sickening, really. These guys are taking us back decades!” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The heat of the day lingered well into the night. Ella and Beth had gone to an outdoor movie at a local park, taking Deacon and a handful of friends along with them. 

After dinner, Melissa and Claire walked over to the building site, where Claire pointed out the progress on the stables and the house. The site was deserted, and it gave them an opportunity to walk freely and chat and unwind after a busy day. Claire had worked hard on completing the second revision of her article, and was feeling a great sense of relief. Melissa had spent hours in virtual meetings with her team in Atlanta, making suggestions and approving their requests to use confidential and sometimes controversial sources as they dug deeper into the names she had given them. 

Steeping herself in Claire’s excitement about the new house, Melissa took a genuine interest in Claire’s enthusiastic descriptions of the features and creature comforts that had been incorporated into the house and property plans. She stood in silence for a moment, and slowly made a 360º turn, taking in the spectacular views and the huge expanse of thickly wooded acreage around her. A renewed sense of resolve came over her, and she knew that she _had_ to come up with a fitting solution for what had happened to Claire at the hands of the Trustees. Surrounded by builder's pegs and tape, and huge, silent earth-moving equipment, she desperately wanted Claire and Jamie to realize their dreams and plans - right here in this house that was still just a series of lines and measurements on a blueprint.

They headed back to the patio and settled in to see if all the buzz about ‘Schitt’s Creek’ was valid. The first episode didn’t do it for them, so they switched to ‘Killing Eve’, and were immediately hooked. They stopped watching as the start time for The Daily Show approached, and changed over to Comedy Central. 

The Daily Show’s set had been revamped, and in-studio guests were seated at a greater distance from the host. There was a much smaller studio audience, and around the set large panels projected a virtual audience who had participated in the taping. 

Trevor Noah kicked off the show with his monologue, and after the commercial break, Jamie walked on set, flashing his movie-star smile for the audience. 

After a brief exchange of niceties, Trevor launched into the prepared questions about 'Unauthorized Contact'. Jamie knew the answers by heart now, modifying a few phrases and ad-libbing a few jokes and anecdotes, so that viewers who watched all the talk shows wouldn’t get bored with the repetitive stock answers that publicity tours tended to generate. 

Trevor expressed the sentiments that most of Jamie’s fans were thinking. “I can’t wait to see the movie, Jamie. And even more excited for you to get your first Oscar nomination. It’s long overdue and well-deserved.”

Jamie blushed a little. “I’m not nominated yet. But thank you - and yes, it would be very exciting.”

“It’s no secret that the past few weeks have been quite intense for you, personally. Social media, gossip media - even mainstream media - they’ve all covered some big moments in your life. Some good, some not-so-good. For instance, we saw Anja Baranov unravel badly after some upheaval in her personal life, and that unraveling spilled over onto you. What can you tell us about that?”

“I can’t comment too much on Anja, because I really only know her in a professional capacity. We had very few scenes together in 'Unauthorized Contact'. It was hard to see her struggle with things in her personal life, but I give major props to Millennium Studios for doing the right thing and getting her the help she needs to get through this. I wish her nothing but the best.”

“Gotta agree with you there. How often do we see studios just wash their hands of troublesome assets, but in this case Millennium really stepped up. Another area that the media focused on with you was your personal life. You certainly have the look of a happy, contented man. Tell us about the new love in your life.” 

The studio and virtual audiences cheered and applauded, and Jamie acknowledged them with a deep bow of his head, a broad grin on his face. 

Melissa stretched her leg across the length of the sofa and playfully nudged Claire with her foot. 

“Oh my God, that is a man in love! Look at his cheesy grin,” she teased. “He’s blushing, you’re blushing. You guys are ridiculous. And I love it.”

The applause died down, and Jamie answered Trevor’s question. “Trevor, I always appreciate your sincere interest, and I’m happy to answer some of your questions. I’ll start by confirming that I am in a very committed relationship with an amazing woman who makes me happier than I ever thought possible.” 

“Is this ‘love of your life’ stuff? Sorry about the cliché. You know what I mean - is she ‘the one’?”

“No question,” Jamie replied firmly. 

The studio and virtual audience whooped and cheered again and Jamie touched his chin briefly, looking directly into the camera.

“God, it feels like he’s looking right at me,” Claire sighed, knowing that his chin touch and the direct-into-the-lens look was intended to make her feel that way. 

“Oh, he is, girlfriend! I think everyone watching right now feels like they’re intruding on a very private, intimate moment between the two of you,” Melissa chuckled.

The applause died down once again, and Noah remarked, “I think even the audience and your fans can sense that this relationship is special.”

Then he asked his next question - the one that Melissa had deliberated over for quite some time. 

“In preparing for your visit to the show, I also learned through the mainstream media that the new love in your life was widely expected to receive a significant promotion at the business school at which she lectures, but the position was awarded to another candidate. Do you think that the media focus that targeted her over the past few weeks played a role in the decision to award it to the other prospect?”

“I would like to think that the business school made its decision based purely on who they thought would be a good fit. Her career is moving in a different direction. Her excellence and expertise are well known in the Seattle and national business communities, and opportunities are arising that would optimize her strengths in both the corporate and educational arenas. We will have to wait and see.” He smiled widely as the audience cheered once again, and Trevor wrapped up Jamie’s segment.

“It certainly sounds like both of you are at high points in your careers right now. I wish you both all the luck. I hope that next time you come on the show, you bring her with you.”

“Definitely, Trevor. I think she’d love that.”

“Oh God, I think I’d be a nervous wreck if I were to appear on his show!”

“You might want to think of that as a serious possibility. I’m working a few angles as I get into the early information my team is sending me.”

“The questions were well handled. Thank you Mel, for prepping Trevor and Jamie. I can see exactly where you’re taking this.”

“I appreciate that you were willing to open yourself up to a little more exposure. There will be a lot more national exposure from this compared with the Seattle Times announcement, which was very localized. Trevor will drop a few tweets about other issues tomorrow mid-morning, and that will draw attention away from you again, but I want just enough attention from tonight’s show to be able to use it later.”

“It sounds like you have it all under control. I’m just going to wait and see what you do with all this information."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

By late morning on Friday, Melissa had received pages and pages of revealing and sometimes startling information from her team in Atlanta. She mapped out what she knew for certain and juxtaposed that with what she suspected. She asked key members of her team for their theories, and compared them with her own. Then she started to work on scenario-planning. 

Nonna called Claire around mid-morning. Claire had alerted her earlier in the week about Jamie’s appearance on The Daily Show, and Nonna had watched it on her DVR over breakfast that morning.

“Cara, I saw your Jamie on TV. Trevor was a little forward and asked him a few very personal questions!”

“I know, Nonna, but Jamie was prepared for them.”

“I was so nervous about how he would answer, but he said beautiful things. He is very much in love with you, cara.” 

“We are very much in love with each other. He is a good man.”

“I can see that. You deserve a good man, and Jamie seems very special. And he’s so good to the twins. It makes my heart so happy. They sent me pictures from Hollywood. He is much more involved with them than their own father. When I think of Frank, I get so mad! È una testa di cazzo e vale niente!”

“Try not to think of him, Nonna,” Claire said, chuckling at her Italian tirade against Frank. 

“Cara, I think I am ready to meet Jamie in person.”

“Nonna! Does that mean you’ve finally decided you’ll come and visit us?”

“I think so, but I would prefer not to fly on a commercial airline.”

“Okay. Jamie has said several times that he can probably get you on one of the studio jets as soon as one of them is out on the East Coast. When are you thinking of coming?”

“October - so you can go to Paris with your Jamie.”

“Oh, Nonna! You are a treasure! We’ll work on that then.”

“Try not to think about the lost professorship too much, cara. I listened to Jamie talk about it last night, and I agree with him. There are better things ahead for you. You need to be patient. It will all come together for you.”

Melissa and Claire met on the patio for lunch. 

“I have a lot of information to share with you and Jamie this weekend, but I need you to do something for me right away, please.”

“Of course, Mel. What do you need?”

“I need to go in and speak to Dean Abernathy as soon as you can get me an appointment. Monday would be good. The information I have is potentially very damaging. He needs to know what’s going on within the Board of Trustees.”

Claire’s eyebrows shot up.

“I promise to brief you and Jamie this weekend. But in the meanwhile, please get that appointment. We’ll go and see Abernathy together.”

One phone call later, she and Melissa were scheduled to meet Joe at 11:30 a.m. on Monday.

As they finished off their lunch, Melissa checked Trevor Noah’s Twitter. 

“We’re looking good. Last night’s story trended quite heavily this morning, and my social media tracker tells me that #iStandWithDocB made a brief reappearance. Enough to ruffle some feathers among the Trustees, I would think.”

“That’s good, I guess, but I’m a little gun-shy about social media attention. Has Trevor posted the diversion tweets?”

“Yes. He’s commented on the TikTok ban, and that’s getting a huge response. A few other tweets too - a political tweet, a celebrity tweet. It’s definitely taken the attention off you and Jamie for now.”

“That’s great. His followers-”

She stopped suddenly as a movement at the patio door caught her eye, and she turned to see Jamie step out of the kitchen and onto the patio. 

She gasped, then squealed, sprang to her feet and moved towards him. Jamie’s face creased into a broad smile, and he crossed the distance between the door and Claire in three long strides. She flung herself into his arms, and they held each other in complete silence for a few moments.

Melissa unfolded herself from the sofa, and smiled to herself at the unabashed display of love between Jamie and Claire.

Jamie kissed Claire gently on the lips and they parted so that Claire could officially introduce him to Melissa. She had warned Mel that Jamie was a hugger, and sure enough he gave her a warm hug as soon as Claire had made the introductions.

“Melissa, I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you dropping everything and coming out to Seattle.”

“I’m so glad you reached out, Jamie. I would have found out about the announcement as soon as it hit the Seattle Times, but your texts gave me the heads-up I needed to get the wheels in motion to visit Seattle earlier than I had planned. I’m here at your disposal - both of you. I’m here to fix this.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The weekend was spent enjoying the amazing August weather, and some much-needed downtime together.

Melissa insisted on cooking for them on Saturday night. She had spent a gap-year in France between her undergrad and postgrad studies, and spent most of that year taking art classes and culinary courses. Claire offered to be her sous-chef for the afternoon, and the two of them worked on a deliciously fragrant coq au vin, while Jamie hung out on the patio, catching up on the twins’ news. 

Beth and Ella were curled up on the sofa opposite Jamie, still thanking him profusely for the thoughtful gifts he had brought back for them. Beth was in awe of her clothboard-bound, 2nd edition copy of Wuthering Heights.

“Was this actually printed in 1852? I love the Bronte sisters, and this is literally my favorite book of all time,” she gushed. “I’m going to treasure this forever!”

“And I love my vintage floral Doc Martens!” raved Ella, “How did you even find them?”

“I have ways and means,” Jamie teased. “I’m glad you like yer little gifts.”

“Tell us all the funny stuff that happened in L.A. and New York while you were gone, Jamie.”

Peals of laughter drifted in from the patio as Jamie regaled the girls with stories he’d heard from the MUA’s and hair stylists as he was being prepped for his appearances on The Today Show and The Daily Show. Most of their mirth related to Green Room requests and wardrobe malfunctions. 

“There’s a lot of happiness and laughter going on out there,” Melissa remarked.

“The twins adore him, and he loves them just as much,” Claire said, glancing outside. “He’s amazing with them. He strikes the perfect balance of fun and fatherly. They’ve even started to bypass me and ask him for permission to do stuff!”

“How do you feel about that? Is it intrusive? Overstepping?”

“Not at all. It’s important to me that they get that additional guidance now as they start dating, and thinking about college, and generally spreading their wings. And he checks with me every step of the way. He never infringes on my parenting approach, in fact, he complements it perfectly.”

“Okay, stop!” Melissa laughed, “I’ve yet to hear anything negative about the man! From you or anyone else. Jamie sounds like a man in a million. I hope you know how lucky you are.”

“Oh, I do. I know exactly how lucky I am.”

“I’ve never seen you as happy as when he’s around. I see exactly what you mean about him being your forever - you guys have an extraordinary connection. I’ve seen you together for barely two days, and I see it.”

“Our connection is pretty remarkable, and I will never take it for granted. The single occurrence that created Jamie Fraser is probably more than I could ask for in one lifetime.”

“He’s pretty lucky too, Claire. Don’t you forget that. You are an amazing and extraordinary woman yourself, and he clearly appreciates that deeply.” 

The patio door burst open and the twins ran in shrieking, darting through the kitchen and up the stairs at top speed. Jamie was in close pursuit, and paused long enough to explain that they were going to have another basketball shoot-out and were all grabbing their sports gear.

“It’s my chance to redeem myself,” he threw over his shoulder as he ran for the stairs.

“Not gonna happen!” she called after him, laughing.

As it turned out, Jamie performed a lot better than the first time he played against the girls, and his score was markedly better. After the shootout and a quick swim, they changed and enjoyed Melissa’s restaurant-class meal on the patio. 

The twins headed out right after dinner to pick up Deacon and two other friends for an ice-cream trip to Molly Moon’s. Melissa’s team in Atlanta was working through the weekend, and she was still receiving information that she printed out and taped up in her situation room. 

“Can we make some time to talk privately tomorrow - just the two of you and me?” she asked when they had the patio to themselves. “My team is still gathering information and I’m waiting for a few more documents later tonight, but we’ve collected quite a lot already, and I wanted to share what we have.”

“Of course. We’re both anxious to know what you’ve uncovered,” Jamie said. 

“I’ve been bracing myself since you told me you wanted to brief me and Jamie this weekend,” agreed Claire. “Let’s hope the girls are busy with something. They know the type of work you do, and if they see us in a huddle, their minds will start working overtime.”

On Sunday afternoon, Ella headed out to the mall with Ashlee and Hannah, and Deacon and Beth spent hours swimming and sunning themselves at the pool, oblivious to everything but each other. 

Jamie and Claire joined Melissa in her situation room, and for the next hour, they stood side by side as Melissa walked around the room, sharing what she had found out, pointing out information on printouts taped to the walls, pictures spread out on the bed, and folders tucked away in the chest of drawers. 

Jamie and Claire moved around the room afterwards, reading printouts, looking at pictures, and leafing through papers in folders. They listened as Melissa laid out her scenarios.

When she was done talking, Jamie moved to stand behind Claire, wrapping his arms around her protectively, gently nuzzling her curls. She felt some of the strain seep out of her as she stood safely enfolded in his strong arms.

“This goes so far beyond what they did to Claire,” he said quietly, trying to keep his anger suppressed, but she felt it radiating from him. 

“Yes - in fact, it goes beyond our borders. It has some global tentacles too. But our focus is on the very active American heart of this ugly mess.”

“How safe do you feel about exposing them, Melissa?” Claire asked, worry creasing her brow. “There is massive money behind this.”

“I need time to get more information before I come up with a solid plan to expose and shatter the greater group. However, I feel that I have almost everything I need to bring down the Trustees. So let’s start there.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Monday mornings were quiet on campus during the pandemic, and Claire and Melissa made their way to Joe’s office without running into any of her colleagues. 

Over an early lunch in Joe's office, Melissa shared what she had learned about the Trustees and why they had voted the way they did. For a long moment after she had delivered her summary, they all sat and processed the staggering extent of what she had uncovered.

Joe shook his head. “I suspected a lot of the reasons behind the Trustees’ behavior, I just didn’t expect them to be so _organized_. It also explains where that huge donation came from.” 

“I’m still gathering information, Joe, but I think it would be wise if you called an emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees. I can’t, in good conscience, keep this quiet for much longer.”

A frown flickered across Joe’s brow.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Melissa said looking at him with an intensely serious expression. “I have no intention of making waves big enough that they will create problems with Davidson’s appointment. What I’m looking for is a shake-up within the board, and an assurance from a newly structured board that the next time a promotion comes up, Claire will be the first one under consideration. Assuming she isn't snapped up by another business school before that.”

Joe’s frown deepened. “I know that you’ve been approached by several big corporates, Claire. Are you being approached by colleges too?”

“I have been approached, Joe. By a business school here on the West Coast.”

He nodded, deep in thought. 

“That doesn’t surprise me at all, but I thought it might take a few months. Recruitment time in educational institutions doesn’t generally happen until late fall, early winter. And spring is the busiest recruitment time by far.”

“I’m in the very early stages of talking to them, Joe. I just want to be transparent about that.”

“I cannot imagine losing you, Claire, but after your treatment by the Fulton board - twice - I am afraid that other schools will look very attractive.”

“Joe, my heart and my allegiance are here at Fulton. I would far rather stay here. But I know that professorships don’t come up often, so I am merely keeping my options open right now.”

“And, as Claire’s long-time friend, I can corroborate that she really wants to stay here at Fulton, despite the shoddy treatment the Trustees have meted out. That’s why I am looking to … inspire … some big changes with the information I’ve uncovered.”

“Let me assure you that I too would like nothing more than a restructured board,” Joe said firmly. “Our current board is clearly not serving our community or our interests.” He leaned forward, and rested his forearms on the table. Looking directly at Melissa, he said, “If I were looking to galvanize a re-structured board and encourage them to think carefully about Dr. Beauchamp’s irreplaceable value to our business school, I might be tempted to share with them the incredible work she did putting together a comprehensive feasibility study on offering an MS Comms degree under the auspices of Fulton Business School.”

Claire and Melissa shot a quick look at each other and then back at Joe.

“I will ask our intern to make copies of the entire box of folders, and I’ll have it officially sent to you at Claire’s home address, Melissa.”

“Thank you, Joe. In the meanwhile, I’ll let you handle getting the Board here for a critical meeting over two consecutive days. I’ll address them over both days. I know it sounds like a big ask, but you’ll find that in this case, the pandemic is actually on our side. Working remotely is now standard procedure, and travel is easier for those who really need to get somewhere. And those who can’t make it in person, can attend virtually.”

“I don’t think it’ll be a problem. I think two days early next week is very doable. I’ll confirm with you in a day or two.” 

“Thank you Joe. Two more things. First, I’m going to email you a survey link to include with your communication with the board. Entirely optional and anonymous, of course. And second, would you please send me a list of all the Trustees who are reaching the end of their five-year term within the next 12 months.”

Later that afternoon, Claire asked Jamie to walk to their property to check on the day’s progress at the building site. He hadn’t raised the issue of Haas since his return from New York, but she knew it was bothering him, and she thought this would be a good time to have that conversation. The meeting with Joe earlier in the day had also given her more food for thought, and she wanted Jamie’s buy-in. 

They walked hand-in-hand through the cleared path towards the stable building area.

“Jamie, I know you’re concerned about Haas. Can we talk about that for a moment?”

“Of course. We always talk through things, no matter how difficult or painful.”

“You’re feeling that if I take an offer from Haas, all our plans will come crashing down around us. Am I right? Please talk to me about what's worrying you.” 

Jamie paused for a moment, his thoughts swirling around in his head. He had kept his concerns suppressed for fear of adding to Claire’s stress, but now, given the opportunity to open up about his deepest fears, he didn’t want to hold back any longer. She stood there waiting patiently for him to open up, and before he realized it, his words cascaded out of him.

“I wouldn’t say that everything would come crashing down around us, Claire. But a Haas job would certainly add some hurdles. California is mostly online learning for the foreseeable future, but we have to think beyond the pandemic, when things normalize. Maybe commuting is a viable option, and you could fly out early on Mondays, and back home on Fridays. But that would only give us the weekends with you, and full Fraser honesty - I would hate it. I would hate having you gone all week, every week. You’ve also talked a lot about how important it is for us - and especially you - to spend time with Beth and Ella as they head into their last two years of high school. They’ll need you around, Claire. My schedule will be crazy for the next three to five months-”

“Jamie, wait-”

“Claire, I hate to interrupt, but please let me finish my train of thought. I’m also thinking about when we have babies, Claire.” He stopped walking and turned to her, taking both of her hands in his. “How is that going to work with you gone all week? You know I plan to be very hands on with our babies - I wouldn't have it any other way. But I fear that you will miss out on so many of their milestones and countless sweet moments.” His voice caught in his throat, and he looked distressed. Claire’s heart tightened at the thought of his pain. 

She raised her fingertips to his lips. “Jamie, Jamie,” she said soothingly, “I hear all those concerns, but I need to share my thoughts with you too.”

“I’m sorry, Claire. I know I just unloaded on you, but it’s been weighing on me so much.”

She reached up to kiss him gently, and then spoke.

“I want to see where the Haas discussion goes. You _know_ that I want to stay at Fulton. My heart and soul are here in Seattle with you and the girls. Our whole life is here. I agree that commuting is viable, but it sounds bloody awful. With Joe giving Melissa a massive bargaining chip today by handing her the MS Comms information on a platter, she has something to take to the board that will potentially give me a whole new and exciting avenue. You, of all people, know how much I wanted that MS Comms to come to fruition.”

“Aye, you worked really hard on that, and I remember how disappointed you were when they reclassified it. But how confident are you that Melissa can swing that?”

“She has a long way to go. After she exposes Wolverton and his cronies in front of the rest of the board, there will be a monumental showdown. Only after the dust settles on that will she have a hope of introducing the idea of re-activating the MS Comms.”

“And how does Haas play into it?”

“Leverage. If the board knows I’m being chased by a major competitor, they’ll realize instantly that I’ll attract a lot of student applications and I’ll take some big funding with me. She is confident that more than half of the Trustees will see that as a serious problem.”

Jamie thought about that for a while, and then nodded.

“I can see how the MS Comms angle would work out in everyone’s best interests - including Davidson. Most of all, I would love to see your hard work finally put to good use.”

“Yes - it’s about as close to a win-win as we can get in this whole ugly mess.”

“Where are you with Haas right now?”

“Dean Hoffman wants me to fly in and meet her and some of the team as soon as she can get them all together. She’ll be in touch later this week.”

He tucked some of her curls behind her ear, and smiled gently. “You know, in all my stress and worry about Haas taking you away from me, I don’t think I’ve told you lately how very proud I am of you.”

“I know you are, Jamie. You always make me feel appreciated and validated. I love you for that.”

“And I love you, Claire. More than ever.”

They shared a deep, passionate kiss, and she melted into his embrace, allowing him to support her physically, as he always did emotionally. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The rest of the week was busy for everyone in the Beauchamp-Fraser household. Beth and Ella were getting ready for their tumbling showcase, where they would perform their cheer tumbling routine in front of parents and family in the school’s gymnasium. It was the highlight of the pre-season, and with just over ten days to go, the twins were taking their practices more seriously than ever. After securing Claire’s go-ahead, Jamie had a trampoline delivered and set up on the lowest terrace, so that the girls could perfect their tumbling and stick their landings. 

Melissa received confirmation from Joe that the Trustees would be available on Monday and Tuesday of the following week. He also provided her with a list of four names - Trustees whose terms were ending over the next 12 months.

“Good riddance,” she muttered to herself after reviewing the names. Three of them were names that definitely needed to be off the Trustee roster. She spent hours going through her contacts, reading biographies and profiles. Then she had her team vet and screen an entirely different list of names from the ones they had been investigating. And after receiving the new reports from Atlanta, she spent hours on the phone with people around the country. 

Jamie was due to start working on Superman the following week, and he spent a lot of time tying up loose ends in his other business commitments. He worked remotely with Murtagh and Helen, approving budget items and learning about new winery events and changes that they were implementing as Helen tackled her new job with gusto. 

He and Murtagh also met with Jenny, Ian, Dougal and the Lallybroch management team as they conducted their August meetings over video calls. Jamie was hugely disappointed that he wouldn't be in Scotland for the meetings. His Superman schedule took precedence over that, and Jenny was pragmatic about it, as always. Secretly, she was pleased that he would be close to Claire as they continued to work on the mysterious and underhanded Board decision. 

Claire worked on the final revision of her article, and handed it to Jamie and Melissa for a final read-through before submitting it. She worked on campus for a day, but wanted to spend as much time as she could working from home, so that she and Jamie could maximize their time together before he started his Superman work in earnest. 

Still reeling from Joe’s bold move in suggesting that Melissa use Claire’s dormant MS Comms work as leverage, she took some time to review her work on it, and made some notes and summaries for Melissa. 

Jamie and Claire had made a long stroll through their property part of their daily routine. They headed out every day at around 4:30 p.m., while Melissa was doing a daily round-up with her team in Atlanta. Making the most of their time alone, they stole kisses and talked about their work day. They reviewed the building progress and chatted briefly with the Calhouns, and with Michelle when she was there to oversee contractor progress and issues. 

Evenings that week were reserved for family dinners and laughter and sharing stories and opinions on everything but Trustees and professorships. Deacon joined them a couple of times, and the teens busied themselves playing competitive pinball or shooting hoops after dinner. Jamie, Claire, and Melissa caught up on global news on TV, and then headed to the stone patio for soul-baring conversations or energetic political discussions, deep into the night. 

They all ended the week feeling like they’d had a productive and successful few days. More importantly, they felt emotionally and spiritually replenished and recharged after hours spent together. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Early on Monday morning, exactly one week after Claire and Melissa met Joe at Fulton’s offices, the Beauchamp-Fraser household started to stir. 

Jamie and Claire lay entwined in each other, breathing each other in and enjoying the afterglow of their slow, sensuous morning lovemaking. They were loath to separate and start the day because it meant the start of another week of being apart. Jamie's bags were packed and waiting by the front door, and his studio-arranged limo would be there in less than two hours.

When they heard the muffled sounds of the coffee maker, they knew the twins were up and making a round of lattes for everyone.

“I don’t want to release you,” he said in a near-whisper, tightening his arms around her.

“I knooooow,” she groaned softly. “But we have to.” She kissed him deeply, and let him carry her to the shower, where they continued to wake up in the most delightful way she could think of.

By the time they got to the kitchen, their lattes were cooling, the girls had already left for practice, and there was a note from Melissa on the counter. 

_Heading out to meeting with Board. Getting an early start to set up the room and my presentation. Will update you when possible. Jamie, see you on Friday - hope Superman shooting goes well. Claire, I’ll see you tonight. Mel xx_

Joe met Melissa on the ground level of Fulton’s admin building, where she politely submitted to a mandatory temperature check. Together, they rode the elevator to the fourth floor, exchanging pleasantries before Melissa turned serious. 

“Joe, this will be a tough meeting. I’m not holding anything back.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said simply.

Guiding her to his large conference room, they discussed the details and requests that Melissa had outlined prior to the meeting.

“Thank you for sending out my anonymous survey, Joe. There were 17 submissions, and I have incorporated parts of the results into my discussion.”

“I wish everyone had responded, but 17 is more than I expected, to be honest.”

“It gives me a good sense of where we stand.”

“The Trustees will start arriving within the next two hours, I imagine. There will be five on the video call, the rest will be here in person.” 

“My Chief of Operations, Marsali McKimmie will be on the video call too. She is a lawyer by profession and a Fulton alum. A former student of Claire’s, in fact. She will provide me with legal guidance if needed. She will also be minuting the meeting for me.”

“A number of Trustees are lawyers by profession.”

“Yes, I’m familiar with their bios, and my team has provided me with profiles on all of them. We have nothing to worry about.”

They entered the boardroom together. It smelled faintly of furniture polish and disinfectant. Each place at the table had a yellow legal pad, meeting agenda, bottled water, a face-mask and a pen. Hand sanitizer dispensers were placed along the length of the table.

Melissa placed her Prada briefcase on the chair at the head of the table and scanned the room. Joe watched her with some trepidation.

“The Chairman of the Board generally picks this seat,” he pointed out politely. 

Slowly and deliberately, she started walking around the large 26-seater table, carefully inspecting the placement of name tags. “Mm-hmm. I’m happy to move his name tag over to the other side.” 

Joe suppressed a small smile. “I’ll do that,” he said, picking up Maitland’s tag and placing it on the opposite side of the table. 

Apparently satisfied that the conference table’s seating arrangements had been executed per her directions, Melissa stepped outside onto the patio, Joe following a few steps behind. UDub Hospitality had set up several tables across the width of the patio, each arranged with four place settings. She stopped at each table to scrutinize the place cards - a thoughtfully planned mix of old guard and newer trustees. Satisfied that the tables were arranged according to her very specific instructions, she smiled a quick knowing smile at Joe, and they moved back into the conference room.

She returned to her chair and removed a few folders from her briefcase. Placing them decisively on the table, she announced, “I think we’re all set. May I work in an empty meeting room until they’re all here?” 

“Of course,” Joe replied, as he led her out of the conference room again. He understood the importance of Melissa making an entrance.

Melissa checked the text that had just come in. It was from Joe. 

**Everyone is here. Video call set up and ready to go**

**_Thank you. On my way_ **

Pausing only to refresh her lipstick, she walked purposefully down the hallway towards the Dean’s Conference Room. In her perfectly tailored black Chanel pantsuit and charcoal Louboutin stilettos, she exuded poise and professionalism. She opened the door wide and stepped into the room, her face neutral, and her demeanor calm and composed. 

A hush fell over the room immediately, and two small clusters of Trustees quickly broke up and made their way to their seats. A handful wore their face-masks, but most didn’t bother. They had all been temperature-checked on entering the building, per UDub protocol, and evidently felt comfortable enough within this group to forego their face-masks.

She walked over to her place at the head of the table, and looked around the room with the confidence of someone who knew she had enough information to take down this entire group of distinguished individuals. Doctors, academics, lawyers, a former state senator, and several hugely successful business leaders. 

“Good morning. I’m Melissa Thornton. Please … take your seats.” She stood next to the chair at the head of the table, manicured fingertips steepled in front of her as she waited for them to get comfortable. Within a few seconds, eighteen heads were turned towards her, and six watched her from the large screen at the far end of the room - five Trustees and Marsali.

“Many of my business associates and clients call me Thorn. You’ll understand why by the end of the day. I’m going to walk around the table and greet you all individually. In deference to UDub’s guidelines, we’ll forgo the handshake.” 

She proceeded to walk around the table, greeting every Trustee by name, making eye contact, and mentally filing her first impressions based on demeanor, how long they held her gaze before looking away, and whether they greeted her as ‘Melissa’ or ‘Ms. Thornton’. She also intentionally waited until all the Trustees were seated before starting her circuit around the table. It enabled her to see who was uncomfortable with her towering over them in their seated positions as she approached to greet them. Melissa had done this enough times to know that if anyone rose from their seat to meet her at eye level, they would likely be the most challenging opponents in the group. 

Almost all of the Trustees remained seated, swiveling their chairs around completely to face her as she greeted them one by one. 

Wolverton rose to greet her and she stopped to allow him to make eye contact. In her heels, they were almost eye to eye. 

“Mr. Wolverton, there was no need to stand,” she smiled tightly. “I do appreciate it though. Good morning.”

Wolverton eyed her through unsmiling, narrowed eyes. “Good morning,” he said tersely, with a short, sharp nod of the head.

Maitland was marginally more gracious. He remained seated, attempted a small smile and said, “Good morning to you, Ms. Thornton.”

Meredith Channing swiveled her chair only a quarter turn. Making fleeting eye-contact with Melissa, she cleared her throat quickly. “Good morning, Ms. Thornton.”

Melissa lingered at Channing’s seat for a moment longer than absolutely necessary, and greeted her back. “Mrs. Channing, the pleasure is all mine.”

After completing her circuit around the boardroom table, Melissa stood in front of the camera above the video monitor and greeted the five video callers by name. It was more difficult to get a sense of their demeanor from a grid on a screen, but since most of the key players - the old guard - were there in person, she wasn’t concerned. 

Finally, she greeted Marsali and introduced her to the Trustees. 

“This is Ms. McKimmie, Chief Operations Officer at Thornton & Associates. She is a licensed attorney, and will provide legal direction if I request it. Additionally, she will be making notes as the meeting progresses. Any questions?” 

Maitland spoke up immediately. “We have our Board secretary here to minute the meeting. Why do you feel the need for your own note-taker?” 

“First, I don’t have access to _all_ your minutes. You kindly gave me access to the minutes from the PILF proceedings and from Dr. Beauchamp’s interviews and recent meeting with you. I realize that was a special circumstance, and after today, it’s unlikely that you’ll release further minutes. I assumed you wouldn't object to my keeping my own notes, since there was apparently nothing unseemly about the board’s behavior during the professorship proceedings.”

“Indeed,” said Maitland, looking like he was having trouble digesting his breakfast. “By all means - please continue.” Maitland looked awkward and uncomfortable sitting at the chair directly opposite the one from which he usually lorded over these meetings. He felt out of his depth in the presence of this formidable and intimidating woman. 

Melissa sat in her chair, leaning forward with her hands resting lightly on her folders. “Thank you all for being here. We have two days of meetings in which to resolve some important issues relating to the Board's handling of Dr. Beauchamp. We could resolve this in less time than that - by tonight or tomorrow morning, perhaps. It all depends on your willingness and ability to comprehend the potential damage of the information I will reveal during this meeting.”

Maitland cleared his throat and was getting ready to say something, but Melissa continued quickly, "The information I have will, without question, determine the future and direction of this board."

Maitland's mouth clamped shut again and Wolverton looked at some of his supporters with slightly raised eyebrows. Meredith Channing kept her eyes lowered and fixed on the agenda in front of her. 

"Let's get started, shall we?" Melissa's tone made it clear that it was a directive, not a suggestion. "Since I started working on this case, I’ve heard and read the term PILF bandied about a lot. And I fully understand that your stance is that it’s a term inextricably linked with an embarrassing and humiliating moment in Fulton’s history. I’ve done my research, and I know that many of you feel strongly about PILF and Dr. Beauchamp’s ‘involvement’ in that scandal. I’ve read the anonymous surveys that you submitted, in which you wrote, among other things - and I quote:

‘PILF will go down as the single most embarrassing moment in Fulton's esteemed history’

‘PILF almost brought Fulton to its knees’

‘PILF and Dr. Beauchamp brought Fulton into disrepute‘

‘Fulton could have handled PILF better, but there’s no getting away from the fact that Dr. Beauchamp brought too much unwanted attention here’.”

Wolverton jumped at the chance to push his agenda. “All of those statements are true, Ms. Thornton. I’ve yet to learn of another revered business school having to deal with this level of humiliation. If Dr. Beauchamp had been awarded the professorship, it would have thrown a new and bigger spotlight on PILF. Our students deserve better! Our students deserve to graduate from a school that has not been sullied and brought into infamy.”

“I like that you refer to them as ‘your students’ and not as ‘the students’, Mr Wolverton,” Melissa remarked casually.

Caught off-guard by the unexpected compliment, he was silent for a few seconds, and then snatched the opportunity to consolidate his position. “Of course! We think of all our students - our whole Fulton community - as our family. They are ‘our students’. That’s why we feel a need to shield them from incidents that reflect poorly on their school of choice.”

“Well, that certainly explains why you feel strongly about PILF being so damaging to Fulton.” She scanned the table briefly and then announced, “I’d like us to do a little in-depth analysis … a little throw-back to English Lit class. Let’s take a look at the term ‘PILF’.

She stepped over to the whiteboard, and in large block letters wrote each of the words that made up the acronym on a separate line. 

PROFESSOR 

I’D 

LIKE 

TO 

FUCK 

Turning to face the table, she repeated them aloud, pausing for a second or two after each word. “Professor … I’d … Like … to Fuck.”

She allowed her words to drift around the room and settle like a mantle on the shoulders of the Trustees, most of whom shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Wolverton waited for Maitland to object, but the Chairman remained silent and Wolverton could contain himself no longer. 

Almost snarling, he addressed Melissa, “We are all more than familiar with the meaning of PILF, Ms. Thornton.”

Melissa regarded Wolverton for a moment. “I’m sorry you find my repeating these words aloud so offensive, Mr. Wolverton. Trust me, they are nowhere near as offensive as the actions of certain members of this board.” 

She held eye contact for a moment longer than was comfortable for him and then turned back to the whiteboard, pointing to the words again. 

“Professor I’d like to fuck. These words were uttered and typed and texted and transmitted hundreds … thousands of times over the course of the PILF scandal. An entire city knew that there were three Fulton boys who would like nothing more than to have sex with Dr. Beauchamp. A married, respectable woman, and mother of two young girls. And very soon, hundreds of other young men got their hands on those illegally and unethically obtained pictures, and they too decided that Dr. Beauchamp was a PILF - that she was someone they would like to have sex with.” 

Melissa had an excellent read on her audience, and as she spoke again, she made intentional eye contact with each of the Trustees who were not on the board during the PILF scandal. 

“Now, I know that not all of you were here during the PILF incident. Please indulge me for a moment as I address the twelve board members who were appointed after PILF and bring them up to speed on Dr. Beauchamp’s experience.”

The older members sought brief eye contact with each other again. They knew that Melissa Thornton was just getting started. The twelve newer members knew the basics of the PILF incident, but they were riveted by Melissa and her approach, and they watched her every move, hungry for all the details she could give them.

“After the pictures were posted on social media and the hashtag started to trend, taking Fulton’s name along with it, the leadership - the board - was angry and dismayed. Fulton has always enjoyed a spotless reputation as one of the leading business schools in the country, and not a whisper of scandal had ever darkened its doors until PILF. The board panicked, and in what they thought was their infinite wisdom, they tried to slow the hashtag’s trajectory by suggesting that Dr. Beauchamp go on administrative leave, ostensibly to give them time to properly investigate the whole saga.”

The newer members all reacted visibly. One jerked her head back in disbelief, others raised eyebrows or frowned, and one even shook his head slightly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I see by your reactions that you are unaware of some of the details of PILF. Your reactions also reveal that you instantly recognize the level of inappropriateness and irrationality behind that suggestion. To suggest that a victim of sexual harassment go on administrative leave was beyond offensive. Administrative leave, no matter how you try to frame it and sell it, is almost always going to be interpreted as punitive.” 

Wolverton interjected at this point. “Ms. Thornton, what relevance does PILF have to our discussion today. It happened three years ago.”

“It’s very relevant, Mr. Wolverton. The board’s reactions and actions around PILF three years ago continue to influence how this board has handled everything related to Dr. Beauchamp and the professorship. And I will get to specifics about that later.”

A frown flickered across Wolverton’s brow, but he said nothing.

Melissa addressed the group again. “I’ll keep it brief. Dr. Beauchamp’s late husband, Professor Emeritus Henry Benson, was pulled into discussions in the hope that they could all find a workable solution together. Professor Benson was incensed about Dr. Beauchamp’s re-victimization by the Board. His business associates were generous donors to Fulton, and they threatened to withdraw their support and channel it elsewhere. The Board was at a loss - and frantic about the looming funding losses. Trustees finally called in a crisis management team who quickly brought things under control by using the right media platforms to publicly disseminate what should have been messaged in the first place - that Fulton would not tolerate student behavior that promoted the continued objectification and harassment of women. The students were suspended, and a grass-roots movement emerged in support of Dr. Beauchamp - ‘I stand with Doc. B’. Women and girls across Washington supported this initiative on social media or by starting Girl Up clubs at their high school to empower adolescent girls.” 

A few of the newer Trustees nodded slightly in approval.

“The grassroots support for Dr. Beauchamp had two major effects. First, it brought a wave of donations to Fulton from female-owned and female-led businesses in Dr. Beauchamp’s honor. Second, it spawned a massive social media backlash against the boys, and all three chose to transfer to out-of-state colleges.” She glanced at Meredith Channing, who reddened slightly, and reached for her water bottle. “PILF died down, and Dr. Beauchamp continued to do her superb work here at Fulton. You already know her pedigree - her published works, her initiatives with Seattle's top companies, her ability to attract donations and student applications internationally.” 

She paused again. Wolverton opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again. Melissa continued.

“So, given this background, while the term PILF has become synonymous with an embarrassing incident for Fulton, I trust that our in-depth look at the acronym and its meaning prompts you to think about the impact it has had on Dr. Beauchamp’s life. The students … my apologies, Mr. Wolverton, they’re like family, correct?”

Looking directly at him, she continued. “ _Your_ students caused irreversible and deeply damaging distress to Dr. Beauchamp. _Your_ students felt that it was altogether acceptable to make a mockery of the sacrosanct relationship between a lecturer and her students, and instead devolved it into something smutty, inappropriate, and defamatory.”

Looking around the table at the Trustees, she said pointedly, “I’d like you all to think about how your students’ actions profoundly and irreversibly impacted Dr. Beauchamp’s life and career. Take a few moments to think about that.”

She watched carefully as the expected signs of discomfort revealed themselves from several of the Trustees. 

“Oh dear, look at the time!” Melissa made a point of looking at her watch. ”I guess we’ll have a little longer to think about the impact on Dr. Beauchamp. We’ll break for lunch now. I’ll see you back here in an hour.”

Claire was in the midst of outlining a planning document for a new research study when a call came in from Dean Hoffman at Haas.

"Claire, the only time I can get all the key players together is this Thursday at 2:00 p.m. I know it's only three days away, but we will handle all travel and accommodation arrangements."

She quickly checked her calendar. The twins' tumbling showcase was that night, and a 2:00 p.m. appointment would likely go on for several hours. It would definitely be an overnight trip.

Hoffman was waiting for a response. Claire thought frantically. She could ask Ashlee's mom to video the showcase. Not the same as being there, but at least she would get to see the new routine.

"Yes. Yes, Dean Hoffman. Thursday is fine. Thank you."

"Thanks for your flexibility. I'll send you all the details via email."

The Trustees ate their lunch at their assigned tables on the patio outside the conference room. Melissa took her lunch to a small meeting room on the third floor, and connected with Marsali over video call. They shared their opinions about how the morning’s discussion had played out. 

A few minutes before their lunch hour was up, Melissa gathered her things and made her way back up to the conference room. Most of the Trustees had returned by then, resuming their seats and waiting for the next part of the meeting to commence. 

Melissa stood next to her chair watching the door as the last of the Trustees trickled in. Wolverton, Maitland and two of the old guard walked in together, moving quickly to their seats as they realized they were under Melissa’s scrutiny. Meredith Channing was the last one in. Holding her phone discreetly in her hand, she avoided Melissa’s gaze and moved quickly to her seat. She sat down and wrote a few notes on her yellow legal pad. Melissa was a skilled reader of body language, and she got the immediate sense that Channing’s ‘notes’ were merely an attempt to look busy and avoid eye contact with Wolverton. Her phone would no doubt provide clues to what she had been doing during lunch. Melissa sent a quick text to one of her team in Atlanta. 

Looking up from her phone, she smiled tightly at the Trustees and read the room quickly. About half of them wore dour expressions, their demeanor subdued and uneasy. The other half were alert and attentive, waiting eagerly for the information that she would share with them during this session. 

She knew that the old guard had not enjoyed their lunch break. For the first time since PILF, they’d been forced to view Claire as a victim rather than a perpetrator - a destroyer of academic reputation, a wrongdoer who had sullied their fine institution’s good name. 

As she had anticipated, the newer Trustees, most of whom had voted for Claire, were eager to discuss her victimization over lunch and they would not allow the conversation to be reduced to small-talk. 

“I trust you all enjoyed your lunch break,” she began. “I’ll direct your attention to the screen now. I have a few slides to share with you.”

All hell was about to break loose in the Dean’s Conference Room. 

  
  



	49. Chapter 49

* * *

Melissa picked up the remote control and pointed it at the screen. Her PowerPoint expert in Atlanta had clearly had some fun with this one. A pixelated picture of a man started to take shape agonizingly slowly on the screen. 

As it became evident who it was, Wolverton leaned back sharply in his chair and his head jerked away from the screen to look at the rest of the Trustees, eyes darting restlessly around the table. They were all riveted to the screen, and Wolverton quickly covered his reaction by reaching for his handkerchief and wiping his nose. He glanced pointedly at the two men seated across from him, but they studiously avoided eye contact. 

Joe was seated next to Maitland, and he took note of Wolverton’s reaction, as well as that of the two men opposite him. Roger Ellis and Dan Paxton were Wolverton’s closest allies on the Board, along with Maitland, of course, and Melissa had seated them in close proximity so she could observe their interactions. Ellis was one of the Trustees with less than 12 months left of his tenure, so he was on his way out. Dan Paxton, who had been recommended for his Board position by Wolverton, still had three years left of his term. 

Melissa aimed her laser pointer at the face on the screen. “I’m sure you all recognize Keith Manion. Founder-CEO of Nexus News. Ivy-league educated, ultra conservative, political activist, millionaire, well-connected, misdemeanor domestic violence.” 

She paused to allow the information to percolate through the entire room. Manion was well-known for his ultra-conservative views and particularly for the angry rhetoric he spewed any time he was interviewed on mainstream news channels. His Nexus News organization started life as an online newspaper, and after developing a significant following in the United States and abroad, it went on to become a syndicated TV show. 

Pointing her remote at the screen again, she clicked to the next slide. “Most of us block Manion from our consciousness, or at the very least, flip the channel when he’s on TV. The level of bigotry and hate-speech that he is known for is disturbing, regardless of your political leanings, and for those of us who aren't familiar with his more recent rhetoric, I have a selection of quotes and a short video clip so that you may acquaint yourselves with his message and ethos.” 

She clicked to the first of three quote slides, each one a stark white on black, bold-lettered quote that left the Trustees in no doubt about Manion’s feelings about his superiority. The Trustees read in silence. 

_ America is in danger of losing its status as the leader of the free world. You can blame our victim mentality for that. Suddenly, everyone is a victim in this country - a victim of racism, a victim of sexism, a victim of gender bias, religious persecution - you name it, we’re victims. We’re a nation of pussies.  _

Melissa waited for the Trustees to read the quote. “That is a succinct summary of his ideology.” She clicked to the next slide. 

_ These women who are protesting the white male patriarchy, or what they think is sexual harassment and assault, have too much political power, and will reverse thousands of years of documented history. _

“That one speaks for itself,” Melissa said wryly, noting the shocked expressions on the faces of many of the Trustees. 

_ I will not accept professional criticism from a bimbo who’s not even 30 yet.  _

“This one references an incident involving a female colleague who disagreed with him. I was unable to find evidence of a similar outburst against male coworkers who had a difference of opinion with him.” 

The next slide featured an embedded video with a short excerpt of one of Manion’s interviews. The interviewer asked Manion why he felt America was losing its dominance in the world.

“For decades we've been looked up to and respected by the rest of the world. Now, we are on par with other super-powers and even former enemies. It’s time to regain our stronghold as global leaders in every arena. Military, business, education, health-care, technology - to name a few. And we can’t do this when we’re pandering to groups who are causing us internal problems.”

“What groups are causing these problems, in your view?”

“These so-called ‘victim groups’,” Manion replied. “Immigrants, people of color, women, gun-control groups - groups that keep insisting on laws that protect their rights. They already have rights and freedoms in this country. They are served by the same constitution as everyone else. They are trouble-makers who are slowing down our government and setting it back years. For example, the MeToo movement that started in America has spread to other countries. It’s embarrassing! Where once we led the world, we now bow down to women who consider a pat on the ass a sexual assault. Can you imagine what our global enemies think of us! If we can’t even control our women, how are we supposed to reclaim our status in the eyes of the world?” 

The video faded out and Melissa’s gaze swept the room. “And that right there summarizes Manion’s two-pronged doctrine. Put America back on top, at all costs. And maintain the white male patriarchy by suppressing women - also at all costs. Fortuitously for him, even his name embodies his obsession with maleness.” 

Melissa paused and a murmur arose from the table as Trustees shared quick comments with those seated near them. Most of the Trustees looked horrified. Wolverton, Ellis and Paxton sat perfectly still and avoided being drawn into the conversations. Maitland studied his agenda. 

“Manion’s Nexus organization does not stop at his online news website and syndicated TV news show. It has morphed into an underground movement with no official name, but loosely called NexusIG by its followers. The ‘IG’ stands for ‘interest group’.” 

Perspiration was beading on Wolverton’s forehead, but he remained outwardly calm. 

Melissa forged ahead. “NexusIG is a dangerous and well-funded organization. Its followers claim it’s really not an organization at all, just a group of like-minded individuals who want America to regain its leadership role internationally. Some observers characterize it as a secret society, but those in the know describe NexusIG as a unitary organization with a leadership structure that controls the activities of several splinter units, each with a different focus.”

She paused briefly so that her next statement would be more impactful. 

“One of the active splinter units within NexusIG is the one that addresses our education system.” 

If the majority of the Trustees were wondering how NexusIG's education unit impacted them or Fulton, they didn't dare ask. They were loathe to interrupt the flow of Melissa’s impeccable delivery. She spoke with such conviction and calm and assurance, that even the old guard sensed, with absolute certainty, that the information she would share with them over the course of the next two days would be massively consequential. 

She clicked her remote, and a picture of Leo Greenberg appeared on the screen. Wolverton reached for his water and downed it in a series of long, noisy gulps. 

“Many of you are familiar with Leo Greenberg. He was discussed at a recent Board meeting. Retired Seattle business giant, Fulton alum, billionaire, philanthropist, recent major donor to Fulton.” 

A round of nods went around the table. 

“And active member of NexusIG.” 

Heads shot back to Melissa, and Wolverton could no longer contain himself. 

“That’s a pretty bold claim, Ms. Thornton. What proof do you have of Mr. Greenberg’s involvement in any of this?” 

Wordlessly, she clicked to the next slide. It was a candid picture of Greenberg and Manion exiting a black SUV in front of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. The next slide displayed a picture of Greenberg, Manion, and a well-known Senator enjoying lunch at Occidental Grill and Seafood in Washington DC. And for good measure, her team had included a third picture of Manion and Greenberg playing golf. 

“It may interest you to know that this last picture was taken in Bethesda, Maryland, at a golf club that is very popular with Washington DC elite. It is a strictly male-only club - yes, they still exist. Although at this club, they are kind enough to host an annual event where women are given a three-hour window to shop for their husbands at the pro-shop." 

Another murmur filled the room. 

“Mr. Wolverton, I believe these pictures provide ample proof of a social connection between Manion and Greenberg. Later, I will also provide documented proof of a business connection, and an alarming NexusIG-Fulton connection.” 

She addressed the main group again. “Mr Greenberg is a relative newcomer to NexusIG. Prior to joining the ‘interest group’, his philanthropic efforts were focused on homelessness and poverty. More recently, he has started to focus strongly on education, and is the de facto head of NexusIG’s thrust to raise America’s education rankings internationally. He is an active leader in the education unit. And as a Fulton alum, he has a special interest in this fine institution.” 

Reaching into her folder, she removed a sheet of paper. “I made a summary of key moments from your most recent July meeting, during which you voted for the professorship position. One of the pluses of the pandemic is that video calls make minuting meetings so much easier, and your Chairman was kind enough to give me access to the video recording of those meetings. The recording reveals that Mr. Wolverton was in possession of a letter of intent for a donation of $215 million to Fulton. The LOI was signed by Leo Greenberg, and the funding was through a foundation that Greenberg is connected with. At the time, Mr. Wolverton was unable to provide further information about the foundation, but he confirmed that its focus is to support the American education system and provide it with the private funding needed to regain its place as global leaders in education. The summary also states that Greenberg is loath to be associated with Fulton until the negative publicity and media attention around Dr. Beauchamp has been satisfactorily resolved. I quote from the minutes now, ‘They want American colleges at the top of the heap again, and sex scandals and inappropriate pictures are bringing us down’.”

She looked directly at Wolverton and asked, “Mr. Wolverton, since that board meeting, have you been able to find additional information about the foundation from your friend, Mr. Greenberg?”

Wolverton locked eyes with Melissa, anger and hostility written all over his face. “No, I have not, Ms. Thornton. Leo Greenberg and I are more acquaintances than friends.”

“Acquaintances?” Melissa asked as she quickly glanced at the slide thumbnails on her laptop and selected one that appeared on the large screen. It was a security camera still of Greenberg and Wolverton getting into a golf cart at the Rainier Club. 

While the Trustees studied the image, Melissa checked her minutes again. “The recording of the July meeting reveals that you announced to the Board, 'I have here in my hands a letter of intent signed by _my_ _friend_ and Fulton alum, Leo Greenberg’.”

Wolverton shifted uncomfortably, and Melissa clicked to the next slide. It was another still from a security camera at the Rainier Club. This one was taken in the bar, and was zoomed in to show only Greenberg and Wolverton.

“I believe this was captured on the night that you and Greenberg discussed the foundation’s donation. I’ll get to the donation later.” She knew that her 'later' references were making him increasingly uncomfortable. “It was also the night that you discussed Dr. Beauchamp and her partner, Mr. James Fraser, referring to them as ‘the slut and the porn star’. And-” 

Jaws dropped around the table and on the grid of faces on the video call. No-one spoke or reacted yet - they knew Melissa had more. 

“It was also the night that Greenberg told you, and I quote, 'It's time to get rid of the bitch'.”

The reactions were instantaneous. Audible gasps were heard around the table, and almost every pair of eyes eventually landed on Jack Wolverton. Meredith Channing was texting frantically, holding her phone in her lap, lips pressed together in concentration. 

Melissa allowed the Trustees time to react. Looking at her Apple watch, she noticed two things. First, there was a text notification from her cell-phone specialist in Atlanta. His text would no doubt confirm that he had found the information she requested when she noticed Meredith Channing walking in from lunch with her phone in her hand.

The second thing she noticed was that they were slightly overdue for a break. She and Joe had inserted multiple breaks into the meeting schedule, anticipating that the Trustees would appreciate the time to process some of the shocking revelations in her presentation. This break would allow the Trustees to naturally gravitate towards colleagues whose thinking aligned with theirs. They would cluster together and parse the information she had just bombarded them with, and that is exactly what she wanted. 

“I’m calling a half-hour break," she announced. "Let’s meet back here at 2:45.” She pointed her remote at the screen and quickly changed her mind about turning the power off. Clicking 'Freeze' on the remote, she grabbed her laptop and turned towards the door. She left the room with the large zoomed-in image of Wolverton and Greenberg huddled in private conversation at the Rainier Club bar emblazoned on the large screen.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie had a brief break between a table read and a stunt-planning meeting, and he grabbed the chance to call Claire. 

“I just got out of a script meeting. Needed to hear yer voice and tell you how much I miss you already.”

“Perfect timing, I’m taking a tea break on the patio, and missing you too. I'd be snuggled in your arms if you were here with me right now. How’s everything going out there?”

“I hit the ground running. We’re doing a lot of stunt-planning over the next three days, and costume and wardrobe fittings at the end of the week. I'll be flying in late on Friday night, not my usual early morning flight. The head of the costume department is coming in from an on-location shoot they’re doing, and Luke Beyer won't work with anyone but her.”

“Ohhhh! Another full day! I’m going to be missing you so badly by Friday morning!" Claire didn’t even try to hide her disappointment.

“I know, and I’m really sorry, mo ghràidh. But to make it up to you, I have great news!”

She knew that teasing lilt in his voice all too well. 

“Oh boy, I can just imagine! What is it?”

“Remember Angus MacFarlane invited us to the Caledonian Society's Highland Games? It’s this coming Sunday, and he’s sent me several emails, so I finally caved. Since I’m not at the Lallybroch meetings, I have no good reason to miss it. If you’re up for it, I’d love for you to accompany me to a braw and riotous Scottish event. I’ll wear my best kilt for ye, babe.”

Claire giggled her deep belly giggle, “If I’m up for it? Heck yeah! That sounds like so much fun. Can we take the girls? I bet they’d love it.”

“Of course. And Melissa is welcome to come too.”

“Oh, she’ll get such a kick out of it. Maybe she’ll find herself attracted to a brawny, kilted Scot.”

“Hah! I’m not convinced that any of them could handle the tornado that is Melissa Thornton. Any word from her on how the meeting’s going?”

“No. I’ll only hear tonight when she gets back. She will be hyper-focused on what she’s doing right now, so I’m not expecting updates. I can’t wait to hear."

“Will you call and let me know tonight? I can’t wait either. Have you heard from Haas yet?”

“Yes. Dean Hoffman has pulled the whole team together to meet me on Thursday. They’re arranging my travel - it will be an overnight stay, and I’ll probably be on the first flight home on Friday.”

There was a long silence as Jamie pondered how to react and what to say.

“Claire … that’s the night of Beth and Ella’s showcase. Their tumbling event.”

“I know, Jamie,” she replied, her voice reflecting the guilt she felt and her irritation that Jamie had brought it up. “It was a tough, on-the-spot decision that I had to make while Dean Hoffman was on the phone waiting for my reply. I feel like the worst mom in the world right now, but Hoffman spent days pulling the team together to meet me. I should have blocked that date and let her know well ahead of time.”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel worse, Claire. You’re an amazing Mam, and I tell ye that all the time. The girls will understand. They still have the cheer dance showcase coming up in September.”

“I’m definitely not missing that one - I don’t care what life throws my way. I will be at the September showcase for sure. Ashlee’s mom will record the tumbling and send it to me on Thursday, so I can watch it right away and call the girls to shower them with love and praise.”

“Please send it to me too. I’ll call them and add my love and praise.”

His heart hurt. He didn't mean to add to Claire's sense of guilt, but the words were out of his mouth before he realized how she might react to them. His thoughts had been more focused on the girls, who had worked so hard and practiced so many long hours to perfect their tumbling. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Leaving the Trustees to their half-hour break, Melissa went straight to the 3rd floor meeting room, where she could speak privately with her team. Shutting the door firmly, she leaned up against it and tapped her phone urgently. Within seconds, Ronan and Marsali joined her on a FaceTime call.

“Ronan, I’m on a short break. Tell me what you found out.” She moved to the table and sat down.

“Channing’s last call was to her husband, made at 12:50. They spoke for 6 minutes.”

“Mm-hmm. Just before they all came back from lunch. What else?”

“Okay, so obvi, I don’t have access to what was discussed in the call, but I downloaded the last 3 months worth of texts. Both hers and her husband’s. I’ve been going through them for the past hour. A lot of family talk, planning a skiing vacation over Christmas and stuff like that. And she wants a 4-diamond eternity ring this year.”

“Ronan! Just the important stuff. I’m on a tight deadline.”

“Lots of talk about her husband’s retirement. He wants to be done in six to nine months, because he’s launching his senatorial campaign for Washington State legislature after retirement. Ultimately, he wants to run for Governor, by the sound of the texts. His Senate run is a stepping stone.”

“Hmmm. No wonder Meredith is in a panic,” Melissa mused. “She clearly had no idea of Wolverton’s connections with NexusIG. She must have assumed that he's your average straight-laced sexist who took offense to Claire's social media publicity and wants her out.”

“And Wolverton’s attitude towards Claire aligned with Meredith Channing’s personal agenda,” Marsali pointed out. “She and Wolverton have been in a mutually beneficial alliance. He gets her vote on Board matters, and she gets her nephew closer to his Fulton MBA. She’s been completely clueless about Wolverton’s involvement in NexusIG. Today was an eye-opener for her. She’s realizing how her alliance with Wolverton could negatively impact her husband’s political ambitions. No wonder she’s been panic-texting him! Ronan, be sure to download today's texts too. We may need them as ammo later."

“This is gold,” declared Melissa. “What about the cell numbers and email addresses, Ronan? Greenberg’s and Manion’s.”

”Handled.“

“Thank you both. I need to make a few tweaks to my PowerPoint. I’ll connect with you later, Ronan. Marsali, I’ll see you back in the meeting.”

Melissa spent a few minutes editing her PowerPoint, and intentionally returned to the conference a few minutes early. She stood in the small waiting area and watched through the open door as the Trustees interacted with each other. 

Wolverton, Maitland, Paxton and Ellis were huddled in Wolverton’s customary corner. Their expressions exposed their deep concern over the way the meeting was going. They had tried to press Maitland into pulling rank as Chairman to cut the meeting short, but Maitland refused to be pressured. As a newer supporter of NexusIG, he fought constantly to project an air of neutrality as Chairman of the Board, while still maintaining his status as one of Wolverton’s allies and Manion’s followers. 

He explained his stance to the other men. “We are at greater risk of exposure if we try to abort Thornton’s presentation. The Trustees will demand a deeper investigation. Or they will go directly to her for the information she is planning on revealing anyway. You heard her - she has documentation. It’s best to sit and listen, and then strategize tonight for tomorrow’s meeting. We can harness the power and expertise of our guys in DC. Thornton will wish she had never stepped foot in Seattle. Text Greenberg. He and Manion will need to clear their evening for crisis discussions.”

Wolverton checked his phone. "I’ve been trying to text him for the past half hour. It's undeliverable." 

Melissa's eyes drifted to the other corner where a small group of Trustees stood talking quietly. Two of them were reaching the end of their term, and hadn’t really given a damn about the professorship vote. Their resumes looked good with a Fulton Trusteeship on it, and that’s all that mattered to them. 

Meredith Channing sat on her own at the table, still texting surreptitiously on her lap, oblivious to the chatter around her. 

A larger group of newer Trustees were huddled in quiet conversation away from the rest, and Melissa imagined they were horrified to find a handful of ardent Manion supporters in their midst. 

Melissa stepped into the conference room and the clustered Trustees immediately dispersed and took their seats. Standing at the head of the table, she picked up a few sheets of paper from her folder and rifled through them.

“Where were we?” she asked lightly. “Ah yes. ‘It’s time to get rid of the bitch’.” 

Wolverton glowered at her. “I object to your raising a private conversation in this meeting. And I’d like my objection minuted.”

“Certainly,” Melissa said agreeably, glancing at the Board secretary, who was tapping furiously at his laptop. "As a reminder, this meeting is also being recorded on the video call."

“I have no idea how you got the details about that conversation, but I plan to find out. Do you have a reasonable explanation for dragging an illegally-acquired, private conversation into this meeting?” 

“I’m not here to provide you with explanations, Mr. Wolverton. I’m here to provide the Board with information. You are an influential member of this Board of Trustees, and this private conversation is a better indicator of your attitudes and state of mind than any conversation you’ve had around this table since you began your term. Your fellow Trustees deserve to know who they are working with.” 

“So you’re here on a personal mission to smear my name? Your real objective is to try and expose what you characterize as my supposed sexism. I stand by all my decisions with regard to Dr. Beauchamp - they were all based on merit and after deep thought, not on the fact that she’s a woman.” 

“There’s no ‘supposed’ about the extent of your sexism, Mr. Wolverton. I’m going to read a few excerpts from the minutes - all of these statements were attributed to you, either during the July meeting with Dr. Beauchamp, or during the voting meeting immediately after that.” 

“Please,” Wolverton said mockingly, sweeping his hand expansively across the table to encompass the meeting attendees, “please read on for the benefit of all.” 

Melissa consulted her notes and read from the uppermost page, “I’m reading verbatim: ‘Wolverton suggested it’s time for Dr. B to stop worrying her pretty little head and focus on her new relationship. Wolverton asked Dr B when she found out about being photographed canoodling with Fraser at a formal event. Wolverton thinks it’s unbecoming for a Fulton professor to be involved with an actor who does near-pornographic scenes’.” 

She looked up at Wolverton, whose lips were clamped together in a scowl.

“You are smearing my name, Ms. Thornton, and this is dangerously close to slander.”

“You know better than to claim slander, Mr. Wolverton. I’m merely repeating what the Trustees heard from your lips on the day of the meeting, a little reminder, if you will. I’m not here to 'smear' you or anyone else. Merely to reveal the facts - even if they come from private conversations - so that entire Board is fully informed.” 

A number of the Trustees nodded their heads in appreciation, and she continued to stare down Jack Wolverton, her expression a study in easy composure with just a tinge of defiance.

“And as much as you’d like to think that my presence here is entirely focused on you, it’s really not. I’m here to shake up this Board, Mr. Wolverton. It’s long overdue for a complete overhaul.” 

A wave of murmurs and whispers coursed through the room, and Joe looked at Melissa with a hint of a smile in his eyes. Of all the bombshells she had dropped since she started the meeting, this was the one that drew the strongest reaction yet.

As the noise subsided, she addressed them again. “Fulton deserves better. Dr. Beauchamp deserves better. Your students deserve better. And Dean Abernathy certainly deserves better leadership and guidance than this Board is able to provide in its current composition.” 

Maitland finally spoke up, “On whose authority are you ‘overhauling’ this Board? The removal or appointment of Trustees is handled by the Board, and in the case of some kind of catastrophic event, by the University’s President and the Board of Regents.”

“Thank you for that clarification, Mr. Chairman. UDub's President has not been apprised of this situation ... yet. Dean Abernathy and I have an appointment to meet her this week.”

Wolverton, Paxton, Maitland and Ellis shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

“I believe we can handle this situation within the confines of this conference room over the course of today and tomorrow,” Melissa announced confidently.

“I ask you again, Ms. Thornton,” Maitland insisted, “what authority do you have to make Board decisions?”

“None whatsoever, Mr. Chairman,” Melissa said brightly, “I’m not making any Board decisions, but I can assure you that by this time tomorrow, I will have at least five letters of resignation in my folder.”

Another prolonged wave of murmurs and frantic whispers rolled around the room, and Melissa gave the Trustees a few minutes to discuss her last statement. 

“Ms. Thornton, as Chairman of the Board, I receive all the resignations, and I’m generally quite abreast of what’s going on within the Board. I can tell you that not a single Trustee springs to mind as a potential resignation in the near future. Our Board is solid, and if I say so myself, we have done an outstanding job of leading and guiding Fulton.”

“I beg to differ, Mr. Chairman. I invite everyone to look around at the make-up of this Board. There are 23 Trustees on this Board, including the ex-officio faculty members. Five Trustees are female, and four are people of color. Every one of us is painfully aware that the make-up of this Board doesn't come close to reflecting the demographics of the Fulton community. As a result, it cannot hope to effectively serve or represent the interests of your student body.”

“We were doing quite nicely, thank you, until you brought your liberal views into our midst,” Wolverton pointed out, looking from Trustee to Trustee, gauging the level of agreement and support he was getting from each one. Most refused to make eye contact with him. 

“Since I furnished you with our articles and by-laws along with our minutes, I assume you know that almost everything we do is put to a vote?” Maitland asked her pointedly. 

“Of course.” 

“I’m calling for a yea or nay vote on whether to allow you to continue with this meeting. We were told that our presence was imperative because there were issues that impacted the future of Fulton Business School. Bearing in mind the recent reputational hits we’ve taken due to Dr. Beauchamp’s behavior, we dropped everything to attend the meeting.” Maitland looked around at the Trustees. “Only to find out that we’ve been brought into an ambush.”

"Hardly an ambush, Mr. Maitland," Melissa scoffed.

“I agree with our Chairman," Wolverton declared. "This feels very much like an ambush. What I’d like to know, and I’m sure I speak for most of the Board, is how this whole dog and pony show of yours will benefit Dr. Beauchamp. The professorship opportunity is no longer on the table. If this is just a revenge thing against the Davidson voters, it’s a massively expensive one. Bringing us all together for two days is costing Fulton a significant amount of money. And a legitimate and properly conducted vote that doesn’t go your way is not a reason to overhaul a board of Trustees.”

“Mr. Chairman, this is not an attempt to retaliate against the Davidson voters," Melissa countered. She looked around the table and up at the five Trustees on the screen. “Not all of you who voted against Dr. Beauchamp got sucked into the NexusIG ideology. One or two of you may have genuinely felt that Davidson was the better candidate. Some of you may have agreed on some level that the exposure PILF brought to Fulton was partly Dr Beauchamp’s fault, so you aligned yourself with Wolverton’s vote, and not with his sexist views. You had valid personal reasons to vote the way you did, and that’s perfectly fine. This meeting is not about the professorship vote, and I still have a lot more to share with you. Why don't we take the vote that Mr. Maitland proposed. You are entitled to decide whether or not you would like to hear what I have to reveal." 

Maitland glanced smugly at Wolverton and at Paxton and Ellis across the table, and announced, “All those in favor of terminating Ms. Thornton’s presentation and disbanding this meeting, say ‘yea’.”

The secretary recorded seven ‘yea’ votes. Maitland waited longer than necessary in case any stragglers decided to add to the ‘yea’ vote.

Hearing no further votes, and hoping for a decent number of abstentions, he announced, "All those opposed, say ‘nay’.” 

The secretary recorded thirteen ‘nay’ votes. Only Meredith Channing had abstained. The Trustees waited for Maitland to announce the continuation of the meeting, but his mouth was clamped firmly shut. 

One of the Trustees finally spoke up. “Ms. Thornton, I’m Rachel Byrne, Chair of the Board's Governance Committee, and I’d like to place on record that the vote was procedurally appropriate and resulted in a clear ‘nay’ vote. The meeting will continue. Ms. Thornton?” 

“Thank you, Ms. Byrne.” She looked around the table, targeting the ‘nay’ voters. “The vote tells me that you are hungry for more information about the questionable behavior and alliances that have driven decisions affecting Dr. Beauchamp’s role, status, and reputation at Fulton. It also tells me that you seek more information about what the connection with NexusIG means for Fulton.” 

Several Trustees nodded their encouragement. 

She aimed her laser pointer at the image of Wolverton and Greenberg at the Rainier Club bar. 

“In this part of the presentation, I will reveal startling information that a few among us will immediately describe as ‘allegations’. Know that every statement I make is backed up by irrefutable evidence. How I acquire my evidence is not up for discussion. My sources are solid and reliable, and everything they share with me is backed up by a paper trail, an electronic trail, picture or video evidence, or voice recordings. It is very rare that I rely on primary source verbal accounts or anecdotal evidence, and when I do, even that is investigated as thoroughly as possible.” 

She clicked and the slide moved to a copy of Greenberg's Letter of Intent. Eyebrows raised as Trustees realized that the letter in Wolverton’s manila envelope - the one that he had guarded so carefully - was now on full display to the entire room. The mystery Foundation’s letterhead revealed its name and logo. 

FARAS.

Not FARCE or FARSE, as Julio and Claire had originally misheard. 

Maitland and Wolverton reddened deeply and both looked like they were anxious to interrupt her presentation, but they held themselves in check. 

“You no doubt all remember the magnificent moment in your July meeting when Mr. Wolverton revealed this sizable donation to Fulton, along with his inability to provide further information about the foundation. Fortunately, I happen to have the information that Mr. Wolverton claimed he didn’t have - details about the Foundation. FARAS is the acronym for Foundation for the Advancement and Recovery of American Schools. Nice safe name. It falls under the very large umbrella of NexusIG, with Greenberg as head of the Foundation. 

“Funding for FARAS comes from a larger NexusIG umbrella foundation that channels funds into the splinter units. There are well over 500 billionaires in the United States, and at least 30 of them are actively involved with Keith Manion or NexusIG. There is a lot of old money, Trust Fund money, and money from dubious business deals. I’m talking military contracts, energy contracts, money from global allies in Europe, Asia and Eastern Europe. I can’t even fathom listing the vast number of sources, but please trust me when I tell you that there is absolutely no shortage of funding. The risk Fulton faces here is the damage to its reputation when the full extent of the funding and the men behind it are revealed.” 

She paused for a moment. “Any questions?” 

Completely engrossed in the mind-boggling information she was sharing, no one ventured a question or comment, so she continued. 

“Greenberg and his team keep their focus on education. They believe that women are eroding male superiority in society generally, and it all starts with education. As a Fulton alum, he obviously keeps himself informed of what’s happening with his alma mater, and during PILF he was keeping an eye on the feminist surge that started with “I stand with Doc B”. He targeted Wolverton, who was new to the Board, because Wolverton’s a …  _ traditionalist _ … too. Greenberg nurtured and built their relationship and drew him into the NexusIG fold. Wolverton, in turn, was able to bring a fellow NexusIG supporter onto the Board and he wooed a few of the existing Trustees into sharing his sexist and conservative mindset, if not the NexusIG ideology.” 

Wolverton looked like he might erupt at any moment. His anger at being spoken about as if he was not in the room was palpable. Maitland caught his eye and shook his head slightly. Now was not the time to cause a scene. They would wait until they could convene with NexusIG leadership that night to plan their strategy to deal with Thornton. 

Melissa completely ignored Wolverton, and continued. 

“Wolverton is not a fan of the work that Dr. Beauchamp is doing. Her communication and corporate social responsibility initiatives opened up avenues to push back against traditional white leadership - something that flies in the face of NexusIG’s philosophy. The aim was to get Dr. Beauchamp out of education altogether, so that they could neutralize her unwanted influence on potential future business leaders. I have no doubt whatsoever that female lecturers and professors around the country are in their crosshairs. Mr. Wolverton has of course been emboldened by the support of the influential and wealthy members of NexusIG who have groomed him to do their bidding at Fulton.” 

Melissa made brief eye-contact with a nervous Meredith Channing before continuing. 

“Mr. Wolverton received a boost when a Trustee joined the Board about two years ago with a very similar agenda to his, but an entirely different set of motivators.” 

The color drained from Channing’s face, and she looked down at her hands, clasped tightly in her lap. 

“The new Trustee would help him push harder against Dr. Beauchamp. Ideally, both of them would like to see Dr. Beauchamp gone from Fulton altogether, but since that might take a while to pull off, they became allies in blocking her progress in any way they could. The new Trustee had a personal agenda. Her nephew, the shining star of the family, was one of the boys who initiated the PILF scandal. Her sole reason for being on this Board is to smooth the way for her nephew’s re-admittance to Fulton to complete an MBA. As one of only five women on this board, she has used her influence to sway female votes in support of her agenda and that of her ally, Jack Wolverton.” 

Joe was losing count of how many times Melissa had thrown mic-drop moments into her presentation. Once again, Trustees’ jaws dropped, as they looked at their colleagues around the table and up at those on the video call, trying to work out who amongst them was guilty of such a blatant conflict of interest. With only five female members on the Board, it didn’t take very long before heads turned towards Meredith Channing. 

As Chairman of the Board, it fell to Maitland to immediately address the issue of Channing’s conflict of interest, but whether it was because he was still shell-shocked by Melissa’s ability to uncover so much of the corruption within the Board, or whether he was paralyzed by the prospect of losing his own position, he remained silent. 

Once again, it was Governance Committee Chair, Rachel Byrne, who took the initiative. “Mr. Chairman, it is our duty and responsibility to identify the Trustee that Ms. Thornton just referenced, and investigate-” 

“Stop!” 

Heads whipped around and all eyes landed on Meredith Channing. She rose from her seat and took a deep breath. “Mr. Chair-” she began in a shaky voice.

Clearing her throat, she started over, “Mr. Chairman, you’ll have my resignation by tonight.” 

Gathering her personal belongings and leather tote, she turned and began her humiliating walk out of the conference room. With the exception of Melissa, all Trustees fixed their eyes on Channing. Melissa looked up at the screen. Marsali was holding up five fingers, and dropped one. Melissa gave her the tiniest of smiles, and nodded once. Joe looked at Melissa and raised an eyebrow in a secret display of approval at how the meeting was progressing.

As the room quietened down after the tumult caused by Channing’s shocking resignation, Melissa stood calmly at the head of the table. 

“This seems like a good time to adjourn for today. Mrs. Channing was a victim of her own duplicity. When she joined this Board, it was with the understanding that she would advance Fulton’s mission and strategic goals and objectives. This meant setting aside personal objectives, biases, and attitudes and making sure that every decision she participated in was based on merit, careful consideration, and always with the benefit of the Fulton community in mind. She failed.” 

Gathering her papers and folders into a neat stack, she placed both hands on the table, and leaned forward to address the Trustees more intimately, making eye contact with each one of them in turn as she spoke. 

“If any of you have made Board decisions that were unduly influenced by other Trustees with a vested interest in areas that did not directly benefit Fulton, you too have failed. If you allowed yourself to be pressured to vote a specific way, you too have failed. I am asking all of you to do some deep soul-searching tonight. And then make the right decision for Fulton and its future.” 

She slid her folders into her briefcase, snapped it shut, and swept out of the room, leaving behind the scent of the perfume she had selected that morning. The spicy, amber notes of Dior's Poison lingered in the conference room long after everyone had left for the day.


	50. Chapter 50

* * *

Claire had a chilled glass of The Grotto’s Allegro rosé waiting for Melissa when she arrived home. Sipping gratefully, Melissa thanked her and headed upstairs to change. 

“I’m going to put on my swimsuit. I need a long soak in that hot tub after dinner. Before anything, however, I need to debrief with Atlanta for a half hour. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.” 

While Melissa was tied up in a Zoom call with Marsali and key members of her team, Claire and the girls prepared a dinner of fish tacos with a slew of toppings. Ella made spicy mango salsa and guacamole from scratch, and Beth gathered and prepared all the other fixings, while Claire sauteed the fish strips, onions and peppers. It had been a while since the three of them had collaborated on a meal, and it felt good to be doing it again.

“This reminds me of when we used to pick out our favorite Food Network recipes and work on them together,” Beth said wistfully.

“Yes it does,” agreed Claire. “We need to get back to doing that. I love cooking with you girls.”

“I have a bunch of recipes bookmarked. We can start with those,” Ella suggested.

“Girls, I need to talk to you about something.”

“Uh oh.”

“No, you’re not in trouble. I have a very important meeting at a university in California on Thursday, and the timing of the meeting means that I’ll have to stay overnight and fly back on Friday morning. And that means I miss your tumbling showcase.” 

Their faces fell for a brief moment, but they quickly recovered. 

“It’s okay, Mom.”

“No, it’s really not, and I feel awful. It’s the first time I’m missing your showcase in all the years you’ve been doing cheer. I’ve asked Ashlee’s mom to send me her recording the minute the showcase is done. Jamie asked for it too, so we'll both get to see your showcase right after you've performed.”

“It’s seriously okay, mom. Our friend group is going out for dinner afterwards, so it’ll end up being a fun night,” Beth said, reassuringly.

“Are you going to guest lecture in California?” Ella asked.

“No, it’s a meeting with a lot of other professors and lecturers,” she said quickly, before changing the subject. “I spoke to Jamie earlier, and we have something fun planned for Sunday.”

To her relief, the girls were excited to talk about the Highland Games outing, and she was able to avoid awkward questions about her trip to California. The last thing she wanted was for Beth and Ella to worry about an out-of-state job offer, and she was starting to feel uncomfortable about using the interest from Haas to gain traction for herself at Fulton. She was also genuinely curious about what Haas had in mind for her.

Melissa joined them downstairs and they all headed out to the patio to enjoy their meal. After dinner, the girls changed into their workout gear and did some trampolining before heading indoors to work on summer reading for AP Lit ahead of school reopening in just a few weeks.

With the girls out of ear-shot, Claire was desperate to hear all about the meeting with the Trustees. 

“I can’t wait to tell you! It went way better than I expected. But before we do that, I need to tell you that by now, Manion and his band of merry old white men are scrambling to cover up all sorts of mischief. I have alerted some of my contacts in law enforcement in DC and New York - where most of NexusIG activities are based.”

“Are you expecting any arrests?"

“I’m not expecting any arrests. NexusIG is well known to the authorities. They’ve had a multi-agency task force on NexusIG for a while - and you can bet that they have undercover agents embedded in the key units like technology and military. Education is probably not as high on their list. I’m waiting for Atlanta to get back to me with the name of someone well-placed in law enforcement here in Washington. At minimum, they’ll need to arrange surveillance and communications tracking on Greenberg, because there will undoubtedly be a flurry of NexusIG activity in the next week or two.” 

“I can help you with that,” Claire offered.

“With surveillance? Have you lost your mind?”

“No! With a contact in law enforcement. You remember Milo and Suki?”

“Of course.”

“Milo’s brother, Anton Lukic, is Attorney General for Washington State."

“Damn Girl! I didn’t expect to go that high, but that would be phenomenal. Can you connect us?” 

Claire exchanged a few quick texts with Milo, and she and Melissa climbed into the hot tub with the remaining wine from dinner. Within an hour, Milo had connected Anton and Melissa via email. 

“Thanks, Claire,” Melissa said, setting aside her phone, “I’ll take it from here. I’ll email him later tonight.” 

“I hope you get to meet him. He’s a hottie.”

“Haha! I’ve been quite happy since I kicked Trent to the curb. Not looking to replace him right now,” Melissa said firmly.

Melissa spent the next hour sharing the highlights of her meeting at Fulton. Claire was alternately shocked and delighted by Melissa's descriptions of the Trustees’ reactions to her revelations.

“I can’t believe Channing resigned on the spot!”

“She had no choice," Melissa shrugged. "Her husband’s political aspirations were going up in flames around her. There's no way he’ll be able to mount a successful campaign when the word leaks out about his wife’s reasons for being on the Fulton Board. Conflict of interest is not a good look for a Governor's spouse.”

“Oh dear - no Governor’s Mansion for Meredith. And no Fulton MBA for Noah Yarborough. Well, maybe that eternity ring will be consolation enough. Do you think anyone else will resign tonight.”

“Yes, I’m almost certain that two of the Trustees who have less than a year to serve will submit their resignations. Marsali watched their reactions carefully, and she thinks they are over this. They don’t need the drama, and we think they’ll pull the plug tonight. Two of the newer Trustees also seemed really distressed and disturbed by most of what I shared. At least one of them will resign.”

“And the NexusIG crew?”

“Wolverton, Ellis and Paxton will fight to the bitter end. I’m on the fence about Maitland. Of course I’m hoping that he will resign, and as the letters of resignation start filling his inbox tonight, that might give him a push.”

“He is also a sycophantic yes-man. He probably fears the back-lash from Wolverton and NexusIG leadership if he jumps ship now,” Claire pointed out.

“True. On the other hand, his wife is a superior court judge. His actions and behavior reflect on her and affect her re-electability. I’m hoping that she dials up the pressure on him tonight. Tomorrow will be interesting.”

“We should head indoors. It’s getting late and Jamie will be waiting for his update.”

“Yes, and I still have a few things to work on to prepare for tomorrow.” 

“Mel, I want to thank you again. I’ve seen how much work you and your team have put into this. It’s hours and hours of labor, and after a full day of presenting really tough stuff, you’re still not done. I don’t even know where to begin expressing how much I appreciate that.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I want to take these guys down just as much as you do. This is for the greater good, Claire. You can bet I'm going to go all bulldog on it.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tuesday brought with it another beautiful, cloudless day. Claire could hear the faint sounds of the girls moving around in the kitchen, and she knew they would be whipping up a little something for breakfast. Her heart squeezed as another wave of regret washed over her. The girls were so resilient and supportive and understanding, and that made missing their showcase even harder. Her phone buzzed at that moment, pushing her thoughts out of her head as she checked her text.

**Good morning, beautiful. Musical poetry for you this morning - hit play on the link**

**Fav lines: 'It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart, Without saying a word, you can light up the dark'**

She tapped on the link to "When You Say Nothing At All" by Music Travel Love

**_I love it! Gonna listen to it a hundred times today - I love all the lines!_ **

**You know the rules, pick a favorite**

**** **** **_'The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall'_ **

**Always!**

**** **** **_Love you so much_ **

**You too. Later babe**

She pulled on her robe and by the time she got to the kitchen, Beth and Ella had already left for an early morning ride at Greta’s stables, followed by a three-hour volunteer shift. They had left a stack of banana pancakes in the warming oven, and she nibbled on one as she made lattes for herself and Melissa. She took the mugs upstairs to the guest room, where Melissa was standing at the full-length mirror next to the bay window. She was still in her robe, and had just started applying her makeup. Claire climbed onto Melissa’s bed and shuffled under the covers, watching her friend apply her signature smokey eye.

“Thanks for the coffee. I love this window light for make-up!” she raved, standing back to check her handiwork and blend her eyeshadow. “I heard back from Anton Lukic this morning. He’s coming up from Olympia for meetings and suggested a working dinner on Thursday in Seattle. It’s his only opening for weeks.”

“Wow - I’m glad you get to see him so quickly. How are you feeling about today?”

“I’m so ready to see who's missing from the meeting,” Melissa replied, as she completed her make-up and moved away from the mirror. Shrugging off her robe, she stepped into a beautifully tailored ivory skirt and jacket by Giorgio Armani and nude Aquazzura pumps.

“You look stunning in that! I love the choice of white for today.”

Melissa slid her a knowing look before selecting from a small cluster of perfume bottles on the dressing table. She spritzed Thierry Mugler's Womanity on her pulse points and turned to face Claire. "It’s all about female empowerment today. I can’t wait.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Joe met her in the foyer of the building again, and waited while she submitted to her temperature check. It was just the two of them in the elevator again, and she sensed that Joe was itching to tell her something.

“How many?” she asked, a tiny smile lifting the corners of her mouth. 

“Five.”

Her brows shot up. 

“Including Maitland.”

“Really?" Melissa was pleasantly surprised. "I was hopeful, but not totally convinced that he would."

“We’re down by six Trustees, including Channing. I have the list of resignations printed out for you in my office. With Maitland gone, you should expect Wolverton to try to gain control of the Board.”

“I looked over the articles and by-laws last night. If the chairmanship role is vacated prior to a replacement being found, the Chair of the Governance Committee assumes interim chairmanship of the Board. That means Rachel Byrne. This morning just got a whole lot better. I’ll need to make immediate adjustments to the seating plan at the conference table.”

Melissa adjusted the seating arrangements and made slight changes to her notes. She also texted Marsali the list of resignations so that she could cross them off her list of Trustees under scrutiny. 

She entered the conference room a few minutes after everyone had taken their seats. Wolverton was to the right of Rachel Byrne, looking like he had a severe case of heartburn. Having to sit next to a woman in the Chairperson’s seat would be sticking in his craw for the duration of the meeting. His demeanor and body language projected anger and defiance, and Claire knew he would be a tough adversary this morning. A wounded animal would always fight more savagely for survival.

“Good morning. I trust that everyone is well-rested this morning.” She knew that most, if not all of them, had suffered restless or near-sleepless nights.

“Some resignations came in overnight, as you all know. With the departure of Mr. Maitland, I’d like to thank Ms. Byrne for her willingness to serve as interim Chair.” 

Before she could continue, Roger Ellis stood up. “The articles and by-laws state that the Trustees can nominate and vote a replacement Chairperson from within. I’d like to nominate Mr. Wolverton.”

Dan Paxton stood up too. “I second that nomination.”

Wolverton sat back in his chair, a look of triumph on his face. “I accept. Madam _Interim_ Chair, kindly put it to a vote.” 

Melissa had expected him to come at her, firing on all cylinders, but not within the first two minutes of the meeting. While she appeared outwardly unflappable, inside she was a little rattled. She had hoped to have an opportunity to present her bombshell revelation prior to any decision or vote. Looking at the three Trustees on the video call and fourteen around the table, she counted 15 voting Trustees. Two of the previous night's resignations had been newer Trustees, and their votes would be sorely missed today. The 'old guard’ contingent around the table was still cause for concern, and she suspected that Wolverton had reached out to all of them the previous night. 

Before she could articulate a response, Wolverton spoke up again.

“Ms. Byrne, may I address the room before we take that vote?”

“You may,” Byrne replied, somewhat reluctantly. 

“I’d like to remind the Board that the Foundation’s generous donation of $215 million is still on the table. What I can’t promise is that it won’t be withdrawn if Leo Greenberg believes the Board is not performing its duties in good faith. I have every reason to believe that the Trustees will vote in a way that benefits Fulton and its students and its future. This Board does not want its legacy to be the one that lost Fulton its largest donation.” 

“Mr. Wolverton!” Rachel Byrne interjected, “are you threatening to use your influence with Leo Greenberg and have him withdraw the donation if the vote does not go your way? That would be highly unethical.” 

“Not at all, Ms. Byrne. I don’t have that kind of influence over Leo Greenberg.” 

“Ms. Byrne,” Melissa began, “I would like an opportunity to address the Trustees too. There is some information everyone should be aware of before making their final decision on who should lead them. Just two final points.” 

“Absolutely not!” Wolverton erupted. Jerking his head in Melissa's direction, he continued, "She's not on the Board and has no platform from which to address us." 

“Not so fast,” one of the Trustees said, shooting an angry look at Wolverton. “I would like all the information before I vote. We _should_ hear what Ms. Thornton has to say.” 

“I agree. Ms. Thornton, please present your points as briefly as possible,” Byrne instructed.

“Thank you.” Melissa selected a slide and projected it on the large screen. It was a two-column list of names and figures.

“You may recall from yesterday’s presentation that a group of female business owners and executives supported Dr. Beauchamp after PILF, in response to the support movement, ‘I stand with Doc B.’ These women have continued to donate annually in Dr. Beauchamp’s name. I spent a few days last week reaching out to them and a few more trailblazing women around the country. I shared with them the situation with the professorship and the information about NexusIG. They reacted strongly and with great urgency. Between the 29 remarkable women on this list, we have written pledges for Dr. Beauchamp, totaling $348 million.” 

A murmur arose from the table as Trustees responded to the generosity of the donation. 

“That’s $133 million more than the donation from the NexusIG foundation,” Melissa pointed out. “Additionally, three of the female business executives indicated a willingness to serve as Trustees should they be invited.”

“What a load of crap!” Wolverton bellowed, jumping to his feet and glaring at Melissa. “So the donation is contingent on them serving on the Board! And you have the audacity to question Mr. Greenberg's donation! Take your donation. Take your female executives. Take your bullshit presentation and get the hell out of here.”

“Mr. Wolverton-" Byrne began, only to be interrupted by one of the male Trustees who could no longer contain himself.

“Are you kidding me!” he exclaimed, glaring at Wolverton. “First, I object to the way you addressed Ms. Thornton. Second, this Board of Trustees is in complete disarray as of last night. We should be honored that some of our captains of industry would consider joining our Board - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity - or anything else for that matter. I, for one, would vote any of these women onto this Board.” He indicated the list on Melissa’s slide. “We need good, strong leadership right now. Leadership that has Fulton’s interests and mission at heart, not leadership that is tied to an outdated and offensive socio-political ideology.” 

“I can provide that leadership,” Wolverton insisted. 

“Ms. Thornton, you said you had two points?” Byrne prompted, pointedly ignoring Wolverton’s last remark.

“Thank you. To clarify - the donation is not conditional. Three of the women merely confirmed their availability to serve, if asked. My second point is also something we touched on in yesterday’s discussion. When Mr. Wolverton first mentioned the donation to the Board in July, he was asked about how the Foundation was funded, and he claimed not to have that information. I’m pleased to be able to-” 

“We’re not about to accept this information without proof that it comes from a credible source!” Wolverton interrupted. 

“Mr. Wolverton," Melissa looked at him steadily, "I'm speaking."

She continued to stare at him until he squirmed in his seat, and then shifted her gaze to the rest of the Trustees. 

“Thanks to recent research conducted by my sources, I’m able to provide concrete and indisputable proof that the bulk of the funding for FARAS and a handful of other NexusIG splinter foundations comes from this man.” 

She pointed the remote control at the screen. Once again, a pixelated picture morphed painfully slowly into the clear image of a man’s professional headshot. He was instantly recognizable, and the reaction in the conference room was explosive and visceral. 

Two female Trustees sprang to their feet, recoiling in horror. They looked from the screen to a poised Melissa to each other and back to the screen again. Others stifled gasps with their hands, and Rachel Byrne clasped her head in her hands. The rest of the Trustees stared at the screen in wide-eyed incredulity.

A wave of muted conversations started between Trustees in close proximity to each other, and Melissa gave them time to talk amongst themselves. It took several minutes before the room calmed down enough for her to proceed. 

“Those are the facts I wanted to share with you before you decide whether or not you’ll vote to install a Chairman who brings with him over $200 million in donations, funded in large part by a prolific child rapist and sex trafficker.” 

She clicked the remote control and everyone watched as the image of Jeremy Lipstein faded slowly from the screen.

“There is no way we’re accepting the donation from FARAS,” one of the Trustees said firmly. “Fulton cannot be associated with this money. We need to distance ourselves from it immediately.”

“The man is a monster! He is under investigation up and down the East Coast and hopefully on all the islands where he has vacation homes too. Wolverton! How can you possibly think any of us will accept a donation that has its origins with Lipstein?”

“I agree!” Byrne exclaimed, temporarily abandoning her chairmanship role to express her horror and fury. “We need to disassociate ourselves from everything - and everyone - associated with NexusIG and FARAS. Immediately. The NexusIG ideology is not Fulton’s. It’s not UDub’s. And it’s not Seattle’s. We will not be drawn into laundering this man's hush money.”

“Ms. Byrne,” one of the Trustees got to his feet and said loudly and clearly, “I demand that you scrap the vote for Wolverton’s chairmanship. As one of your colleagues on the governance committee, I will confirm for the benefit of everyone here that our by-laws and articles also allow the Board to vote Trustees off the Board in special circumstances. I would suggest that this is a special circumstance. We have 15 voting members left, and our quorum is 11. We are well within the stipulations of our by-laws and articles.”

“I second that.” Two of the Trustees spoke in unison. 

One of them continued. “If Wolverton, Paxton, and Ellis are not removed from this Board within the hour, I will tender my resignation.”

“As will I.”

“I will too.”

“Same here.”

“I wish to lodge a formal objection to this removal vote,” Wolverton stood up and thumped the table with his fist. “It is highly irregular.” His face was bright red and a thin layer of perspiration clung to his forehead and upper lip.

“We haven’t taken the vote yet, Mr. Wolverton. I can assure you, there will be nothing irregular about it,” Byrne declared, her confidence boosted by the knowledge that she now had the support of a good number of the Trustees. 

Joe had been a largely silent observer throughout the proceedings. He didn’t have a vote, but in his advisory capacity, he thought it prudent to add a helpful suggestion at this point.

“Mr. Wolverton, if you feel strongly about objecting or filing an official appeal, may I suggest that I call in a representative from the Board of Regents at the University’s main admin building.”

Wolverton perked up at that, and Joe went on to elaborate. “Once this matter reaches the Board of Regents, things will look very different. The controversial nature of Manion's Nexus News, his underground NexusIG movement, and the source of FARAS’ funding will drive a Board of Regents investigation of significant breadth and depth. Your business and social affairs will be minutely examined. Your business associates and social circles will be interviewed, and there’s a strong chance it will hit the mainstream media. This kind of story never stays quiet for long. I don't need to tell you that all of that will be followed by an even more intense investigation by the authorities.”

“There’s also the matter of this little vacation you took at Lipstein's invitation,” Melissa clicked the remote and brought up a picture of Wolverton, Lipstein, and two unnamed men standing on a beach in swim trunks. Behind them was one of Lipstein’s now-notorious vacation homes. 

"Oh my God!" one of the female Trustees blurted out in disgust, expressing the sentiments of everyone in the room. The unconscionable activities that took place in Lipstein's vacation homes were not only common knowledge, they were also the subject of multiple federal investigations.

Wolverton sat down and slumped back in his chair.

“Mr. Wolverton, Mr. Paxton, Mr. Ellis - unless you have anything to add, I will proceed with the vote,” Byrne prodded.

Roger Ellis stood up. "Ms. Byrne, I am tendering my resignation with immediate effect. You'll have my letter shortly." 

Wolverton scowled across the table as Ellis collected his personal items and strode out of the conference room. He leaned over to Paxton, and they had a brief whispered conversation.

"Mr. Wolverton, Mr. Paxton - are you tendering your resignations?"

In a completely illogical decision driven by his astonishing vanity, Wolverton opted to continue with the vote, rather than tender his immediate resignation. Paxton, a yes man to the core, followed him blindly.

"We are not going to pussy out, Ms. Byrne. Please continue with the vote."

"Mr. Wolverton! That type of profanity is unacceptable for a Fulton Board meeting," Byrne angrily pointed out.

"I move to censure Mr. Wolverton on the basis of his inappropriate sexist comment," one of the male Trustees announced.

Wolverton was unfazed by the humiliating prospect of a Board censure as he leaned back in his chair, eager to count the yeas and nays, an unpleasant smirk outwardly reflecting his arrogance. He mentally calculated a two vote margin in his favor, due largely to the male-female ratio, and he was more than ready to move Byrne out and assume the Chairmanship. His first official task would be to eject Thornton from the building and resume the Chairman's rightful position on her side of the table. He almost chuckled with glee as he imagined Greenberg's reaction to the news.

The censure motion was quickly approved and recorded, and the voting began. Byrne carefully adhered to the strict guidelines set forth in the articles so there could be no backlash later. The voice vote started with the video callers, and then moved to Melissa's end of the table.

As the Trustees slowly announced their votes in turn, the Board secretary meticulously noted and minuted each response. The nays continued to mount, and by the time the vote reached Ellis' empty chair opposite him, Wolverton's hopes for a two vote margin had collapsed.

For the second day in a row, all the color drained from his face and his hands felt damp and clammy. The nays continued on his side of the table, each one a mortifying reminder of his failure to secure the support of colleagues he had assumed were completely under his influence and power. He rolled his shoulders a few times in an effort to ease the mounting stress. 

Byrne glanced at the Board secretary, and he nodded his confirmation that the vote was officially minuted. She turned to look at the men. "The minutes have recorded a unanimous vote. Mr. Wolverton, Mr. Paxton, you are hereby removed from the Board of Trustees of Fulton Business School."

She paused to allow the deafening silence to add impact to her statement. Melissa realized she was holding her breath, and released it in a slow, silent sigh.

Byrne continued, “You will receive a letter from UDub Legal and a letter from Fulton by close of business today.” 

In shocked disbelief, Wolverton arose slowly from his seat, swiftly followed by Paxton. Avoiding eye contact with everyone, they collected their personal belongings before leaving the table in disgrace. A tense hush settled over the room and no one uttered a word as all eyes followed their progress towards the door. 

Wolverton stopped when he reached Melissa. Staring at her with undisguised hatred and hostility, he snarled, “You haven’t seen the last of me, Thornton.”

She held his gaze and replied evenly, “Wonderful. I’ll be sure to look out for you on Dateline NBC."

He opened his mouth and shut it again, then strode out without a backward glance.

Rachel Byrne was firmly back in her leadership role. “I’m calling a half hour break. We all need coffee, tea, water, fresh air - or all of the above.” 

One of the Trustees raised a hand, "Before we break," he said, "I have a question for Ms. Thornton. What do you know about Mr. Lipstein's motivation to donate so heavily to NexusIG? He's been profiled extensively during the prolonged investigation into his crimes, but nothing I've read points to him having strong political affiliations or leanings."

"Lipstein has been under investigation for years. He has been supporting a host of underground organizations and secret societies for a very long time. He donates to both sides of the aisle in Washington DC. It's really a matter of buying support wherever he can in the hope that powerful and influential members of the organizations he funds will reciprocate with their support when he needs it. Many of them have 'friends in high places'. We already saw their influence at work when he was able to buy plea deals and reduced charges over the course of earlier investigations. It's a very powerful network and one that he entertains lavishly at his vast portfolio of island vacation homes."

She looked pointedly at the image of Wolverton and Lipstein at one of his vacation homes, still frozen on the large screen.

Joe texted Tonya and asked her to order coffee service. Then he walked over to the glass doors and threw them open so that the Trustees could move out onto the patio, away from the stifling, heavy atmosphere of the conference room. 

He approached Melissa and asked quietly, “Would you mind joining Rachel and me in my office?” 

They spent the half hour break talking through their next steps as Joe pondered the enormity of rebuilding Fulton's decimated Board. 

"We can't wait for our meeting with the university's president, Melissa. I need to brief her as a matter of urgency."

"Agreed. You should call her as soon as you can."

Rachel Byrne looked at Melissa with open admiration. "Melissa, I knew you meant business the minute you walked around the table to greet all of us by name, but I never imagined the horrors you and your team had uncovered. You've pulled us back from the brink of what would have been a catastrophic scandal if this had been handled any other way."

"It had to be done. Regardless of the outcome of today's vote, we need a few more resignations, and I believe those will come soon. You'll have an almost-clean slate and it's over to you and the remaining Trustees to make the right Board appointments and the right decisions for Fulton's future."

“We have a lot of work to do this week," Byrne sighed deeply. "Melissa, I hate to do this, but I’m going to suggest deferring the rest of your presentation until Friday. The magnitude of what we’ve learned since yesterday is only just starting to filter through, and I don’t think we have the bandwidth to absorb any more today.” 

“I agree,” Joe added. “This has been a lot to take in, and given that you were going to discuss Dr. Beauchamp and how the Board has mishandled almost every situation that has involved her, I don't think we can do those discussions justice today. I'll go and announce the deferred meeting for Friday. Those of us who live in or near Seattle will still be here in person on Friday, and the rest can call in.”

“I’m more than okay with that,” Melissa said. She was hugely relieved that Wolverton and his men were now out of the equation. By the end of the week, she would have more information on Haas’ offer to Claire.

She planned to use that information at Friday's meeting as she turned her focus to Claire’s future at Fulton, if indeed there was one.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After the last of the Trustees had left the building, Joe managed the process of sending official Fulton letters to Wolverton and Paxton, terminating their trusteeship. 

Immediately afterward, he made a call to the president of the university to brief her on the Board situation at Fulton. She asked a series of questions, making notes as Joe responded, and then instructed him to secure the services of Thornton & Associates, regardless of cost, to help identify and screen all new appointments to the Board. 

"Joe, this could have brought Fulton to its knees. I want every potential candidate under Thornton's microscope, using whatever legal means she needs to use. Thank you for steering Fulton through this mess. Let me know how I can support the process going forward."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire and Melissa celebrated another successful day in similar style to the previous evening, only this time they brought glasses of champagne to the hot tub after dinner.

“You’re going to have to run that by me again,” Claire said. “Wolverton’s a jackass, but he’s a smart jackass. How did he manage to shoot himself in the foot so thoroughly - and satisfyingly?”

“God forgive me, but it was truly beautiful to watch him go down, Claire! Earlier in the meeting, I have to admit, I was mildly concerned about having lost two good votes from last night’s resignations. But the tide turned so clearly - _so_ _clearly_ \- when I introduced the Lipstein connection and the vacation home photo. I cannot believe Wolverton didn’t see that. Even old guard Trustees were horrified.”

“The man’s ego knows no bounds. His entitlement and arrogance is off the charts.”

“And even after Ellis resigned rather than carry the shame of being kicked off a Board of Trustees, Wolverton persisted. He not only squandered his chance to resign and save face, he also earned himself a board censure in the process.”

"I think the censure is my second favorite part of the whole day. Unanimous vote for the win!" Claire exhaled a deeply satisfied sigh.

“He clearly assumed that the male-female ratio would pull him through. I would have been happy with a one vote margin. We need to drink a toast to that unanimous vote," Melissa suggested.

They raised their glasses and clinked them together.

“To Wolvie,” Claire began, “good luck remaining on your other boards, let alone being invited onto any more in the future. Also - please enjoy the attentions of our esteemed Attorney-General as he scrutinizes every aspect of your and Greenberg's dealings.”

As they headed back indoors an hour later, Melissa took a call from Joe. He was officially engaging Thornton & Associates as consultants in the Board re-building process. She accepted the two-week contract on the understanding that she would continue to work concurrently with the remaining Trustees.

“Joe, I am happy to help with your search, and I promise to hand you a revamped Board that is forward-thinking and immaculately clean. Every candidate’s background will be meticulously probed and examined. But my original reason for meeting with your board was to expose and resolve the damage caused to Claire’s career by corrupt Trustees and the nefarious influence of NexusIG. I want to take that process to its conclusion, and it might extend beyond Friday’s deferred meeting.” 

“Absolutely, Melissa. I am also committed to finding a solution that somehow compensates Claire for the distress caused by this mess, and rewards her for the invaluable work she does for us here at Fulton. There's no reason why you can't do that alongside the Trustee search and screening.”

**\- - - - - - - - - - - -**

Claire and Melissa drove to work together on Wednesday. Joe had set up a temporary office where Melissa could conduct her highly confidential work, and on her first contracted day, she spent hours glued to a phone, making calls to people in major cities around the country. 

Professor Davidson's on-boarding was almost complete, and Claire spent a pleasant and productive morning with her affable and likeable new colleague, acquainting him with Communications Department policies and procedures. 

At noon, she and Melissa walked to University Village, where they met Armando for lunch. Melissa and Armando knew each other well from her previous visits to Seattle, and the three friends found a secluded table at Bamboo Sushi, where they were able to reconnect and share all their latest news. The women took turns updating a shocked Armando on a few of the key events of the preceding few days.

“Sweet mother of pearl! I knew there was something whack about those guys! And you realize the three of us represent everything they hate the most - black, gay, female! Melissa, I bow down to your expertise and the badass way you took them down.” He looked from Claire to Melissa in open amazement. “I am in the presence of the fiercest women I have ever known, and if you’ll excuse me, I'm going to celebrate your awesomeness."

He did his seated version of a happy dance, not caring that several heads had turned to look at him in bemusement.

The women laughed heartily at Armando’s exuberant tribute, and then Claire turned serious for a moment. “I’m going to get serious here. The two of you and Jamie basically conspired to help fix a situation that, on the surface, seemed to affect only me. But holy crap, what a Pandora’s box you guys opened. This needed to happen, and I am so grateful that the two of you are such incredibly loyal friends. It would have all remained undiscovered, and the pure evil that is NexusIG would have continued to taint Fulton, unseen and unobstructed. I am so thankful for both of you and Jamie.”

Armando raised his wine glass. “Now to see what tomorrow holds for you, hon. Here’s hoping that Haas comes up with something so good that it forces Fulton’s hand. I know how badly you want to stay here. Also, I’m not ready to lose my lunch buddy to another business school. Good luck tomorrow, Claire.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire felt unusually apprehensive as she sat in the neatly-appointed waiting area in the Haas Faculty Building. It was decorated in contemporary furniture in shades of pale grey and deep blue, with the occasional gold accent - a nod to Haas Business School colors. Her unease was a combination of nervous anticipation about the impending discussion with Dean Elizabeth Hoffman, and her concerns about Melissa’s meeting the next day with what remained of the Board. The thought of having to wait years and years for a Fulton promotion was discouraging, and she knew that, at minimum, the Haas offer would include a full professorship.

She took a deep steadying breath and checked her phone. No new texts had come in, and Jamie’s most recent one was still at the top of her messages app.

**I love you**

The conference room door opened and an elegant woman emerged with a broad smile and extended hand. “Dr. Beauchamp, I’m Elizabeth Hoffman. It’s an honor to meet you in person. Please come with me. My team is ready for you.” 

By any standards, the meeting went exceptionally well. She connected instantly with Hoffman, and their discussion flowed comfortably. The team she had pulled together for the meeting was dynamic, enlightened, and innovative, and their enthusiastic discussion about Claire's bold work with Seattle’s leading companies took up the better part of an hour.

Claire relished the opportunity to answer questions about her ideas and plans, always within the parameters of what felt comfortable and appropriate. Haas was, after all, a competitor, and Claire was circumspect in all her answers, taking care to elaborate only on ideas and projects that were already documented in her published works. 

One of the first slides in Haas’ presentation to her was information on the school’s leadership. Its structure and nomenclature was different to that of Fulton. Haas had a School Board made up of 33 Directors. A grid of pictures and mini bios appeared on the screen, and it was immediately apparent that the board mirrored the diversity of the student community. Indeed, the Directors covered a range of ethnicities, ages, races, and creeds. Even the female-male ratio was representative of the broader American population - 17 female and 16 male Directors.

At one point, things got a little tricky to navigate, and Claire felt like she handled it rather well, considering it was quite the curve-ball.

“Dr. Beauchamp, nothing remains secret for very long in academic circles, and the word out there is that you worked for almost two years on a new degree offering for Fulton, and that your work is currently mothballed. Is the MS Comms something that you would still like to bring to life?”

The meeting attendees all leaned in for her response, and it was clearly something they had spoken about within their group before meeting Claire.

“Before you answer,” Dean Hoffman continued, “I’m not suggesting that we are ready to add to our degree offerings at the moment, nor am I implying that any offer we make you is contingent upon your MS Comms work.”

“I won’t deny that it was a huge disappointment when my work went dormant. I would certainly consider working on a new degree offering at Haas. It wouldn’t be immediate, of course, as I would need a couple of years to really immerse myself in the culture here, and work with Admissions on metrics like your students’ application-to-enrollment conversion rates, international student demographics, and several other factors before I even begin to work on feasibility. If you’re asking whether I have the appetite to work on a new degree offering all over again, the answer is yes. When the timing’s right.”

The approving looks from the attendees indicated that she had answered that question well, and she was unexpectedly pleased that she seemed to be acing this interview.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After a long soak in the tub, Melissa started to get ready for her dinner with Anton Lukic. She had taken time to do a little basic research on him, and decided that Claire was quite right. If the images that were readily available online were anything to go by, Lukic was definitely a ‘hottie.’

_Is it even appropriate to call an Attorney General a hottie? Whatever! I’m going to share the important stuff with him first, and then sit back and enjoy the view._

Styling her hair into a full, sleek bob, she applied her makeup and shook her head wryly after applying her lipstick.

_You’ve totally applied your_ _‘date-night’ makeup!_

She stepped into a pale grey Tom Ford shift that flattered her petite frame and was the perfect amount of dressy, without looking over-the-top. Stepping into her strappy Valentino heels she spritzed Chanel Nº5 on her pulse points, picked up her Gucci clutch and headed downstairs to wait for her limo. 

Ten minutes later, she was in a black SUV, en route to meet Lukic at Canlis - a restaurant that normally had a three month waiting list, but swiftly found a table for the Attorney General and his guest.

A few minutes into the drive, Claire called.

“How did it go?” Mel asked, excited and anxious to get details of Haas' offer.

“Mel, I’m in so much trouble!” Claire sounded pained and stressed.

“What is it? Claire! Are you okay?” Mel asked, alarmed at her friend's tone.

“I’m okay, I’m okay. Haas offered me so much more than I expected, and I’m a mess.”

“That’s great news, Claire! I need all the details to take into the meeting with the remaining Trustees tomorrow.”

“That’s why I’m a mess, Mel. I can’t do this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I feel like a fraud and a liar, and I hate it.”

“Start at the beginning, Claire. What did they offer you?”

“Well, first, they approved a commuting arrangement, because she knew from our very first discussion that relocation was off the table. The basic offer is full professorship of the Communications Department, which, as you know is twice the size of Fulton’s. And a shot at working on offering the MS Comms in due course.”

“Yes! That’s what I was hoping for. With Haas nibbling at the MS Comms, there’s no way the Fulton Trustees will say no.”

“Mel, wait! That’s why I feel like a fraud. I don’t want you to use the Haas offer to provoke Fulton into countering.”

“What?” 

“I’m okay with you saying I’ve been approached by a competitor, but I’d prefer that you don’t use the terms of the Haas offer as leverage.”

“Why Claire? Using that offer practically guarantees you the MS Comms at Fulton. Especially with the Board in such a mess."

“A couple of reasons, Mel. First - I connected really well with Elizabeth Hoffman and her team, and I feel like it’s really unethical to do this. They went to a lot of effort and expense to get the team ready to meet me, and to get me out here. They were all so genuine and sincere and welcoming, and I’m horrified that I was thinking I could use this meeting to wrestle a better deal from Fulton.”

“Okaaaay. That’s one reason. What else?”

“If Fulton only offers me the MS Comms as a counter-offer to keep me from going to Haas, it's going to feel like a consolation prize. If they reactivate it and ask me to bring it to fulfillment, it must be entirely based on merit. It must be because they realize the benefits of offering the MS Comms under the Fulton umbrella. Not because they fear they might lose me to a competitor.”

“Ok, so what if Fulton doesn’t bite on the MS Comms? What if they don't make it an option?”

There was a prolonged silence.

“Claire?”

“I don’t know …”

“You’ll accept Haas?”

“I don’t know, Melissa. I need time to think about it.”

“Claire ….”

“I’m so confused, Mel! I’m pissed at Fulton's Board, not at Haas, and I shouldn’t be using Haas as a pawn! What’s wrong with me, Mel! This is not like me at all! I’m kind of ashamed, to be honest.”

“People do this all the time, Claire! Leveraging competitive offers to get the best deal is common. You’ve been through so many stressful events lately - don’t be so hard on yourself."

"I know. But as I said, I have some serious thinking to do."

"Claire, I’m just arriving at the restaurant …”

“Okay. We can chat when I get back tomorrow. Go have fun. Remember - he's hot, single, and successful ...”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire arrived back at The Claremont Hotel in Berkeley just as Ella and Beth were pulling into a parking spot at their school in Snoqualmie. While Claire tried to sort through a mess of confused thoughts and tangled loyalties, the twins and their teammates completed their warm-up drills and stretching.

The athletes met in the changing room for their final pep talk. Surrounded by the collective nervousness and anticipation of their teammates, they all added the final touches to their makeup and adjusted each other’s uniforms and accessories. This was their first official performance of the season, and even though they were not competing, the athletes still felt the pressure to perform at their very best in front of friends and family. Coach Jen moved from athlete to athlete, giving all of them the once over. 

“Okay team, you look like the champion athletes you are. Get out there and wow them.”

They moved into their huddle and chanted their brief pep-talk, then ran out onto the mat-covered floor of the gymnasium. The spirited crowd whistled and whooped and applauded loudly. Parents, siblings, and grandparents were clustered in small groups and spread out with a few feet between each group, all wearing masks as required by the school. 

The audience was just as nervous and excited as the athletes, and there was a buzz of upbeat chatter throughout the bleachers. Ashlee’s mom started her video recording even before the team ran out onto the mat. Her ex, Jeff, sat a few feet away from her, recording the showcase for himself too. They greeted each other with cordial nods, and ignored each other for the rest of the evening. 

An anticipatory hush settled over the gym, and all eyes were on the thirty young women and men on the mats. The music started, prompting the athletes to get into their tumbling formations, and the showcase was under way. Competitive tumbling routines had to be under three minutes long, and this team used every available second. A handful of the athletes, including Ella and Beth, had superior gymnastic ability and skills, and as a result were front and center for much of the routine. 

As they went through their paces, the athletes were a blur of daring tumbles and flips and aerial twists that drew gasps of admiration and murmurs of disbelief from the audience. This was by far the most challenging routine they had ever performed, and Coach Jen knew they were headed for gold in the State Championships again, and more than likely at Nationals too. 

With less than a minute to go, three pairs of athletes lined up on opposite sides at the front of the mat, and completed a series of mind-boggling moves, one pair at a time.

Beth and Ella were the last to go. The entire team moved into their final position, standing in rows at the back of the mats, smiling at the audience, with their arms in high-V. Beth and Ella moved swiftly towards each other, completing an impressive sequence of round-offs and back handsprings, passing each other in the center of the mat, and finishing off with a daring full twisting layout, which spun them high in the air. They landed beautifully, sticking their landing firmly and with flawless precision. 

“Yassss! Go Beth! Go Ella!”

The twins stood at the front of the mat, arms in high-V, smiles fixed on the audience. Their heads turned in perfect sync toward the source of the cheers. Both girls recognized the voice instantly. Their mouths dropped, and eyes widened as they spotted their masked, cap-wearing supporter high in the bleachers, just left of center. 

The music stopped, and the exhilarated athletes swarmed off the mats into the waiting arms and hugs of their proud families. 

Beth and Ella raced across the floor.

Taking the bleachers two steps at a time, they flung themselves into Jamie’s arms.


	51. Chapter 51

* * *

Still on a high from the success of a perfectly executed routine, the girls clung to Jamie for a few seconds before letting go.

“Jamie! Oh my God! How did you get here?”

“Did you come to surprise us?”

“Did you see the full showcase?”

“Does Mom know you’re here?”

He laughed at the flurry of questions. “I flew in on Panther’s jet. Yes, I came to surprise you and I got here ten minutes before it started so I saw the full showcase. And yes, your Mam knows I’m here. And you were both fantastic! I’m so proud of you girls. Your aerials were breathtaking and yer landings were perfect.” 

He pulled them both into another hug. “Let’s send Mam a selfie. I know she’s missing you a lot right now.”

They huddled in for the shot, and Jamie sent it to Claire. Instantly, the three dots started to bounce on his screen. 

**_Aww! Thk u for being there for them ❤️_**

**I’m so happy I got here in time - they were amazing! Did A’s mom send u the video?**

**_Yes. I’m about to watch_ **

**Pls send it to me too - I want to send it to Jenny**

**_Ok. Going to facetime the girls as soon as I’ve watched it_ **

“Your Mam’s going to watch the video and then she’ll call you. Are you heading straight to dinner with your friends?”

“Can we get dinner with you instead?”

“Aren’t you going in a group? Your Mam said you were all going out.”

“That was the original plan,” Ella said, “but because of pandemic guidelines, Coach said that we should go out to dinner with the family members who came to watch us. Beth and I were going to get take-out and go home.”

“Well, in that case, I’d be delighted to take you out for dinner to celebrate an outstanding showcase. We’ll have to go in your car, though. I came in an Uber.”

While the girls went to change into their sweatsuits, Jamie called Claire.

“I just watched the video, and they were fantastic! Were they over-the-top excited to see you?”

“They were pretty happy, yes. Coach clamped down on the big friend-group dinner - it’s family units only, so I’m taking them out for dinner. I’ll drive so they can FaceTime with you from the car.”

“Oh, Jamie. Thanks for doing that. I bet they’d far rather hang out with you and hear all about Superman and L.A. Have a great dinner. I’ll wait for the girls to FaceTime me from the car, and I’ll call you before bedtime. Love you.”

Jeff Campbell walked towards him as he tapped out of the call with Claire. He stopped in front of Jamie. 

“Fraser,” he nodded a curt greeting.

“Campbell,” Jamie replied coolly.

“Ashlee tells me the girls were talking about the Highland Games. I’ll see you there. I’m signed up for the caber toss and tug of war.”

“I’m signed up for those too. Looking forward to it.” He looked at Campbell evenly and waited for him to break eye contact first.

Jamie was looking forward to the games more than ever.

The twins wanted Italian, and while Jamie drove to Francesco’s in Snoqualmie Ridge, they FaceTimed animatedly with Claire. 

“I’ve sent Jamie the video from Ashlee’s mom, so you can watch it at dinner and see for yourselves how brilliant you were.”

“Thanks, Mom! Your room looks nice. What are you doing for dinner tonight? I wish you were here.”

“I know, sweetheart, me too. I’m ordering room service so I can keep making notes and organizing ideas on things that Melissa’s working on.”

She was planning on going over her interview notes and writing down a few thoughts to discuss with Melissa early the next morning, before she spoke to the Trustees. 

"Okay, well ... have a good night, Mom," Ella said wistfully, "love you."

It was a long, chatty dinner as the girls shared a week’s worth of news with Jamie, and he in turn told them all about the work he’d been doing on Superman. They were enthralled by the details of what went into planning a movie, and of course hearing names that were familiar to them after their trip to L.A. made it even more entertaining. Astaire, Yoonah, and Luke Beyer had asked Jamie to pass their best wishes to the girls, who promptly Snapped a picture of themselves to Astaire, along with a sweet message.

Of course, no dinner with the twins was complete without ice-cream, and they made it to the Snoqualmie Ridge Candy Shoppe three minutes before it closed. Jamie could feel their energy starting to flag a little on the drive home. They had put in hours and hours of practice ahead of the showcase, and were physically exhausted and still coming down from the emotional high of the performance. He figured it would be an earlier night for them.

While the twins showered and changed into pajamas, Jamie put away the leftover pizza from dinner, brewed each of the girls a mug of chamomile tea, and put the trash and recycling bins out for Friday morning collection. 

After a goodnight hug, the girls took their mugs upstairs, and Jamie poured himself a shot of whisky. He settled into one of the armchairs in the family room, and turned on the TV. It felt strange to be in the house without Claire, and it would feel even more so spending a night without her in their bed. 

He flipped through the DVR recordings to find something to watch before turning in for the night. Tired of the electioneering and the pandemic news and wave after wave of general bad news from around the world, his preference was for something light and entertaining. The twins had saved multiple recordings of “The Voice”, and that was suddenly very appealing. He enjoyed the banter between the judges and the singing talent was often astounding. It was the perfect choice for his mood. 

An hour into an episode of blind auditions, he was startled to hear a noise in the kitchen, and turned sharply to see Melissa walk in and toss her purse on the kitchen counter. Claire had told him that Melissa was at a working dinner, but he’d become so engrossed in “The Voice” that he’d lost track of time. 

“Hey, you!” she greeted, slipping out of her heels, and apparently just as surprised to see him. “I didn’t know you were coming back early.”

“Hey, Mel!” Jamie replied, jumping to his feet. “Yes! I managed to get here in time for the girls’ showcase. Can I get you a whisky?”

“Please! Just half a shot. I’m going to change, and I’ll be right back.”

She joined him minutes later, comfortably dressed in black lounge pants and a light sweater. Picking up her whisky glass, she sat in the armchair opposite him.

“How did you manage an early return? Aren’t movie sets always on crazy tight timelines?”

“Generally, yes. But we’re in the first weeks - haven’t had a chance to fall too far behind yet. They’ve also built in a cushion of around three months over the course of the project for production delays due to the pandemic, so one day won’t make a difference at all. We’ll easily make up for the lost time next week. How was your dinner?”

“It went really well. Anton dropped me off himself, actually. He was grateful for the information I shared. Of course, he’s aware of a lot of NexusIG comings and goings already, and he’ll be connecting with law enforcement in other major cities, as well as with the feds. He made a handful of calls about it during dinner. Busy guy.”

“Are you concerned about your safety at all? Should I be concerned about you, Claire and the girls?”

“Not at all. I know it’s daunting when you consider the power of this network, but I alerted my law enforcement connections in New York and Washington DC already, and tonight's dinner was to let local and state authorities know what we found out here. Reading between the lines of what Anton was able to share, undercover agents have infiltrated so deep into the organization, that if there was any danger to us, we’d know well in advance. Claire and the girls are perfectly safe - if anything, my team and I would be the target of their anger or retaliation. But Anton made certain I knew that my safety and that of my employees was not something I needed to worry about. There's going to be a major arrest soon, and it will be a shocker. It will send a powerful message to the rest of NexusIG. I'm not at all concerned, and you shouldn't be either."

“Good to know. I take my hat off to you for the way you brought down the board. I’m truly floored by your skill and expertise. Now to secure some good leadership in there, and get Claire’s career back on track at Fulton.” 

Melissa’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Jamie over her whisky glass.

“Have you spoken to Claire since the Haas meeting this afternoon?”

“A few times, actually,” he replied. “Mostly about the girls and their showcase. Why?” 

“Did she tell you how it went?”

“Only that it had gone well, and that she needed to brief you on all the details ahead of your meeting tomorrow. She said she’ll share more with me when she’s home.”

Melissa nodded slowly and sipped her whisky.

“Why do you ask, Mel? Do ye know something that I don’t?”

“Only that it went well and that Claire was feeling a bit conflicted about using the interest from Haas as a tool to nudge Fulton.”

“I thought that was the game plan.”

“It was. But she’s morally and ethically conflicted about it. I’m sure she’ll share that all with you tomorrow when you can talk face to face.” Melissa was reluctant to be drawn into issues that were already causing tension between Jamie and Claire.

She downed her whisky and stood up. “I have a few things to work on before tomorrow’s meeting, and Claire and I are Zooming at 6:00 a.m., so I’m going to say good night and head upstairs.” 

After locking up downstairs, Jamie showered and slipped into the bed he usually shared with Claire. He texted her to see if she was still awake, but the three bouncing dots did not appear. He sent another text.

**Guessing u fell asleep, bed feels sad and empty without u. Love you**

He lay on his back staring at the ceiling for a long time, wondering what had made Claire do an about-face. What had given rise to her suddenly feeling so torn? When they had walked to the building site and had their heart to heart chat about Haas and the potential difficulties of a commuting job, she had seemed so resolute about not taking the Haas job. 

' _My_ _heart and soul are here in Seattle with you and the girls. Our whole life is here.’_

Those were her words, as well as he could remember. His sense of unease deepened, and he finally drifted into a fitful, dreamless sleep. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie’s restless night gave way to a busy Friday that started with a five-mile run and a workout in the man-cave. He had resolved to remain positive and supportive, and was determined not to dwell on the problematic logistics of an out-of-state job until they knew for certain how Claire’s final decision would affect the family. Brushing aside thoughts of Haas and commuting and long lonely nights without her, he pushed through his weights workout and focused on enjoying his weekend at home. 

Upstairs, Melissa connected with Claire for their Zoom meeting a little before 6:00 a.m. Although Claire did not have a written offer from Haas yet, the terms had been discussed towards the end of the interview, and she had made detailed notes. 

“I'm waiting for the written offer, but the basics are full professorship and head of department. They were thoughtful enough to make it a second semester start, and will pull a professor out of recent retirement to handle the first semester. So with a January start, Jamie will probably be done with Superman shooting, and things will be a whole lot easier, logistically. It also means that Fulton would have more time to find my replacement. I would be in breach of contract for resigning in the middle of an academic year, but I can't imagine Joe pursuing that after all that's happened with me at the hands of the board. And Mel, I’m absolutely serious about not sharing any of the offer details with Fulton’s remaining Trustees.”

“I’ll respect your wishes, but I really wish you’d reconsider. Now’s a great time to strike with the Trustees. They’re in a shambles and the last thing they want is to lose one of Fulton’s star faculty members.”

“I’m okay with them knowing in loose terms that a competitor school has approached me, but leave it at that.”

“I’ll do my best for you, you know that. If I get any push-back, I plan to use social media and the donations.”

“Go easy on those too, Mel. I need them to see _me_ and my value to Fulton. I don’t want them to placate me with a consolation offer because they fear social media backlash or the loss of my donations.”

“Claire, you keep removing ammunition from my arsenal! What are you doing? Where is this all coming from? You know that negotiations like these are all about strategy and using whatever information and tools you have to force the other side’s hand.”

“I know, and I’m sorry! It’s been such an eye-opener to meet with the Haas team. They’ve done their research. They know who I am, they know about PILF, they know about the social media issues, they know about Jamie, and Anja, and the TMZ pictures. And despite all that, they value and appreciate my expertise and accomplishments enough to want me on their team. For the first time in a long time, I’m seeing myself as an asset again, not as a liability. I just want Fulton to come to the same realization.”

“I understand that, Claire. I understand that it’s been hard and stressful to take the constant emotional and professional beating that the old Trustees meted out. And it’s uplifting and validating to have a school of the caliber of Haas appreciate your true worth. But at the same time, you really need to give Fulton a chance to come through for you. You need to give me a little more time to restructure the board. For today's meeting, I promise to do my best to present just the basic facts to the board - within the parameters that you’ve laid out - and then it’s over to them to come up with some decisions and offers. Please wait and see what those offers look like.” 

“Thank you Mel. I know I just made this so much more difficult for you. I asked Haas for a few weeks to think about the offer. Within that time, you’ll be working on bringing new Trustees onto Fulton’s board. Realistically, how many new Trustees do you think you’ll have signed and sealed towards the end of your two week contract? I mean actual asses-in-seats around the conference table, ready to start making decisions. What’s your best guess?” 

“First, I don't care how long it takes, I'll work on this until I've delivered all replacement Trustees - regardless of the contract. Like I've said many times, this is important to me for _so_ many reasons. I'm still hopeful we'll get rid of one or two more current Trustees, but even if we don't, we'll have enough new talent to completely change the face and approach of Fulton's board. I’ve identified fourteen prospective Trustees so far - all outstanding candidates - and Atlanta is background-checking them as we speak. My night-owls will work through the night for a few days, and most of the candidates will be fully vetted and screened within four to five days. Of course, the prospective Trustees will be doing their own research and making personal decisions on whether or not they want to be on the board. For those who accept, Joe says that Fulton and the University will fast-track the paperwork. The President supports our accelerated timeline. In fact, she pretty much demanded it. Within the next two to three weeks, there's an excellent possibility that a handful of my prospects will be appointed and ready to start participating in decisions.”

“Three weeks is getting pretty close to my Haas decision deadline. Can you get a meeting set up with the board during that week - new members included? I need to get in front of them before I make my Haas decision. I know it’s a big ask, because it would be their first week on the job, so to speak. I need a chance to represent myself and to speak up for myself. I know you’ll do a stellar job in selling me, but I don’t want the newly constituted board to think I’m hiding behind you and letting you do all the heavy lifting. They need to see me and hear me. I have things to say and I need a chance to say it.” 

“That’s a great idea. No one can sell your value to them better than you, Claire. I’ll set it up - I’ve a feeling they’re going to be very anxious to meet you. Even though we won’t have the full complement of 23 Trustees, we should have enough new members to make considered, intelligent decisions.” 

“Thanks, Mel! And thanks for understanding where I’m coming from. I’m going to let you go - you need to get ready for the meeting, and I need to get ready to head out to the airport. I’ll see you later today.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Since the removal vote, Joe had spent a busy few days going over the board's articles and by-laws with a fine-toothed comb. He had also pulled board minutes going back several years and made a spreadsheet of voting results. Now, just hours ahead of the deferred meeting between Melissa and the Board of Trustees, he looked over his spreadsheet again, and made an early morning call to UW’s President at the university’s main admin building. She was always in her office by 7:00 a.m., and his call came in at exactly 7:12 a.m.

“Dean Abernathy! Another early bird, I take it. Are you calling to give me an update on Fulton’s Trustee search?” 

“Not quite, President Hernandez, although I can confirm that it appears to be going well. Melissa Thornton is due here in two hours to meet with the remaining Trustees and I’ll get a progress report to you on her search by the end of the day. I have two things to discuss with you this morning. I apologize for not going through the office of the Provost first, but this whole situation is messy and urgent, and I thought it wise to skip a step.”

“Go ahead,” she invited, reaching for her notepad and pencil.

“I’m starting to fear that we may lose Dr. Beauchamp to a competitor business school.”

“Based on the information I have on this whole board debacle, I wouldn’t be surprised if she is made an offer and accepts. That would be a devastating loss for Fulton. And for UW.”

“Undoubtedly. We really can’t afford to lose talent like Dr. Beauchamp. But the Trustees have left a mess in their wake. Their vote to approve Davidson means that it could be a good few years before Dr. Beauchamp has another shot at professorship here at Fulton.”

“I trust you have a solid strategy to keep her here, Dean Abernathy. Her name has come up a few times in Board of Regents meetings. They are familiar with her work and she has made a strong impression. Please don’t make me deliver the news to them at their next meeting that we have lost one of our most accomplished young faculty members.”

“That’s why I’m calling-”

“Have you investigated potential career advancement opportunities for her in other UW areas? Have you explored UW’s Communications and Media Studies?”

“I have not, President Hernandez, and for good reason. Dr. Beauchamp’s research projects, published works, and reputation amongst corporate leaders make her much more suited to a business school environment. And that’s also what makes her attractive to our competitors.”

“What makes you think that she is being actively pursued now?”

“She mentioned it in passing when she told me that several corporates had approached her after the professorship announcement. Didn’t name the school, but I believe it’s on the West Coast. My guess is either Anderson or Haas. She took two days leave - yesterday and today. That’s a give-away, and since she’s declined all the corporate offers, my best guess is she’s visiting one of our competitors.”

“Hmmm. I’m inclined to agree.”

There was a brief pause as she made notes.

“Dean Abernathy, you will soon have a new board of Trustees. I’m hoping that within the collective genius and expertise there, you can come up with an offer that is attractive enough to keep Dr. Beauchamp at Fulton. You don’t want her head-hunted by a competitor on your watch.” 

Joe understood the subtle warning beneath her words. He would forever carry the stigma of losing one of Fulton’s rising talents.

“We have very few options to make staying at Fulton attractive to Dr. Beauchamp,” Joe said. “However, one of the tools we have is an almost guaranteed incentive - as long as it comes with a professorship.”

“And what would that be?”

Joe provided President Hernandez with a summary of Claire’s work on the MS Comms degree. He outlined the almost two years of work she had put into it, mostly in her personal time. He described the depth of detail she had included in her study, right down to identifying a team of potential lecturers, both local and from other leading colleges - educators who had impressed her at the conferences and conventions she had attended over the course of her career. He related how she had listed proposed electives and methodically crunched numbers with Admissions to work on projected enrollment over the first few years of the degree. And finally, he shared the realistic two-year roll-out that could have them accepting their first MS Comms students by the 2022-23 academic year.

“Why did that new degree study not make it onto my desk? It sounds like it was just a few months away from the final stamp of approval.”

“It was presented to Fulton's board a few months back, and they took some time to review it. Wolverton pushed back hard against it. In hindsight, I see why. He knew that it would raise Dr. Beauchamp’s profile even more if she was the known mastermind behind a successful new degree. Obviously, that went against NexusIG’s philosophy - a woman who is making her mark in education needs to be ‘managed’. So when it came to a vote on taking the feasibility study to the next steps, it was voted down by the Board of Trustees by a margin of three votes. Ostensibly, they were too preoccupied with the professorship interviews at the time. The entire MS Comms project went dormant. That decision has Wolverton’s mark and influence all over it.”

“My God! The amount of damage caused by the unscrupulous decisions of that man is astounding. The Trustees do not have the sole authority to reject a new degree offering. It has to be brought before me and the Board of Regents. You should know that, Dean Abernathy.”

“I do know that, President Hernandez. They went about it in a shrewd way. They moved to reclassify it as dormant, because you and the Board of Regents would have received a memorandum if it was rejected by the Trustees. Classifying it as dormant kept it off your radar. It also kept it simmering on the back-burner, but off Fulton’s agenda for continued discussion. An unspoken and subtle implication that it could be reactivated in the future. In my opinion, a cruel and intentional way to keep Dr. Beauchamp quiet - and somewhat hopeful that it may see the light of day at a later stage.”

“Why are you bringing this to me now?”

“At this morning’s meeting, Melissa Thornton plans to ask the remaining Trustees to offer Dr. Beauchamp the opportunity to reactivate the MS Comms degree on her proposed two year roll-out.”

“As a means to keep her at Fulton? How do you think the Trustees will respond to that? They already shelved it once.”

“I’m almost certain that with the board being in such a state of disarray right now, the remaining Trustees will vote to keep it dormant while they focus on the more pressing issue of rebuilding the board. That leads into the second thing I wanted to discuss with you this morning.”

“I’m listening.”

“The board clean-up is not quite complete, in Ms. Thornton's view and mine. There are two remaining Trustees whose votes aligned strongly with Wolverton’s over the past couple of years, including the decision to suppress the MS Comms degree. I went over all the minutes and votes for the past couple of years, and Wolverton’s influence on them is obvious.” 

“Surely these two are not affiliated with Nexus IG!”

“I don’t believe so. But their attitudes are … shall we say … not exactly the most enlightened. They are what I consider ‘old guard’ Trustees.”

“Continue …”

“I plan to have a discreet chat with them today and encourage them to seriously consider resigning from the board. They understand the repercussions of being removed from the board by a vote, and I’m very confident that my chat with them will help them make the right decision and avoid the same fate that befell Wolverton and Paxton. With these two gone, we’ll be below the necessary quorum for our Board of Trustees.”

There was a brief silence as President Hernandez pondered the implications of Abernathy’s comment.

“I like your thinking, Dean Abernathy.”

“No decisions can be made until we have our quorum of at least 11 voting Trustees.”

“And in the continued absence of a quorum, ultimate decision-making power on urgent matters falls to the University’s President.”

“Indeed it does, President Hernandez.” 

“Dean Abernathy, please have a comprehensive copy of the work Dr. Beauchamp completed on the MS Comms degree proposal sent to my office within the hour.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The twins slept in for at least an hour after Melissa had left for her third Trustee meeting of the week. Ella came downstairs first, and found a determined Jamie trying to make waffles from scratch.

“Good morning, leannan,” he said, giving her a one-armed hug as she walked over to peer into the bowl he was holding. He was whisking the waffle batter and adding small scoops of flour in an attempt to get the consistency right. Ella looked from the batter to the waffle-maker that was warming up on the counter. 

“There's no way that batter’s going to work,” she said ruefully. “It’s way too goopy. Let’s start over. We can use Trader Joe’s waffle mix, it’s so much easier.”

Jamie chuckled as he scraped his batter into the composting bin. “I really wanted to have the waffles ready for you girls when you came down. Why don’t I leave the batter to you and I’ll prepare the fruit and other toppings.”

Beth joined them just as Ella poured the first scoop into the waffle maker. The girls quickly teamed up and before long they had a stack of thick, fluffy waffles ready to enjoy.

“What are you girls up to this morning?” Jamie asked as he started on his second waffle.

“We have a day off from training - no volleyball or cheer - so we’ll spend most of the day at Greta’s again. It’s intake day, and she always likes us to help when new children join the program. There are three newbies coming today.”

“You girls are amazing. Have I told ye that lately?”

“Yes - all the time, Jamie,” Beth laughed as she drizzled maple syrup on the last few pieces of her waffle.

“I’m serious! I thought I might burst with pride last night. You were outstanding out on the mats. But what you’re doing this morning makes me even more proud. While most kids your age want to be out shopping or hanging out with friends, you’re helping children with physical limitations today. That makes my heart so happy.”

“We love working with our kids, Jamie. Today we get to spend time with a little guy on the autism spectrum and two with muscular dystrophy. I can’t wait to see how they react to the horses. The whole team of specialists and therapists will be there, so we’ll hang back and watch for most of the time.”

“Bless you both for doing that. I’m picking up yer Mam at eleven. She’ll be so excited to see you when you get back from Greta.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Melissa walked into Fulton’s admin building looking the very image of positivity and self-assurance. Her navy Alexander McQueen pantsuit had been tailored for a perfect fit, and her elegant, but comfortable dark grey Ferragamo heels were the perfect choice for a meeting where she would likely be on her feet for a good few hours. With a little over an hour to go before the deferred Trustee meeting was due to start, she knocked on Joe’s door and poked her head in to let him know she had arrived and would be working in her temporary office, in case he needed her for anything.

“Melissa, do you have a minute?”

“Of course,” she said, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. 

“Let’s sit here.” He indicated his small conference table, and as soon as they were both comfortably seated, he continued, “I’d like us to talk candidly and openly - and I realize that there may be some areas you wish to avoid, out of loyalty to Claire.”

Melissa nodded, wondering where this was going.

“I had a long, productive discussion with President Hernandez this morning. If we’re going to win this battle - if we’re going to truly honor Claire's work and expertise and excellence and make her an offer that makes sense to her - you and I need to openly share our strategies and make sure they line up. I have a feeling that coordinating them will strengthen our approach.”

“I’m all ears, Joe.”

“I know that Claire was approached by a West Coast business school, and her two days off work, yesterday and today, confirmed for me that she is interviewing with them.”

Melissa looked at him steadily, her expression neutral, as he continued.

“I have a feeling that you will use the terms of whatever offer our competitor made to try and persuade the board into making a decision about the MS Comms.”

“I agree that it’s time to talk candidly and share ideas and strategies. We have the same goal, after all. Yes, I had hoped to use the offer to light a spark under the Trustees. However, that is off the table. Claire will not allow me to use the terms of the competitor’s offer, for two reasons. First, she feels it is unethical and goes against her personal code of what’s acceptable in negotiations like these. Second, she really wants an offer from Fulton to be rooted in the recognition of her work and achievements and potential, rather than a ‘consolation’ prize as she calls it. Using a competitor’s offer to push the board into giving her the MS Comms feels wrong to her. Any offer from Fulton based on that will feel like a participation trophy.”

“That sounds just like her,” Joe chuckled. His face turned serious as he continued, “I know you’re getting ready for the meeting. Let me give you the CliffsNotes so you have the basics before you address the Trustees.”

He spent the next few minutes briefing her on the most important points from his discussion with the university’s president.

“Okay,” Melissa exhaled slowly. “This is very unexpected - but very welcome. Let me make sure I’ve got this all straight. We’re going to try and push out the two remaining old guard Trustees, Pennington and Rooney. That’s going to leave the board without its required quorum. The University's President has overriding authority when there’s no quorum. Claire’s MS Comms is on its way to Hernandez right now."

“That’s it in a nutshell.”

"So Claire’s reluctance to let me use a competitor offer to prod the board is no longer an issue.” 

"It certainly appears that way."

“The President’s final decision on the MS Comms would be rock-solid, I’m assuming?”

“Our articles state that decisions made by the University's President in the absence of a quorum need to be ratified by the board of Trustees as soon as there’s a meeting that meets quorum. There’s no way any Fulton board is going to go up against Hernandez. The new Trustees will ratify her decisions, and she knows it.”

“Well, this certainly makes my job easier today.”

“Melissa, I want to emphasize the need for confidentiality on this. It has to stay between us. If Claire is made aware of this, it may raise her hopes, and God knows, she’s had enough of a roller coaster ride already. She and Jamie need to be kept out of this entirely.”

“I completely agree. This whole thing needs to be driven by President Hernandez. I’ll focus strongly on other issues today, and in that regard, I’m interested in your views on the best way to get rid of Pennington and Rooney.”

"I went over the minutes from the past few years. Pennington and Rooney voted with Wolverton and his crew on everything. In fact, I was initially surprised when they voted ‘yea’ in the removal vote for Paxton and Wolverton. My guess is that they did the mental math, and realized halfway around the table that their votes wouldn't keep Wolverton and Paxton in. So rather than have an uncomfortable spotlight on them for being the only ‘nay’ votes, they went with their herd instinct again.”

“The last thing we want on this board is a bunch of sheep. Especially old guard sheep. Will they be here today? It’ll be far more impactful if they’re here in person.”

“Yes, they’ll be in the conference room. One lives in the greater Seattle area, and the other in the San Juans. I think if you drop a few pointed comments in your presentation today and I follow up with a direct request during our first break, they will be highly motivated to resign rather than endure the humiliation of being voted off when the new Trustees join the board.”

Melissa leaned her head against the back of the chair, and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. Joe watched in silence as she swiftly ran a few scenarios in her head. She was a fascinating and brilliant strategist, and he was loathe to utter a word until she had solidified whatever plan she was hatching. 

Finally, she looked at him, a resolute expression in her eyes.

“Leave it to me. Can we ask hospitality to delay the pre-meeting coffee and pastries until twenty minutes after the meeting has started?”

“Yes - let me call them immediately.”

As soon as he had completed his call and confirmed a twenty minute coffee delay, Melissa continued.

“My opening remarks will be very pointed. When we break for coffee, I’ll let you handle your part. After the break, I will continue with the rest of the agenda. I won’t have to spend as much time on the MS Comms as I had originally planned. I’ll raise it, of course, because it will give me a sense of where the other Trustees stand on it, and that will make a difference to Claire. Knowing who supports her on the MS Comms will be important to her.”

“Melissa … I have to ask, because you know Claire’s heart as well as her head - will this be enough to make Claire happy? Hernandez will make her decision entirely on merit, and that is important to Claire. But will a Hernandez-driven MS Comms approval be enough to entice her to stay?”

“Assuming the MS Comms is a go, the big remaining factor is the newly structured board. Claire will be looking at that very carefully - as she should. I can share with you that your competitor’s board impressed her deeply. The diversity, their approach, the way they valued her intelligence and achievements. If she doesn’t get the same feeling from the new board, the MS Comms will not be enough to keep her here. So all the pressure is now on me to deliver a killer new board of Trustees.” 

An hour later, Melissa strode down the hallway towards the Dean’s Conference Room. She had three objectives for this meeting: to immediately put Pennington and Rooney on notice regarding their precarious position on the board; to let the Trustees know that a competitor business school was showing an interest in Claire; and finally, to get a sense of how they felt about Claire's work on the MS Comms. The last one would be of special significance. 

The Trustees were seated and waiting when she stepped into the room. The cleaning crew had done a stellar job of airing the room out. It looked clean and sanitized, and smelled faintly of fresh, lemony furniture polish, with just a hint of disinfectant. 

She smiled her professional smile at the gathered Trustees, both around the table and on the video call. It was a smile sincere enough to warm the Trustees to her, but distant enough to let them know that despite the more relaxed atmosphere in the conference room, she still meant business.

“Good morning, Trustees,” she looked around the table and up at the screen as their murmured greetings filled the room. She nodded at those on the video call - six in total, including Marsali. 

“It appears that our usual morning coffee and pastries are a little late this morning, but my understanding is that it will all be here within about twenty minutes.”

A few of the Trustees nodded their acknowledgement, and she continued her opening remarks.

“It’s a very different Board of Trustees this morning. We are down to 14 Trustees. Nine around this table, and five on the video call. That means 12 voting members. Voting to remove members is an uncomfortable thing to have to do, but it was without question the right decision for this board, and the right decision for Fulton. I'd like to give you all an update on the members you removed on Tuesday.”

The Trustees listened intently, their interest piqued as they sat back in their chairs to receive an update on their ousted former colleagues. Pennington and Rooney remained sitting forward, traces of tension apparent in their posture and demeanor. 

“Most of you serve on multiple boards around the country, as trustees or directors, and most of those boards require that you inform them if you have been removed from a board for any reason. My sources tell me that Mr. Wolverton has already been asked to resign from his position on the board of West Coast Credit Union. Last night, he was removed - by vote - from the Board of Directors of AmerTech. Mr. Paxton preemptively resigned from the board of Global Energy Solutions. More resignations will undoubtedly follow for both of them.”

Joe sat back and regarded the other Trustees around the table. Pennington and Rooney looked more uncomfortable than ever, but the remaining board members wore relaxed expressions. None of this was shocking news to them. They all sat on more than one board, and they were all governed by varying sets of rules, guidelines, and articles. The one common denominator was the fact that no board wanted a whisper of scandal, and a member who was forcibly removed from any board was a risk. Most boards had no appetite for that type of liability. 

The faint sounds of rattling mugs announced the arrival of the coffee carts in the waiting area outside the conference room. Melissa addressed the board again. 

“Before we continue with today’s agenda, I ask again that all of you consider your position on this Board of Trustees, and in particular that you consider your voting history here. If any of your votes were made under undue pressure or after a ‘persuasive’ conversation with another Trustee, you are duty-bound - and honor-bound - to reconsider your position. Now, I know that in the normal course of business, you discuss decisions and issues with each other. It is important to talk about them and to consider various perspectives. There is a marked difference between taking other views into consideration as you discuss them around the table, and allowing oneself to be drawn into private conversations and swayed into an entirely different voting position."

She paused for impact.

"If you have any doubts whatsoever about your voting history, know that those doubts are about to be intensified as soon as the new Trustees are appointed. Any Trustee has the right to request access to minutes. Given the history of this board and the recent voting record, you can expect the new Trustees to scrutinize minutes going back at least twelve months. You can also expect more removal votes if they find irregularities or questionable voting patterns in the minutes. The reconstituted board will want to make a fresh start, and the mistakes of the past will need to be cleansed.”

Joe’s eyes were still fixed on Pennington and Rooney, who now looked decidedly sallow.

Melissa smiled brightly at the gathering and announced, “I hear noises outside the door, and it seems that our coffee is being set up. Let’s take a half-hour coffee break before we tackle our agenda this morning.”

While most of the trustees filed out of the conference room, Pennington and Rooney hung back, waiting for a chance to talk privately. They didn’t get that opportunity because Joe approached them as soon as the room had cleared and the video call was set to mute. Before he could say anything, Rooney addressed him aggressively.

“If you’re thinking of calling for another removal vote, I’d like to remind you that it won’t meet quorum. You're down to ten voters without me and Pennington."

“It’s just a matter of time, gentlemen. We’ll have at least three or four new Trustees around this table within the next few weeks, and your removal will be in the top three items on the agenda.”

They shot each other a look of defeat and frustration.

“If you would like to save yourself the disgrace that Wolverton and Paxton went through on Tuesday, and their subsequent humiliation on other boards, I invite you to bring your laptops and I’ll give you some privacy in one of the meeting rooms downstairs while you write your letters of resignation.”

A long silence followed, during which the men looked from each other to their laptops to Joe. Their position on Fulton's board was a huge boost to their resumes and had raised their status in their social and professional circles. Both Trustees also stood to lose other board positions if this meeting went south.

Bitterly regretting their support of Wolverton over the past couple of years, both of them mentally kicked themselves for allowing him to influence their decisions so strongly - and obviously. Pennington, in particular, had never been very vocal, nor had he expressed controversial opinions in any board meeting. Both men had assumed that they could remain under Melissa's radar, but were quickly finding out that they were no match for her tactical genius and Joe's depth of knowledge about board history.

At last, Rooney slowly reached for his laptop and gathered his remaining personal items. Pennington quietly followed suit.

“Please let the Chairperson know your intentions on the way out,” Joe reminded them politely. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie waited for Claire at the top of the escalator near the baggage carousels. Seatac Airport was relatively quiet for a Friday, and he was grateful that he didn’t have to wait too long to see Claire step off the escalator. Dressed for comfort in black yoga pants, a thigh length ecru linen shirt and black Nikes, she quickly closed the short distance between them. He took her carry-on from her and set it down next to him so that he could wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace. Face-masks were required in the airport terminals, so they couldn’t kiss, but just being back in each other’s arms was enough for now. 

“It feels so good to hold ye again.”

“I know. I’ve missed you so much this week!”

Jamie started to pull away, but she tightened her hold.

“No, wait … just a few more seconds.” She rested her head on his shoulder, and he tightened his hold too, gently sweeping one hand up and down her back.

She finally loosened her hold, and they separated, looking at each other over the top of their masks. He gave her a two-eyed wink and leaned in close to her ear.

“Can’t wait to get ye home. We have the whole place to ourselves for a while.”

Her eyes crinkled into a knowing smile, and she raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement. 

Picking up her carry-on, he took her hand in his and they walked briskly to the parking lot, where he tossed her bag in the trunk of her SUV and pulled his mask off impatiently. He reached behind her ears, gently removed her mask, and held her face in his hands as he took her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. They stood there, locked in their kiss, completely oblivious to the few passing cars. Reluctantly and slowly they parted and he pressed tender kisses on her lips, caressing her face gently with his thumbs.

“Let’s go home,” he said softly. 

As he merged the car from the airport ramps onto the interstate, he mentally debated asking her about the Haas meeting right away, or wait until later.

_Is this the right time? Will it come across as confrontational?_

Claire made the decision for him.

“Jamie, I’m dying to tell you about the meeting yesterday. Can we talk about that now?”

“Of course, mo chridhe, I’m dying to hear about it too. What’s their offer?”

“Professorship. And Head of Haas’ Business Communications Department,” she couldn’t curb the excitement in her voice. “It’s a big department, with more electives than Fulton offers, so it’s busy and challenging and growing all the time.”

Jamie slid a quick glance at her. Her eyes sparkled as she waited for his response.

“That’s fantastic, Claire!" he exclaimed sincerely. "Exactly what you were hoping for.” 

“It went better than I could ever imagine. One of the first things they did was show me slides of their board. It’s structured differently to Fulton’s in name and number, but the main difference is the diversity and the way they have intentionally built it to reflect the demographics of the student body. And the country.

“Every person at the meeting had read all my published articles. They asked me intelligent, probing questions about my work and my papers. I can guarantee that Wolverton and his merry men never read a word I published. I felt so validated and appreciated. Jamie, this is going to sound strange, and I would never admit it to anyone but you, but I could almost feel my self confidence and sense of self-worth trickle back right there in the meeting.”

He felt his heart squeeze, and reached over to take her hand. “It doesn’t sound strange at all. Tell me more about that.”

“Over the past few weeks, my brain kept telling me that the only reason I was being beaten down by the old Trustees, the reason the rug was being pulled out from under me, the reason I lost the MS Comms and the professorship - all of that was directly related to the personal motives of a strong cadre of Trustees with their own nefarious agenda. But deep, deep down I started to doubt my own competence. I started to wonder if I really have what it takes to bring the MS Comms to fruition. I questioned whether I have the qualities, capacity and experience to successfully assume a full professorship.”

He gently stroked her hand with his thumb, a small frown marring his forehead.

“Then I walked into a meeting with Dean Hoffman, and she had pulled together a group of leading faculty and two board members. And all of them addressed me with respect and politeness. I have no doubt that every one of them was aware of PILF and the recent TMZ drama and the fact that you and I are involved. Not one of them asked me if my social media history would be an issue, no-one mentioned pictures of me ‘canoodling’ with you, and not a single reference was made about my personal life.”

She sighed deeply. “Jamie, for the first time in a very long time, I felt like the accomplished, successful professional I am, rather than a problem that needs to be pushed out the door by any means possible.”

Jamie drove in silence for a few moments.

“Christ, Claire,” he said softly, “I knew it was hard on you, and I could see the pain and distress it caused you, but I had no idea your confidence had taken such a thorough hammering. I feel like I’ve failed you. I should have sensed that, and I should have supported you better.”

“No, don’t say that. I have a tendency to keep feelings like this deeply, deeply suppressed.” 

“I wish you had opened up to me about it, Claire. You’ve been nothing but supportive of me through the conflict with Dougal and the nightmare that Anja put us through. I want to be there for you too.” 

“I know, and I’m sorry. But you know how I feel about you taking on blame and guilt for this.” 

“It’s inevitable, mo chridhe. There’s no way I can stop myself from feeling wretched and there’s no way you can stop me from blaming myself for the fact that the board drama was accelerated by the Anja mess. That’s on me.” 

“And that’s why I kept so much of my pain buried, Jamie. I don’t want you to bear that guilt. I knew you’d take it all on. This was not on you. Wolverton’s skullduggery and this whole situation started long before Anja. The very first week we met, I had a stressful meeting where one of my own colleagues dragged PILF into the discussion. That was the night I was soaking away my tension in the hot tub, and you felt the need to rescue me.” 

They chuckled at that memory, and Jamie brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently.

“Claire, you can’t stop me from feeling guilty over this, and ye shouldn't be repressing your feelings to try and protect me. You got mad at me for trying to adjust my schedule to be there for you. I think your words were, ‘I’m not a helpless, flailing woman’. Well, I’m not an emotionally inept man. I can cope with my own feelings of guilt and remorse while still being there for you. I don’t need you to protect my feelings when you’re going through so much yourself.”

She was silent for a moment, sorting through her thoughts. 

“I’ve been tossing and turning all night thinking about how to share my excitement with you. Knowing how you feel about a potential commuting job, I guess I was trying to protect your feelings again.”

“We need to talk about the commuting piece at some point, but let's do that later. Tell me more about the meeting. It makes me happy to hear you so excited and energized about how much this group of people appreciated and respected you. Tell me everything.”

“Well, the subject of the MS Comms came up. They raised it, not me.”

He glanced at her in surprise. “How did they know about that? I thought it was confidential.”

“Like Dean Hoffman said, it’s hard to keep secrets in academic circles. I’ve been working on it for about two years, and it’s common knowledge amongst Fulton’s faculty. It takes one person to drop it casually in a conversation at a convention or workshop, and the secret’s out. It really wasn’t a surprise to me that they knew about my MS Comms work - it was surprising that they brought it up.” 

“What was the context?”

“There’s a really good chance that I would be able to develop a similar degree offering at Haas, if I accept the professorship. It would be a couple of years before I could start that, and I would be starting from scratch, but I can apply some of what I learned about the whole process."

“That’s fantastic, Claire! The opportunity to work on the MS Comms again must be such a satisfying validation of the work you put into it for Fulton.”

“It is. I felt so … dismissed … when they dumped it in the dormant box. And then to have Haas recognize my worth and appreciate it was such a breath of fresh air. And they are all so sincere and warm. It runs contrary to my own moral code to use them to advance myself at Fulton, you know?”

“I get that. It speaks to your integrity, and I respect that so much, Claire. I’m guessing you and Melissa spoke about it too. She mentioned briefly that you felt quite torn about it.”

“Yes. I asked her not to reveal any of the terms of the offer from Haas. If an offer comes from Fulton, it must be because they recognize the value in keeping me. Not because they’re scared of losing me to the competition. I feel really strongly about that, Jamie.”

He drove in silence for a while, and she gave him some time to work through his thoughts. 

“I can see why you feel that way. You deserve so much better from Fulton than a token offer.”

She placed her other hand over their clasped hands, and pressed them together gently. 

“Jamie, I’m so grateful for your support. I know this is probably not the report-back you wanted from the Haas interview.”

“You’re right. This is not the feedback I was hoping for. You know I want nothing more than for us to start building our life together here. Selfishly, the feedback I wanted to hear was that they offered you the professorship and head of department, and that Melissa would use that in her meeting, and the board would freak out and immediately counter with the MS Comms. I did not want to hear that you love the idea of working at Haas. But I also did not expect to hear the excitement and renewed confidence in your voice this morning.”

“I’m not ready to make any decisions yet. I have a few weeks to think about it before I have to let Haas know. I need to see Fulton come up with a clear pathway to a professorship for me, and the only way they can do that is with the MS Comms, so Melissa has to push that without bringing Haas into the picture. I also want to see what Melissa’s restructured board looks like as new Trustees sign on. Those two conditions will influence my decision heavily. Only once I’ve made that decision, can I even contemplate talking about commuting and family logistics.” 

His pride in Claire and excitement at her career prospects and surging confidence smothered his rising anxiety about a looming commuting job that seemed more and more likely with each comment from Claire. He still wanted to discuss family logistics in greater depth and detail, and felt that it made more sense to consider them before making the decision, but that would be a difficult conversation, and he didn’t want to detract from her excitement right now. Her ever-changing ideas and position about Haas revealed the amount of stress she was going through as she weighed up this life-changing decision. It reminded him somewhat of the dilemma he had faced when he had to make a decision about choosing Bond or Superman. Even though it was just one film, the implications of choosing one over the other were significant. He remembered in particular how difficult the decision process was made by the constant haranguing from Dougal, and how reassuring Murtagh’s calm, supportive presence had been.

He resolved not to be the Dougal in this situation - and also made a mental note to FaceTime Murtagh over the weekend. Jenny too. He could use their wisdom as he and Claire grappled with the weight of this critical decision. 

His thoughts turned to the twins.

“When are ye planning on telling the girls? At least about the fact that Haas approached you? I don’t feel comfortable trying to hide it from them.”

She shot him a look, and seeing the sincerity and concern in his eyes, replied, “Let’s talk to the girls sometime this weekend. I plan to emphasize to them that I haven’t made any decisions yet.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

As their coffee break drew to a close, the Trustees moved briskly back into the conference room. Those present at the meeting had seen Pennington and Rooney walk over to Rachel Byrne, and after a brief conversation, they had followed Joe out of the waiting area and away from the conference room. The five Trustees on the video call were completely in the dark. 

Byrne called the meeting to order and announced, “Before I hand the agenda over to Ms. Thornton, I’d like it officially minuted that Mr. Pennington and Mr. Rooney just tendered their resignations. I’d also like it noted that we currently do not meet quorum. I don’t believe we will be making any official Fulton decisions or taking any votes during this meeting. But being below quorum certainly adds to the urgency of our Trustee search. The by-laws state that the removal or appointment of Trustees is handled by the Board. In the case of a catastrophic or unforeseen event that puts us below quorum, the University President and Board of Regents shall approve board appointments until a quorum is met or exceeded. The University is supporting us by fast-tracking the appointments and paperwork, and I am hopeful that we will meet quorum within two to three weeks at the latest. Ms. Thornton, over to you.”

“Thank you, Ms. Byrne. I believe we can get through this agenda within an hour, hour-and-a-half, tops. When I met you on Monday, I indicated that my main reason for being here was to address some issues relating to Dr. Beauchamp and the way this board has handled situations that involved her. Since then, a lot has happened, and the board looks completely different. We are all painfully aware of the reasons behind the way she was treated by a powerful section of the board. I’m not going to touch on the PILF issue because we explored that in great depth on Monday. But I would like us to look at the issues around the professorship.”

Several Trustees nodded at that - almost all of those left on the board were Trustees who had voted for Claire during the professorship vote.

“The vote resulted in the appointment of Professor Davidson, and there’s no reversing that, of course. However, the decision to deny Dr. Beauchamp the opportunity to excel in a more senior role opened up avenues for her to be head-hunted by competitor business schools.”

“Are you saying that our competitors have already started poaching her?”

“I’m saying that she is being pursued by one competitor in particular. Here on the West Coast.”

Murmurs of surprise and dismay arose from the table. Melissa listened while Marsali took notes.

“Shit! That’s not good,” one of the Trustees muttered under his breath.

“Not good at all,” agreed another.

“How is this even a surprise to you? Did you catch Trevor Noah a couple of weeks ago? He interviewed Jamie Fraser, and delved into his personal life a little. Noah directly mentioned that Dr. Beauchamp was passed over for promotion, and Fraser replied that she was looking at new career paths. Or something along those lines. I assumed she had been approached by Amazon or Costco, or one of the other big organizations she’s worked with. Now I'm guessing that he was referring to approaches by other business schools.”

"Losing a faculty member with such a notable track-record is not going to look good for us."

"If we end up losing her, what happens to the donations?"

The discussion continued around the table, with plentiful input from those on the video call. The consistent opinion amongst all the Trustees was that it would be a crippling blow to Fulton if they lost one their rising stars. 

Rachel Byrne called the meeting to order and addressed Melissa. “Ms. Thornton, I believe the consensus is that Fulton can’t afford to lose Dr. Beauchamp. The Trustees also raised the issue of the possibility of losing the donations. Since you are the one who worked so hard to secure them, what is your sense?”

_Damn! Claire asked me to keep the issue of donations and social media as a last resort, but they’ve thrown it at me right out of the blocks. I have no choice but to respond, and respond honestly._

“The donations were pledged in the name of Dr. Beauchamp, in recognition of the work she has done to advance effective cross-disciplinary communications and social responsibility in corporate America. I have all the letters of intent right here, and not one of them mentions Fulton. So wherever Dr. Beauchamp may end up, these donations will end up too.”

A fresh round of discussions immediately circled the table and video call.

“That’s a helluva big amount of money to lose.”

“We’ve also lost the Greenberg $215 million, so to lose the $348 million on the heels of that is a double blow.”

“We haven’t effectively lost any money. I honestly wasn’t expecting much from the Greenberg donation. It sounded like a Wolverton ploy from the get-go.”

“Yes, but it would be nice to secure that $348 million.”

“Agreed, but until a few days ago, that wasn’t on the table either. Our 2020 - 21 budgets don’t factor any of these donations, and we’re still looking good with our regular annual donations and endowments.” 

“Dean Abernathy, what is your view?”

“It’s true that our budgets were all calculated without these big donations. However, the kind of money we’re talking about will enable us to implement new programs and electives, which will make us more attractive to local and international students. It would also be a huge boost to our scholarship fund. All of that will ultimately raise our profile and probably move us up in the national and global business school rankings.” 

“Okay, so those all fall on the ‘opportunities’ side of retaining Dr. Beauchamp. What about the risks?”

“The biggest risk is losing her, frankly.”

“I have to admit that I’m worried about the risk of a big social media reaction. The Trevor Noah interview that was mentioned earlier ... I saw it too. My wife dragged me in to watch it because it featured Fraser and she knows he and Dr. Beauchamp are in a relationship. I watched The Daily Show's social media accounts for a few days. Late night hosts have their finger on the pulse of what’s happening out there. Right after his show aired, and for a few days afterwards, the ‘I stand with Doc B’ hashtag trended strongly in response to her being passed over for a promotion. People are assuming it's related to PILF. If that gains any more traction, you know Noah and his late night colleagues will find this Wolverton or NexusIG story and it will become a hot ticket. Partly due to Fraser’s profile, and partly due to the sexism issue. If it's not managed properly, it could get worse than PILF.” 

“I’m not too worried about social media. If we get an uptick - or even a full-blown drama - we need to secure the services of a crisis management team again and forge ahead. The bigger scandal will be if we mismanage it and it destroys Davidson’s career too. I worry that it’s going to make Fulton look incompetent and disorganized. Ms. Thornton, what's your sense about a potential social media backlash?"

"In all honesty, I believe it's a very real possibility. As soon as one of the late night shows latches onto a story, the rest start to jump on the bandwagon. This drive to retain Dr. Beauchamp will have to be handled very carefully. You can bet that Trevor Noah's producers are keeping an eye on what's happening with this story, and the minute anything happens, the other shows will jump on it too."

“You’re right. The big question that faces us now is how do we retain Dr. Beauchamp without making it seem like we made an embarrassing mistake in not promoting her. We can't drag Davidson’s career down too!”

“Dean Abernathy?” 

All heads turned towards Joe, and Rachel Byrne spoke for the board.

“We need to explore ways to keep Dr. Beauchamp. Dean Abernathy, we are relying on your professional and academic guidance here. What are the odds of a professorship coming up, in Dr. Beauchamp’s area of expertise, within a three to five year period?”

“Slim to none. That’s the harsh reality.”

“Are there other options?”

He didn’t respond immediately, allowing the silence to intensify the concerns of the Trustees. Looking at Melissa, he gave her an almost imperceptible nod and allowed her to take the floor.

“I have a possible solution,” she announced, and all heads swung around to face her.

“It’s something that you are all intimately familiar with, having gone through it in detail a few months back. And then you all voted on it. Dr. Beauchamp’s MS Comms degree.”

Once again, discussions and side conversations filled the room, and Melissa heard a range of perspectives and views.

“I thought her work on that degree was outstanding. I couldn’t believe the vote resulted in ‘dormant’.”

"It was a fairly close outcome, as I recall. Just a few votes pushed the decision. I think most of us at this table voted to keep it active."

"The amount of work that went into Dr. Beauchamp's proposal was staggering. Not to mention the thoroughness of her research."

"I was shocked that the 'nay' voters didn't see the value of offering a Business Communications degree. Beauchamp's following and popularity amongst some of our top companies is a clear indication that her focus on 21st Century skills aligns with progressive corporate thinking."

“I think most of us agree that Fulton is ready to offer that as an option for students who don’t necessarily want to do an MBA.”

“Can we pull it from ‘dormant’ back to ‘pending’ or 'active'?”

“I think we should wait a few weeks to raise that for discussion - maybe even a couple of months. We shouldn't make those big decisions until we're closer to full board representation."

"I'm with you on that. We need to revisit the MS Comms, but the more urgent need is to rebuild the board. The new Trustees need to familiarize themselves with the MS Comms too."

The discussion continued for at least fifteen more minutes, and Byrne finally spoke.

“Dean Abernathy, Ms. Thornton, I believe the consensus is that the MS Comms definitely merits another review. Most of us here were originally in favor of approving it for the next steps in the new degree process, but the vote went the other way. The general feeling among the Trustees is that we should focus on rebuilding the board and meeting quorum before we start making decisions of this magnitude. A new degree is a huge decision, and we will benefit from the thoughts and opinions of the new Trustees.”

“Fair enough,” Melissa replied, her expression serious and inscrutable. “As you all know, I have been tasked with the responsibility of identifying and screening new Trustees. I plan to work on it until the board reaches its full complement of 23 Trustees. We will start welcoming them as they agree to join the board, so you may start seeing new Trustees added to the roster within a few weeks. Dr. Beauchamp would also like to meet with you and the new Trustees in the next two to three weeks. Frankly, I believe this board owes her that opportunity. The opportunity for Dr. Beauchamp to see for herself that the new Fulton board will operate differently and will extend her the respect that her track record commands. It will be your single opportunity to show Dr. Beauchamp that you truly value her contribution to Fulton and its past and future success."

"I believe we would all welcome an opportunity to meet with her again," Byrne stated amid nods and murmurs of agreement from the rest of the Trustees.

"Expect her to ask you some difficult questions this time around, especially about the details of the nature of the work she does here at Fulton. I'm assuming that you are familiar with all her published works. Most of the prospective Trustees I'm vetting have requested and received copies of all her published papers and articles.”

She collected her items, and looked at the Trustees.

“I have full confidence in your ability to keep Dr. Beauchamp here at Fulton. I'll see you all in a couple of weeks."

She turned and left the conference room, making her way back to her temporary office, where she would spend the next few hours approaching still more potential Trustees for Fulton’s board. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie parked Claire’s SUV in her garage. “Go on inside, babe. Looks like the trash and recycling have been picked up, and I need to bring the bins in.”

She leaned across and kissed him lingeringly, sucking hard on his bottom lip as she pulled away.

“Okay, but don’t be long …”

The garage door rumbled shut as he walked through the mudroom to wash his hands in the hallway bathroom. One of Claire’s Nikes had been discarded in the middle of the mudroom floor, and he nudged it out of the way. He opened the door into the hallway, and noticed the other shoe on the floor, a few feet away. He picked it up and placed it next to the one in the mudroom. Stepping into the bathroom to wash his hands, he wondered why she had tossed her shoes aside. It wasn’t like Claire to be untidy, and he guessed that she may have been in a hurry to get to the bathroom. He walked towards the stairs and noticed something dark at the bottom of the stairs. He approached the little heap and picked up Claire’s still-warm yoga pants. Looking up, he noticed her thong panties about halfway up the stairs. A slow smile spread across his face, and instantly, he felt the arousal start between his legs.

“You little minx,” he muttered under his breath. Picking up her thong, he continued up the stairs and gathered her slightly wrinkled linen shirt from the hallway carpet. He continued around the corner, his heart beating faster and his arousal growing by the second. Her bra was on the floor in the doorway to their bedroom, and he bent down to pick it up before entering and closing the door behind him. 

“Lock the door and come over here right now, Jamie,” she ordered. She was stretched out on the big, tufted sofa in the alcove, completely naked, her toned body enticing him and making his erection quite evident against his jeans.

“You seem to have dropped some things along the way,” he said, his eyes twinkling, as he tossed the handful of clothing aside and walked towards her. 

She slid off the sofa and stood in front of him, grabbing his belt and deftly unbuckling it. 

His hands came up to cup her breasts, thumbs brushing gently over her hardening nipples as she bit down on her lower lip. Locking her eyes with his, she unbuttoned his jeans and carefully pulled down the zipper. Her hands slid down the back of his loosened jeans, and cupped his rock-hard glutes. 

He leaned down and kissed her, holding the back of her head in one hand, while the other slid over her naked butt and pulled her hips tightly against him so she could feel his erection press against her. His tongue teased and explored her mouth, until she pulled away breathlessly. She pulled her hands out of his jeans, and moved them up inside his Henley shirt, where her fingers slowly explored the taut lines and rippling movements of his back and shoulders.

“Take your shirt off,” she whispered against his jawline.

He reached back and pulled his shirt up over his head, shrugged himself out of it, and quickly planted his hands back on her butt. She slid her hands beneath his boxers and pushed them off along with his jeans. He stepped out of them and kicked them aside, as she pushed him onto the sofa and knelt astride him.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Melissa knocked on Joe’s door and peeked in.

“C’mon in,” he smiled.

“I’m about to head home but wanted to share some good news.”

“I can always use more of that.”

“We have three potential Trustees who confirmed their interest in writing this afternoon.” 

She placed two identical slim, spiral-bound reports on his desk. The cover pages bore one large printed word: ‘CONFIDENTIAL’

“That includes a brief bio on all three, their background check, signed non-disclosure agreements, and a record of my email exchanges with each of them. One copy for you, one for President Hernandez.”

Joe picked up the report and turned to the first page, which listed each of the potential Trustees’ names in the list of contents. His brows shot up and he sat back in his chair and regarded Melissa with renewed admiration. 

“You’ve secured commitments from all three?”

“Commitments from two and a strong interest from the third. I want to draw your attention to the special note in Suki Lukic’s section. She was recently appointed President of the National Association of Realtors - one of the largest, most powerful and influential lobbying groups in the country, and she would be an enormous asset to the Board. We have her written commitment that she is willing to join Fulton’s board, but only after all the votes and decisions surrounding Claire and the MS Comms have been finalized. She is a close personal friend, and immediately cited a conflict of interest. I assured her that once the initial decisions surrounding Claire have been resolved, the Board of Trustees will focus on general Fulton business, where her input would be invaluable.” 

“Correct. And in the event that a few decisions and motions involving Claire or the MS Comms come up in the months or years ahead, Lukic would have the option to recuse herself from those discussions and abstain from any vote. The bottom line is that her experience and profile will be a tremendous boost to the Board, and I’m sure Hernandez will agree.”

“She is a superb addition to the board. Incredibly well-connected too, as is her husband. Her brother-in-law is the Attorney General.”

Joe continued to skim the report.

"Ayesha Williams! CEO of Panther Entertainment. The first black woman to head up a major studio! She's a force to be reckoned with. A full commitment from her - this is excellent news, Melissa."

"Jamie Fraser suggested I approach her. He was impressed by her strong and progressive leadership, and I knew two minutes into our first video call that she would be a dynamic addition to the Board. She's also one of the contributing donors to the $348 million."

"Adnan Gupta!" Joe exclaimed, as he kept reading the report. "Another powerhouse prospect, Melissa. Former Secretary of Education in the Obama Administration. A man with his finger on the pulse politically."

"Yes - and a man with a deep and thorough understanding of education and academia. Gupta's an independent too, which will bring some good political balance. He's the one expressing a strong interest for now, not a full commitment. He will only make his decision once he knows who the other confirmed new Trustees are. "

“Damn, Melissa!” Joe closed the report and placed it back on his desk. “These are high caliber prospects! They will raise the profile - not only of the Board - but of Fulton in general.” 

“Yes they will.”

“I’m starting to feel much more confident about keeping Claire here with us.”

“I know she will be excited about these three for starters, but I have a long way to go to finalize the rest of the new Trustees. Because of the confidentiality and NDAs, I can’t and won’t discuss any of the potential Trustees with Claire, but when she comes in to meet with them in the next couple of weeks, she will be blown away. No doubt about it.”

“This report is very timely. I promised Hernandez a report-back today, and I’ll head over to her office in the next few minutes. My guess is that she will convene an urgent virtual meeting of the Board of Regents in the next seven days. The paperwork should follow soon after that."

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie and Claire lay in each other’s arms on the sofa, basking in the feeling of connectedness that their post-lovemaking moments always evoked.

“I love you,” she said, kissing him all along his jawline. “I missed you, and I love you, and I’m so looking forward to spending the weekend together before you head out to L.A. again.”

“I love you too,” he said, nuzzling her neck with his scruff and making her groan with pleasure. 

“Jamie, you know where that’s going to end up if you don’t stop now.”

“I do, and I’m okay with making love to you all afternoon.”

“Me too,” she sighed, “but either Melissa or the girls will be home soon, and then we’re screwed."

“Okay, we’ll pick up from here again later, but I want to lie here for a little longer - just holding you.” 

They showered and pulled on their swimsuits before heading down to the pool, where they spent an hour floating around on the inflatable island, limbs and fingers intertwined. They discussed plans for the weekend, and decided to do an impromptu ground-breaking ceremony at the building site the next morning. The stables and trail were well under way, and all the planning work was finally complete on the initial stages of the house. Major excavation work would start on Monday, and a simple ceremony with some shovels and pictures of the four of them digging into the ground would be a fun way to celebrate a big milestone in the house-building timeline.

“Hey there! I come bearing gifts!”

They looked up to see Melissa in her swimsuit and cover up, carrying a bottle of rosé and three wine glasses.

Jamie and Claire abandoned the floating island, and pulled three loungers together so they could lie back and enjoy a little wine and conversation in the glorious late-afternoon weather. 

“We were just talking about weekend plans,” Claire said. “Are you still up for the Highland Games on Sunday?”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to pull out of that. Anton Lukic called me on my way home and asked if I would join him on a boating trip to do a bit of whale watching. I accepted.”

“Really?” Claire asked, a questioning smile all over her face.

“You can wipe that smile right off your face, girlfriend. It’s mostly business. He wants to talk about an intelligence task force to boost his investigation on NexusIG. I have a list of names for him." 

“Uh-huh. Okay. Well, I’m sure it’ll be a great afternoon,” Claire teased. “We still need to catch up on last night’s dinner. I want to hear all about it.”

“We have so much catching up to do,” Melissa agreed, “I need to tell you about the meeting today, and about next steps too. We made some great progress today. Kissed Pennington and Rooney goodbye.”

“Oh thank God for that!” Claire exclaimed. “That leaves you with a very sanitized board.”

“Yes, it does. I'll tell you more tonight. Where are the twins?”

“They volunteered at the stables today," Jamie replied. “Should be home soon. Claire and I got caught up on her Haas interview, and we’ll be talking to the twins about it sometime this weekend.”

“Yes - that’s a great idea,” Melissa remarked.” It’s important to loop them in before someone slips up and mentions it. They'll feel blindsided. Are you a little apprehensive about talking to them, Claire?”

“Not at all. I haven't made any decisions yet, and it’s not like I’d be relocating them again. I think they’ll handle it well.” 

It was one of just a handful of times that Claire had been so badly off-target about the twins' reactions to an important family matter.


	52. Chapter 52

* * *

By mid-morning on Saturday, everyone in the Beauchamp-Fraser household was ready to walk over to the building site. Jamie had texted the Calhouns the previous evening to let them know about the last-minute ground-breaking ceremony and to ask where he might find four shovels on site. To their surprise, the brothers and Deacon were waiting when Jamie, Claire, Melissa and the twins arrived at the Airstream campers. 

“We thought you could use some help finding the shovels and taking pictures. We also brought champagne - and sparkling apple juice for the teens.”

“Oh my word!” Claire exclaimed. “You are so thoughtful! Thank you.”

“It was Deacon’s idea, actually,” Beau smiled sheepishly. 

Claire turned to thank Deacon, but he and Beth were already sitting shoulder to shoulder at the picnic table, deep in conversation.

Ella walked Melissa to the edge of the cleared area, pointing out the week’s progress to her as they walked, leaving the Calhouns to update Jamie and Claire on their progress both at their property and at The Grotto. 

“We’ll be ready for you to move the horses in within three weeks, and as soon as we’re done here, we’re moving out to the winery.”

“Oh,” Claire gasped, "the girls will be so excited! And I can’t wait to get Calypso in here!” She looked at Jamie with an excited smile. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in close to kiss the top of her head.

“Exciting times ahead, mo chridhe,” he said smiling back at her. Thoughts of the Haas job were firmly pushed to the back of his mind, so he could focus on enjoying their weekend together. “Let's get those shovels and break some ground.” 

After the informal ground-breaking ceremony, everyone went their separate ways for the afternoon. Deacon and Beth took a trip to downtown Seattle to explore Pike Market. Ella left to pick up Ashlee and hang out at Hannah’s house with a few classmates; and Claire, Melissa, and Jamie drove out to the Rainier Club for lunch on the patio overlooking the 18th green. 

For the first time since he had arrived in Seattle in mid-June, Jamie did not feel the need to don his celebrity disguise of cap and sunglasses in public. As they walked through the Club lounge to the patio, Jamie’s hand rested casually on the small of Claire's back, and a few heads turned as club members smiled in recognition, or nodded greetings at the small group.

“I love that we don’t have to hide in a corner of the patio anymore,” Claire said with a sigh of relief as they settled into the cushioned, wrought-iron chairs.

“Thanks to you and Trevor Noah,” Jamie smiled at Melissa. He leaned over to kiss Claire’s cheek, “I can canoodle with ye in public as much as I want and not worry about it.” 

Julio was on duty and made his way over to greet them. After a few minutes of small talk, he left to get their drinks order. Claire discreetly confirmed to Melissa that it was Julio who had given her the information on Greenberg and Wolverton and their discussion at the bar.

"I’m more than a little concerned about your source," Melissa said warily. "Wolverton was pretty pissed and referred to an 'illegally-acquired, private conversation.' If he demands an investigation by the Rainier Club and they go through their duty records, they’ll easily finger Julio as the source of the information.”

Claire grimaced and looked at Jamie, whose brows furrowed immediately on hearing that.

“I’ll feel awful if that happens, Mel,” Claire said. “He took such a risk telling me about it, and it was his account of that meeting that spurred everything. If it wasn’t for Julio, we would never have known about the Foundation or about all the treachery that was behind most of Wolverton’s decisions. NexusIG would have had the freedom and anonymity to continue their despicable work for years before anyone found out.” 

“Let’s cross fingers that Wolverton is too busy dealing with his multiple board resignations to think about the Rainier Club bar for now,” Melissa said hopefully. “My team is keeping tabs on Greenberg. As are the state authorities.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

After a relaxed and pleasant lunch at the club, they returned home to spend a quiet Saturday afternoon on the patio. With the girls out all afternoon, they were able to get caught up on things that had accumulated on their to-do lists during a busy week. 

Melissa’s team had sent her several new background reports for prospective Trustees. Scouring them carefully, she highlighted areas for her team to probe more deeply, and approved reports that were just about ready to print and present to Joe. 

Claire was getting caught up on the online paperwork for the girls’ school and sports teams. 

“Jamie, I’m completing the registration paperwork for the girls’ school for the academic year. Can you believe it starts in just a few weeks? The forms need a bit of updating. I’m adding you as an emergency contact, is that okay?”

“Sure. What does that entail, exactly?”

“If there’s some sort of emergency - fire, earthquake, or God-forbid, a school shooting, and I’m not available and they can’t get hold of Frank, you would be the contact person to pick them up. In all honesty, there’s no way I can rely on Frank, anyway. He’s on the list as a courtesy. In case of injury, and I’m not available, you may have to authorize medical care. You’re okay with that, right?” 

“Of course,” he replied without hesitation. But the reason for her being ‘not available’ wasn’t lost on him. 

“What will the emergency arrangement be when we’re both out of town? If you’re commuting and I’m doing publicity or talk shows, who will be the emergency contact?” he asked, genuinely concerned.

Claire studied Jamie’s expression for a moment. 

She didn’t respond right away, and he continued, “Aside from the emergency contact at school, what will the weeknight arrangements be for the girls during the weeks when both of us are gone? Are you comfortable with two 16 year-olds being home alone all week?”

“No, Jamie, I’m not! Of course I’m not,” she snapped. 

Melissa looked up from her laptop, a slight frown forming on her brow as she observed them discreetly.

Jamie was stung by the harshness of her tone, but he listened as Claire continued, “I’m not planning on abandoning them to their own devices, if that's what you're thinking. If you have to go to L.A. for the odd week here and there for voice work or publicity or whatever, I’ll ask Hannah’s mom or Ashlee’s mom if the girls can stay with them while we’re both gone. We do that kind of thing for each other all the time.”

“Claire, I’m not trying to interfere or question your decisions, I just want to make sure that the girls are safe when we’re both out of town.” 

“Their safety is my top priority!” Her tone was harsh and clipped. “I wish you’d stop assuming that I haven’t thought about these things, Jamie. You may be the one rushing home to watch their showcase and have a fun dinner afterwards, but I’m still the one taking care of all these basic things like school forms and emergency contacts and who’ll keep an eye on them when we’re both traveling.” 

He looked at her in silence for a moment, lips pressed together and a small frown marking his forehead. Closing his laptop, he got to his feet and rolled his shoulders a few times to relieve the tightness that had started to set in. 

“I’m going to sit in the study for a while. I have a Zoom coming up with Jenny and Murtagh about Lallybroch and the winery.” 

He left Melissa and Claire on the patio, walked through the kitchen, and closed the door to the study. Sinking heavily into the chair at the large mahogany desk, he rubbed his chin absently as he thought back and analyzed his part of the conversation with Claire. Had his tone implied disapproval? Had he used words that she may have misconstrued? This ‘family unit’ situation was still so new to him, and as much as the girls treated him like a beloved step-dad, he was always conscious of overstepping and potentially upsetting Claire. Recognizing the magnitude of the decision weighing on her, he had held back a response to her barbed comments, and wondered when they might discuss the entire situation without it devolving into a squabble. 

“Claire, what the fuck!” Melissa set her laptop aside, and looked at her friend in alarm.

“Melissa, don’t-”

“Don’t ‘Melissa don’t’ me! What the heck was that about?”

“I feel like ever since Haas has become an option for me, he is questioning my parenting decisions. Yesterday he was 'uncomfortable' that I hadn't mentioned it to the girls yet. Now it’s about who’ll take care of them. I know he’s not keen on me commuting - I never thought I’d consider a commuting job either. But right now, it's the only option that will enable me to reach my professional potential and my personal aspirations. The thought of being stuck in the same position at Fulton for another seven or eight years - or longer - fills me with dread. Opportunities like a professorship at Haas don’t come by that often.”

“I get that, and I get that it’s a huge deal to be offered what they just offered you. But you owe it to yourself, to your family, and to Jamie to wait until Fulton comes back to you with something.” 

“I _am_ waiting, Mel. I haven’t made my decision. I won’t make it until I know what Fulton has in mind.”

“Sometimes it sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”

“Why? Because I’m planning ahead? Because I’m adding Jamie as an emergency contact? Because I’m thinking about where the girls will stay when Jamie and I are both out of town? I’ve got less than a month before I have to give Haas an answer. I have to plan for the possibility that I might be commuting, come January.”

“Have you and Jamie spoken about the logistics in detail? The logistics of commuting?”

“Not really. Honestly, I am kind of avoiding the subject because I know how Jamie feels about it. He is super supportive, and if I end up commuting, he will continue to be supportive and we’ll work it out, but right now, I feel like we’ll get into an argument if we start discussing all the details before I’ve even made a decision.” 

“Like the argument you just had?”

Claire was silent for a moment. “That wasn’t really an argument,” she said finally.

“No, it wasn’t,” Melissa said, looking at her friend intently. “It was one-sided. You snapped at him when he dared to ask about the arrangements for the girls.”

Claire pressed her lips together as Melissa’s words sank in.

“What I heard was a man who loves your girls very much. A man who went to the trouble of inconveniencing an entire movie production schedule so he could get back here to watch their showcase. A man who wants the reassurance that you have already started planning for the eventuality that both the adults in their daily lives may be gone all week from time to time. You’ve told me multiple times that the girls consider the four of you a family unit - that all of you consider yourselves a family unit. Don’t shut him out because he’s asking you difficult questions. That’s not fair.”

Claire frowned and bit her lower lip. 

“I know this has been a stressful time for you, Claire. 2020 is basically the universe’s version of a bad joke for so many reasons. Dealing with the reclassification of your MS Comms, and the drama that Anja caused, and now the Fulton situation - all of that has added a massive amount of personal and professional stress that you were not expecting. You are under a lot of strain right now - more than you even realize and more than you will admit to. I see these mood fluctuations … don’t roll your eyes at me - that’s exactly what they are … I see them in my clients all the time as they work through whatever difficulties they are going through. Now is the time for you to lean on Jamie, not push him away. It is so rare to have the level of love and support that he gives you. You need to talk about those family arrangements now. Do it before you’ve made your decision. You need to consider the arrangements realistically before you make your decision, not after.”

Claire remained silent while Melissa’s words swirled around in her head. Pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, she closed her eyes and slowly released a long sigh.

“This is the toughest decision I've had to make in recent years, Mel. Tougher than relocating the girls from Boston. It could potentially tear my family apart. Or it could make us stronger. I don’t know, I just don’t know. But you’re right. I could have handled that a whole lot better. Jamie does not deserve to be on the receiving end of my stress-induced outbursts. My mood-swings - let's just call them what they are.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie texted Murtagh and Jenny, and within minutes, they connected on a Zoom call. Murtagh started the meeting with some troubling information for Jamie.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Jamie, but Mike resigned last night. He’s given us a few weeks’ notice. His wife got a promotion, but it’s at her company’s head office in Chicago. Great opportunity for her, so there’s no way they’re going to pass it up.” 

Mike was their experienced and highly competent Food and Beverage Manager, and his departure would be a massive loss to The Grotto.

“Well that’s great news for him and his family, but that leaves us in a bit of a bad spot. Do you have a replacement in mind? Anyone you can promote? What are Helen’s thoughts?”

“She’s disappointed of course, but she doesn’t think that any of the team we have is ready for that promotion. Food and Bev is an area she knows really well, so I trust her judgement. We’ll get in touch with two or three industry employment agencies next week.”

Jamie was pensive for a moment. “Murtagh, I might have a potential solution. Give me time to make a call or two, and I’ll get back to you on Monday.” 

“Okay. Like I said, we have a few weeks to work on it.”

“Jenny, how are things at Lallybroch?” Jamie turned his attention to his sister.

“Good, actually. I sent ye both all the spreadsheets, reports, and minutes. We’re toughing it out. Numbers at the B&B and big events are not what we projected last year because obviously we didn’t anticipate the pandemic, but we made appropriate adjustments for next fiscal year. If we meet those projections, we’ll be fine.”

“You and Ian are doing an amazing job. I miss all of ye.”

“Miss you too, Jamie boy. How are things with Claire and Fulton and the California business school?”

“Fulton still hasn’t come up with an offer, but her friend Melissa is working that angle hard. The California business school just made her an offer that is hard to refuse. Full professorship.”

“Oh, God. I bet that will be verra hard to turn down. Lord knows, she worked hard enough for a professorship at Fulton. How would that work out for ye though? Would it be remote? Or would she have to travel?”

“The start date would be early January, and I imagine that by then it will not be fully remote. Probably some kind of hybrid model that a lot of schools are working towards. So, yes, she would have to travel.”

“Oh, Jamie. That is going to be hard on all of ye. And the girls in particular. They are at the age when they need their Mam around more than ever. They have two years left of high school, they’ll be starting their college applications soon, and they’re starting to date too. They need Claire around a lot more than two days a week.”

“I’ll be done shooting Superman by the time she starts, so I’ll be around a lot more.”

“Jamie, you are wonderful with the twins. Truly! And they love ye to pieces, but they do need their Mam around. And what about all the babies you keep talking about? What are Claire’s thoughts on that and all of the travel.”

“I don’t know to be honest. It’s not the easiest thing to talk about.”

There was a prolonged silence as Murtagh and Jenny studied Jamie’s expression and pondered the tone in his voice.

“Jamie,” Jenny began, “if this whole deal is already causing tension, then you probably all need to reconsider Claire taking a job in a different state.”

“It’s not for me to make that decision, Jenny. I have told Claire repeatedly that I will stand by her no matter what decision she makes.”

“Aye, and that’s very noble of ye, but it should be yer joint decision. A family decision. Ye’re already practically family, and ye’ll be moving into that mansion together in less than a year. She wouldn't be around to enjoy it much. I'm having a hard time understanding why she needs this so badly when her life in Seattle is so settled. I get that the promotion is important to her, and that it's an acknowledgement of her intelligence and expertise and the amazing work she does, but she still has a decent job at Fulton, and she will be first up for the next promotion.”

“The very reason she’s in a position where she needs to consider another job is because of the drama I brought into her life. With Anja and the TMZ pictures and all of that. Don't be getting all judgmental on her, Jenny. There were a lot of other things at play within the board that I’ll tell you about another time, but if it wasn’t for the Anja disaster, and the spotlight that it shone on Claire, she may have been a professor at Fulton by now.”

“Ye canna blame yerself for that, Jamie.” 

“Easy to say, but I do take on some responsibility, ye ken. Losing the professorship did so much more damage to her sense of self-worth than I ever imagined, Jenny! And for a top caliber school like Haas to be coming after her as intensely as they are is a big boost to her confidence. It’s a validation of her expertise and potential. Ye should have seen the excitement in her eyes and heard it in her voice when she came back from California. That’s why she needs to be the one who makes the decision here. She knows how I feel, and she’ll factor in the girls’ feelings for sure. I don’t want her to feel like I’m pressuring her in any way.” 

“How much time have you and Claire spent talking about it, Jamie? Best guess?” Murtagh asked. “And I don’t mean in general terms like the job and how exciting it is and all that. I mean, how much time have you spoken about what a job away from home means for your family life?”

“Probably twenty minutes total, at the most. We seem to get close to an argument when we try. It’s a stressful thing.”

“Oh, Jamie boy,” Jenny said ruefully, “ye have no idea of the stress that is still to come. You really need to talk this through with Claire.”

“I feel like I’m adding to her stress when I bring it up. Adding to the difficulty of the decision-making process. She knows how I feel, and I know she’ll take that into account as she makes her decision. I want to give her the space she needs to make it without adding to the stress.”

“That was going to be my next suggestion,” Murtagh said. “Giving her some space. Maybe while ye’re away during the week, she’ll be better able to mull everything over without seeing yer sad, ugly face right in front of her.” His tone was teasing and light, but Jamie knew there was a lot of wisdom beneath his words.” 

“That’s not a bad point, Murtagh,” Jenny added. “The last time _you_ were faced with a big decision was also an incredibly difficult time for you, Jamie. Until ye took a time-out.”

“I was thinking of that this past week,” Jamie replied. “I was a mess when I was weighing up Bond versus Superman. I know it’s not as weighty a decision as the one Claire is going through, but there was so much to consider. Each one had very different repercussions for my life and my privacy, and I had other people to consider - Tara, my PR team, everyone who had been negotiating for me behind the scenes. And Dougal didn’t make it easier for me by pushing me to take both.”

“And don’t forget the movie studios trying to push the fake girlfriends on ye all the time - the image ye had to project,” Jenny pointed out indignantly. “There were so many complications that prevented you from thinking clearly. That’s why I pushed that hiatus on you, and it was the best thing ye could have done.”

“It worked out okay for me, I suppose. Until I met Claire,” he smiled impishly at Jenny, knowing that she had been annoyed at the time, but soon shook off her frustrations when she realized how serious he and Claire were about each other. 

“Ye know,” Jenny began “I-”

“Jenny!” Jamie admonished sharply, stopping her in her tracks. “I swear if I hear the word ‘hiatus’ from ye now, I’m going to lose my shite!” His Scottish accent had intensified over the course of the Zoom call with his relatives, and was, as always, sharper when he was angry or emotional. “Claire and I are fully capable of sorting through any problems by discussing them like mature adults. We don’t need yer hiatus!”

“Calm down, Jamie,” Murtagh pleaded. “I’m not suggesting a hiatus, per se, but this week apart while ye’re in L.A. will be good for both of you to think about each other’s perspectives. Not just the physical distance, ye should also avoid FaceTiming and calling each other. When things get really intense, it helps to walk away for a while and think things over. Yer Mam and Da did that all the time. They loved each other with a passion that I thought I would never see again. But they also argued with the same ferocity. Their arguments were rare, but they were intense, and they always gave each other space to work out their thoughts before making up again.”

There was a knock at the study door, and Jamie called out, “C'mon in, I'm almost done.” Looking at the screen, he smiled and said, “I’m going to head back outside now. Thank you both for the support and for lending me yer ears. It will all be okay. I’ll call ye later in the week, Jenny. Murtagh, I’ll speak to you on Monday about the staffing issue.”

The door opened slowly and Claire took a few hesitant steps into the study. 

“Am I interrupting?” she asked.

“No, mo ghràidh,” he smiled, “I just got off my call with them. Come sit with me.”

She walked over to him and he held his hand out to her. Tentatively, she extended her hand, watching his face carefully. He took her hand and pulled her gently onto his lap. She wriggled into a comfortable position in his arms, and they locked eyes, her own filled with remorse as she read the hesitation and hurt in his. 

She leaned towards him and pressed her forehead against his, and they stayed there for a moment, eyes closed, surrounded by a heavy silence. He fumbled around briefly until he found her hand and gently interlaced his fingers with hers. 

“This is not going to be easy, but we have to talk about it.”

“I know, my love. I’m so very sorry. I should not have lashed out at you, and I am torn up inside at the way I did that. I am so sorry. Are you angry?”

“Forgiven, Claire," he released her hand and smoothed back her curls. "Dinna fash - I canna be angry with you. I know you're under immense strain right now.”

She smiled at his use of the Scottish expressions that he used less and less as he spent more time surrounded by Americans at work and at home. 

“Jamie, I don’t deserve you. I really don’t-”

“Claire, don’t …”

“Hear me out, Jamie. You are always so supportive and thoughtful, and you put everyone else’s needs before your own. I agree - we should talk about this, as hard as it is. But I want to stress that even though it sometimes seems like I’ve made up my mind about Haas, I really haven’t. Melissa was just filling me in on some of the encouraging things the Fulton Trustees said about me and my work on the MS Comms. I haven’t made my decision yet. I want to make the decision with you, my love. And with the girls. It has to be something that works for all of us. And for our future family.”

“I hear you, Claire, but I also want it to be a decision that allows you to feel fulfilled, and one where you can reach your potential and realize your career goals. We’ll talk about it in detail, but I want the ultimate decision to be yours, after you’ve weighed up my feelings, the girls’ feelings, the logistics - all of that should factor in your decision.”

“You must know that you and our family will always come before my career. If there’s a way I can balance all of this, I will find it and pursue it. But you and the girls will always come first. Just as you put us first, Jamie. I know that you had to put the entire Superman shoot back by a full day just to get out here for the girls’ showcase. And I know I took a swipe at you about it on the patio, but I’m so grateful that you did that for them. When do you think we should talk about it with Beth and Ella?” 

“Can I suggest tomorrow evening after we get back from the Highland Games? Let’s enjoy the weekend together and a fun day with the girls without thinking too much about stressful decisions. We can sit out on the patio or the terrace, and talk about it as a family as we close out the weekend. Sound okay to you?”

“Sounds more than okay,” she murmured against his temple. “Have I told you lately how much I love you and appreciate you?”

“Not since the ground-breaking ceremony, and that was hours ago. I feel sorely neglected right now,” he teased. “But I feel like your sweet kisses may help.”

“Happy to oblige,” she smiled, as she leaned in and kissed him thoroughly.

“We should go join Melissa,” she said softly when they pulled apart. “She’s mad at me for snapping at you.”

“We can continue making out on the patio sofa. Will that convince her that we’re okay?”

“You are still incorrigible, Fraser!”

Melissa looked up briefly as Jamie and Claire settled back into their spot on the sofa. Claire pressed up against his side, and his arm was draped around her shoulders. Whatever discussion had taken place indoors seemed to have cleared the air, and all traces of tension were gone. 

Claire’s phone buzzed, and she opened a text from Beth. It was a photo taken at one of the T-shirt kiosks at Pike Market. 

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” she exclaimed with a smile.

“What is it?” Jamie asked, leaning over to look at her phone. Melissa abandoned her laptop and came to take a peek too.

Beth had sent a picture of herself with a t-shirt held over her torso. Emblazoned on the front, in big block letters, were the words _I stand with Doc. B,_ with a large Venus symbol below the letters. A text slid in from Beth.

**A Fulton alum who was ur student two years ago just started a t-shirt printing company and she owns this kiosk and employs UW students only! How cool is that**

**_Very cool sweetheart_ **

**Way to create young entrepreneurs Mom**

**_That’s how it starts sweetheart - T-shirt shop today, Nordstrom tomorrow_ **

**I explained the Doc B thing to Deacon and he bought me the T-shirt**

**_Aww, he’s a sweetheart_ **

**He just bought one for Ella too**

“I knew I liked that kid,” Jamie smiled. Another text came in from Beth, but this time it was for Jamie. 

**Can Deacon come with us to the Scottish Games tomorrow?**

**_The Highland Games? Of course_ **

**And can he and I go to an outdoor movie in the park tonight?**

**_Yes, take masks and whatever else u need to stay safe_ **

**Thanks Jamie, please let mom know**

Claire had watched the text exchange over Jamie’s shoulder, and she moved in closer to him. He was so deeply entrenched in his role as a surrogate dad and she couldn't have wished for a better father figure for the girls. Especially in light of their biological father’s complete disengagement from the girls’ lives. Jamie’s gentle guidance and genuine love for Ella and Beth, and his endless support of her made him the perfect partner in this unexpected detour in her life. She lay her head on his shoulder, and he instinctively and protectively tightened his arm around her. She looked forward to their family discussion the next evening, when they could all talk openly, and give her the information that she needed to come closer to her decision. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

The fun and merriment of Highland Games Sunday started at home, while Claire and Jamie were getting ready for their day of Scottish-themed food, brute strength, and revelry. 

Jamie stepped out of the shower as Claire was putting the finishing touches to her makeup. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he padded over to her in his bare feet and dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. She had already showered and dressed in cropped khakis, a blue button-down shirt and a lightweight scarf in authentic Fraser tartan. She had ordered it the night Jamie had mentioned the Highland Games, and was excited to wear it in support of her man as he competed in his events at the Games.

“Thank you for wearing the scarf. You look beautiful in Fraser colors,” he smiled.

“I’m proudly supporting my Highland warrior. Let me see the kilt you’re wearing. Need any help putting it on?”

“I’m not sure how helpful you’ll be, Sassenach, but let’s see what you’ve got in mind.” 

He dragged her playfully into the closet with him and pulled a Fraser modern red kilt off its hanger. 

“Wait,” she said, tugging at the end of the towel he had tucked into the area below his V-line. “You’re still damp - let me dry you off.” She pulled the towel off his waist and knelt down to pat his legs dry, taking particular care with his glutes and the area between his legs. His body was responding instinctively to her ministrations and he took in a slow, deep breath.

“If these bits are going to be on display due to an errant breeze or something, they have to be looking their best,” she said in mock seriousness, as she dabbed him dry and his body continued to respond to her attention.

“Claire, can ye not see the mayhem ye’re causing down there? If you don’t stop now, we’re going to be late.”

“Mayhem?” She wrapped her hand around his hardening length. “You mean this perfect specimen of human architecture? If mayhem is what you want to call it, that’s okay by me.”

He helped her back up to her feet, and she instantly pushed him against the wall and tossed his towel aside. Pushing his legs apart with her knee, she pressed her body up against his, and reached between his legs to gently palm his balls. He took in a sharp breath and leaned his head back against the wall, hooded eyes watching her closely as he allowed the sensations she was inducing to wash over him. He was now fully erect and his breathing was shallow and hard.

“Claire …”

“Shhh,” she shushed him with a deep, searing kiss, while her hands teased and stroked and caressed until he felt like he could handle it no longer. Her forefinger teased the end of his cock, finding and claiming the moisture there. 

Breaking her kiss, she cupped his balls gently in one palm, feeling them taut and high, as his erection twitched against her. She raised her damp fingertip to her mouth and slowly licked it clean.

He released his breath in a groan, “Jesus, Claire…”

“I’ll be right back,” she breathed against his mouth, “I just need to take care of some mayhem down here.”

She slowly licked and nibbled her way down his chest and abs and V-line, lowering herself to her knees, until she reached his straining arousal. She pushed his legs further apart, and sucked gently on one of his balls, teasing the other with her fingertips, before slowly sucking them both into her mouth.

Her hands reached behind him and pulled his butt a few inches from the wall so she could knead his firm flesh. Caressing every inch of his perfectly-muscled glutes with her hands, she allowed her tongue to work its sorcery on his balls. His sudden loud moan almost made her stop, but back here in the closet, she knew that his vocal expressions of ecstasy were well muffled. She released his balls from her mouth into the gentle care of one of her hands, and focused on the delicate and sensitive area between his balls and the base of his erection. She licked her way up his shaft to the tip. Swirling her tongue around the head, she found every tiny pleasure zone and made it ache with restrained bliss. 

“Claire, please …” 

Holding the base of his length, she took as much of him as she could into her mouth and sucked all the way up to the head again, where she circled the tip of her tongue agonizingly slowly. He twitched involuntarily and reached for the back of her head. Taking him deep in her mouth again, her head and tongue and fist moved in perfect sync, rhythmically bringing him closer and closer to his peak. When he grabbed her hair and thrust his hips forward to push himself deeper, she had to pull back a little, still working her tongue on his length. She knew he was moments away now, and sucked harder still. 

“Oh God, Claire …” he moaned, and his body stilled for a moment before wave after wave coursed through him and for a long, euphoric moment, there was nothing but Claire and him and the sweet release he felt as he spilled himself in warm, salty spurts, his fingers buried deep in her curls, eyes closed in the exhilaration of his climax, teeth biting down on his lower lip. His body stilled, and the pulsing of his length in her mouth slowed and ceased, allowing her to gently release him.

As he continued to come down from the intensity of his orgasm, she rose slowly to her feet, and he pulled her into his arms, breathing raggedly into her curls.

“Oh my God, Claire. You are wicked! Wicked, ye hear me? And … So. Fucking. Good.”

A slow, sexy smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she gently reached between his legs. “Mayhem sorted,” she confirmed. “We can leave now.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

From the moment they arrived at the State Fairgrounds and heard the strains of the bagpipes, there was no mistaking they were in a microcosm of Scottish culture. The Caledonian Society’s version of the Highland Games was raucous, loud, and a lot of fun. Jamie pointed out various tartans worn by the visitors and participants, and identified them by clan name. 

Deacon held Beth’s hand tentatively at first, but when Jamie and Claire completely ignored that, they relaxed and it quickly felt completely natural. 

Beth stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “Watch Jamie’s accent go from kinda normal to crazy Scottish! It’s pretty wild!”

Right on cue, Jamie stopped and allowed Beth, Ella and Deacon to catch up to him. 

“That right there is the MacGregor tartan, and this one here on the big guy with the red beard, that’s the Royal Stewart tartan. Ye see the tartan beret that wee young girl is wearing - that’s the Fraser hunting, and I’m wearing the Fraser modern red tartan. I prefer the traditional Fraser myself, like Claire’s scarf, but nonetheless, I like wearing this one occasionally too. Now, lasses, if you and Deacon are hungry, I’m happy to point out a few braw kiosks with good Scottish fare that ye’ll love.” 

“Uhhhh … Jamie, before you explain the black pudding and haggis, I think we spotted a corn-dog kiosk back there. That’ll probably do us just fine,” Beth said, a look of mild alarm in her eyes. She was not at all tempted by the Scottish fare that Jamie was so excited about. With the exception of the shortbread, which they planned on trying after lunch. 

While the teens set off to find Ashlee and the corn dog kiosk, Jamie took Claire by the hand and they wandered around the kiosks and stalls, in the general direction of the beer tent. Because they were out in the open in the vast acreage of the State Fairgrounds, masks were not required, unless people were gathered in an enclosed space. Despite his sunglasses and shorter, slightly darker Superman hair, Jamie drew a fair amount of attention and recognition, and stopped to sign the occasional autograph. 

“I’m sorry” he whispered to Claire, after a series of youngsters brought him the back of a parent’s business card to sign, and a number of women of varying ages asked for selfies with him.

“No, it’s totally okay. I’m not finding it intrusive at all. In fact, it’s easier to be out in the open like this, than to worry constantly about you being spotted and recognized.”

The beer tent was a few kiosks away, and they were alerted to its proximity by raucous cheers drifting out of its confines. They recognized the sound before laying eyes on the source - the ‘red kilts’ from the gala dinner. Amid hugs, pats on the back, and the occasional elbow bump, the kilt-clad group welcomed them heartily. One of them passed Claire a glass of rosé, and another handed Jamie a large beer mug that sloshed ale all over his hand and arm, but he took it in his stride and they spent a pleasant half hour with the men before they all headed off to participate in their events. 

As Jamie and Claire approached the caber toss area, she asked him for details on the event. “This is a first for me. How does the caber toss work? How do they score it - is it by distance?”

“It varies by event, actually, but for the Caledonian Games, they’re doing end over end tosses, and those are scored like the hours on a clock. So I have to pick up the caber at the bottom rounded end, take a little run to gain momentum, then toss it. Ideally, it’s going to hit the ground on the other flat end and then fall in a straight line away from me. That’s where the clock thing comes in. If it falls in a perfectly straight line from where I tossed it, that’s a 12:00, and it’s the highest score. The thing you want to avoid is having it fall sideways to either side. A 9:00 or a 3:00 are poor scores. I have to qualify first. If my qualifying round is bad, I don’t even get to compete-”

“Claire! Claire!” Jamie and Claire turned sharply towards the frantic calling of her name and saw Jeff Campbell hurrying towards them. He reached them, gave Jamie a quick nod, and without warning, pulled Claire into a bear hug. 

“Hey gorgeous, how’re you doing?”

Startled, she hugged him half-heartedly and pulled away quickly. He was in his Campbell kilt and sleeveless shirt and it was obvious that he worked out and tried to keep himself in decent shape. He was no match for Jamie’s ripped and toned arms and shoulders, however - especially since he’d been working out with two personal trainers in L.A., courtesy of Panther Entertainment. 

“Hi Jeff. Nice to see you - you remember Jamie?”

She looked at Jamie and saw a muscle ripple in his jaw, but he quickly nodded back and greeted Jeff with a terse, “Campbell.”

“Have you qualified yet?” Jeff jerked his head at the caber toss area.

“Not yet, just waiting my turn. You?”

“Yes. I qualified with a 1:30," he said smugly. "I think you’re up next. Guess I’ll see you out there in the competition round.”

Jamie stepped away and lined up with the officials and judges as they processed the last of the competitors through the single-toss qualifying round. Jamie easily qualified with a great toss that was just under a 1 o’clock. Making his way back to Claire to wait his turn for the competitive round, he noticed that Jeff was still talking to her, standing way closer than regular etiquette dictated, let alone current social distancing guidelines. 

Jeff backed away from Claire slightly as Jamie approached, and he caught the last words of their conversation.

“Let me know about lunch, Claire. My week’s pretty open.” Turning to Jamie, he asked. “How did you do?”

“I qualified with a 2:00,” Jamie lied blatantly, looking down a few inches at Jeff. “Sounds like you might be a better tosser than me.”

Claire pressed her lips together to hide her smirk, and Jamie continued, “Competitive round starts in about 5 minutes.” 

His voice and gaze softened as he looked at Claire, “I’ll see you in about 20 minutes, babe,” he leaned down and kissed her in a way that left anyone watching them in no doubt that they were a couple, and didn’t care who knew it. 

“Good luck, my love,” she smiled. “Please don’t injure yourself in the middle of shooting Superman!”

Jeff stood by awkwardly and finally smiled tightly at Claire, walking off towards the cluster of caber toss competitors. 

Claire, Beth, Ella and Deacon stood with the spectators, and when Jamie went up to take his shot, an immediate buzz went around the gathered audience, and Claire could hear several comments quite clearly.

“That’s Jamie Fraser in the red kilt!”

“From Clan Hearts?”

“Yes. And the new Superman.”

“He’s moved to Seattle and is engaged or married to someone local.”

“Dayum, look at how ripped he is.”

“He’s probably beefing up for Superman.”

“God, he’s even hotter in real life.”

The girls shot Claire a look to see how she was handling all the talk around her, but she merely gave them a little wink and shook her head slightly to let them know she wasn’t bothered by it. 

With his girls and Deacon cheering him on loudly, Jamie won the Caber Toss event, finishing with a respectable 12:15. Jeff ended up with a dismal 2:30 and moved away from the caber toss area as soon as the event was over. He fared poorly in the tug of war too, when Jamie’s team, which was composed largely of the already inebriated red kilts, made short work of crushing Jeff’s team, which included a host of brawny, but even more intoxicated young Scots. 

Claire found a food kiosk that specialized in English food, and pounced on a plate of bangers and mash with onion gravy. Jamie couldn't resist the haggis, and proclaimed it one of the best he’d eaten, much to the pride of the woman who owned the kiosk. She took a selfie with him holding his plate of haggis, and asked for permission to print it and display it in her kiosk.

“Of course,” Jamie smiled. “I’ll come and look for it next year.” 

The last two events of the games were the ones that Claire enjoyed the most. They all sat in the VIP area that Angus MacFarlane guided them to, and watched the Highland dancing exhibition performed by groups of dancers ranging in age from toddlers to dancers in their 20s and 30s. The dancing was followed by a small-scale, but still impressive version of a military tattoo performed by forty pipers and drummers from Washington, Oregon and Idaho. A tiny bagpiper, who couldn’t have been older than 5 or 6, captured the hearts of all the spectators. 

“I love that all these young kids want to embrace their Scottish heritage and keep up these age-old traditions,” Claire said.

“Aye, it’s fantastic. If we have a wee boy, I’m getting him a set of tiny bagpipes like those.” He waggled his eyebrows at Claire, and she burst out laughing. 

“Dear God - I’m glad we’ll be on 26 acres! I’m sure my old neighbors in Boston still have PTSD from when the girls were learning to play the recorder. Promise me you’ll buy the lessons along with the pipes.”

“Of course, mo chridhe,” he said, stretching his arm across her shoulder and pulling her in close to kiss her temple.

“So … Jeff Campbell wants to take ye to lunch, does he?”

She giggled. “I wondered how long it would take you to address that,” she teased. “Yes, he wants to talk to me about the research work I did with some interns in a different department at Microsoft. He says he might want to implement something similar in his department. He’s a senior executive, so he can make those decisions.” 

“Really?” His rolled ‘r’ was a dead give-away that he was annoyed. “He might be making his next few decisions with his legs in traction, if he’s not careful.”

Claire bit her lip to suppress a smile and squeezed his hand in reassurance. She knew Jeff had no intention of implementing a research project, and she would decline the lunch invitation, but it was too much fun to see Jamie sweat this one out for a little while.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

It was a tired and dusty group that piled into the car and headed home to Snoqualmie. Darkness had started to set in by the time they got home, and Claire suggested DoorDash pizza for dinner. 

“I’ll have to pass on dinner, but thanks for offering,” Deacon began. “We have to be on site early tomorrow. There’s a big delivery of roofing parts coming in for the stables, and we need to get it all off-loaded so the big diggers can get in and work on the excavation for the house.”

Jamie was first one in and out of the shower, and he took delivery of the pizza as soon as it arrived. He set out plates and beverages on the patio, while Claire and the twins showered and changed into sweats.

“Is Melissa joining us?” Beth asked, as they wandered out onto the patio.

“Not for another hour or so,” Claire replied, “I ordered her a Margherita, and we’ll keep it warm until she gets back from whale watching.”

“Is she with Uncle Milo’s brother again?”

“Yes, she’s with Anton Lukic.”

“Are they dating? I mean whale watching doesn’t sound like business to me,” Ella pointed out astutely. 

“How many brothers does Uncle Milo have?” Beth asked. “Every time we go over to their house on the lake, there’s a new one there hanging out with him and Aunt Suki.”

Claire laughed, “He has 4 brothers. Anton is the youngest - he’s 43. And Roman is the eldest at around 56, I believe. Milo is the second eldest.”

“That’s a lot of boys for one household!” 

They continued to chat and laugh over pizza and Italian soda, and their conversation turned to their afternoon at the Highland Games. 

“Jamie, you scored major flex credits,” Ella said, eyes crinkling with amusement. “I don’t think Ashlee’s dad and his team are going to get over that anytime soon. It took your team only three heaves to drag them across the line. And I tried so hard not to laugh at him and his team-mates caked in mud, but it was too funny! Ashlee put it on her story.”

Jamie grimaced, but didn’t comment.

“How sweet were the young dancers?” Beth said dreamily. “How old were the little ones? Like three, maybe?”

“Probably between two and a half and 4 years old,” replied Claire. “Some of them were still in diapers.”

“Nappies,” Jamie corrected her, between bites of his pizza.

“You need to get used to calling them diapers, Jamie,” Claire said teasingly. “Our babies will be American-born, so you need to learn the lingo. Do you know what a pacifier is?”

“Ye mean a dummy?” he asked, and they all laughed.

Beth and Ella shot each other their twin look. Baby talk was back in fashion, it seemed.

“Well, whatever you want to call the baby stuff is fine. But the Highland dancers were the cutest thing ever, and when you guys have babies, you have to sign them up for that,” Ella said decisively.

Jamie smiled at Claire, “I’d be up to enroll them in Highland dancing, for sure.”

Claire smiled softly back at him and winked, “Of course! And bagpipe lessons.”

She turned her attention to the girls. “Beth, Ella, we need to talk to you about something, and now that we’ve all eaten, and everyone’s relaxed and comfortable, this is probably a good time.”

“Okay,” they replied in unison, and straightened up a little on the sofa.

“You know Melissa is here working on some things relating to the Board of Trustees at Fulton, right?”

The girls nodded.

“Well a lot of the stuff she uncovered is top secret, and some of it she can’t even share with me and Jamie. But what we can tell you is that there’s an organized group of men with ultra-conservative views who don’t like to see women and people of color and the LGBTQ+ community and immigrants making a success of their lives.”

“Okay…”

“Well, this group had a strong influence on a few of the Fulton board members, and those men in turn influenced other board members, who did not like the fact that I was putting cracks in the glass ceiling. Basically they saw to it that I wouldn’t get the professorship. They did not want a woman in that position.”

“What! When we watched ‘Hidden Figures’ we spoke about institutional sexism, and how things were so much better now.”

“They are better in may ways, but there will always be pockets of this type of antifeminist and bigoted activity. It will probably take several more generations before we see the type of equality and equity we should have had for decades already.”

“So what exactly is Melissa doing about the professorship? They can’t go back on it now that the other guy was announced, right?”

“Absolutely, that would be wrong on so many levels. Melissa is working with Fulton’s board to ensure that things like this don’t happen there again. Remember I was working on a new degree for Fulton to consider?”

“Yes. A business communications degree. It was put on hold in June or July, right?” Ella asked.

“Wait - did the same board members take that away from you too?” asked Beth.

“Yes, in a manner of speaking. Melissa is working on trying to get it reactivated. But the board has to approve.”

“Why would they approve now, if they already took it away from you, and they don’t want you - and other women - to succeed?”

“Melissa’s investigations made some of the board members uncomfortable enough to resign. And a couple were asked to leave the board too.”

“Whoa! Like fired? That’s not good for their careers and their resumes! We learned about this in our Marketing and Business elective last year. Maintaining a clean resume is really important.”

“Yes, it is. So Fulton is down to nine voting members, and Melissa is now looking for good, forward-thinking Trustees to replace the ones that kept dragging Fulton down. When there are enough new voting members, she will share the information about my MS Comms degree with them, and our hope is that they will see the value in it and approve it.”

“What will happen if they approve it?”

Claire paused and mulled Beth’s question for a moment. She had to choose her words carefully to avoid getting the girls’ hopes up too much.

“Again, and please don’t get too excited about this, but there is a very, very slight chance that if they approve it, I could get a professorship at Fulton. Maybe not immediately, but I wouldn’t have to wait for years and years until someone retires.”

“That would be great,” Beth said, deep in thought, “but I’m really mad that these Trustees were allowed to get away with influencing the others into making decisions against you. They basically put the brakes on your entire career.”

“That’s a really good way of looking at it, leannan,” Jamie said. “What they did to your Mam is unacceptable. They were determined to derail her career.” 

Claire reached over to take his hand.

“There’s another part to this discussion,” she continued. “Remember when the announcement first came out, and some of the companies I worked with on research projects approached me to offer me jobs?”

“Yes - Amazon, Costco, and a couple of others. I remember,” Ella said.

“Well, I was approached by another business school to consider a job with them.”

“What? Where? How many business schools are there in the Seattle area?”

“I thought Fulton was the top one here, Mom? And one of the top business schools on the whole of the West Coast.” 

“It is. But I’ve been approached by Haas Business School. UC Berkeley.”

There was a long silence as the twins digested this information. 

“Last year’s volleyball captain was accepted at UC Berkeley,” Ella announced. “She was valedictorian. It’s kind of a big deal, and very hard to get into.” 

“Yes, UC Berkeley is a tough school to get into, and Haas Business School even more so. It’s one of the preeminent business schools on the West Coast, and ranks higher than Fulton right now.”

“What position did they offer you?” Beth asked.

“A professorship in the Business Communications Department of the MBA Program.”

“Whoa, Mom! That is a _huge_ deal! Congratulations!” Beth was wide-eyed with pride. 

“But it’s in California,” Ella pointed out, with a slight frown.

“It is,” Claire nodded.

“Is it remote learning? Would you teach from home?”

“First, I want to emphasize that I have not accepted their offer. We’re still only talking about it-” 

“Wait, is this why you went to California on Thursday and Friday?”

“Yes. I went to meet the team at Haas.”

“So that means you’re seriously considering the job. You didn’t answer whether it was remote or not.”

“It’s remote at the moment because of the pandemic, but it will eventually go hybrid, and then back to normal. So yes, I would be teaching in person.”

There was another long silence as the girls pondered the implications of that. 

“What about the house we just started building? And Sugar and Spice?”

“We’re on track to make captain on both the volleyball and cheer teams in senior year.”

“Hannah’s mom is supposed to take our senior pictures. She’s so good, Mom!”

“What about the kids we work with at Greta's? Some of them will only work with us.”

Jamie’s heart squeezed at that. He recognized this pattern from their car ride back from the winery after they found out about Claire losing the professorship. The random, almost incoherent series of questions and comments was an indication that they were really stressed by the idea of Claire’s job away from home.

“We’re not relocating, if that’s what’s worrying you,” he said gently, in an effort to put them at ease.

“That’s right,” Claire confirmed. “And again, I haven’t made a decision. I wanted to speak to you girls first, and get your thoughts on it.”

“How’s it going to work, Mom? How long will you be in California?”

“It would be similar to what Jamie’s doing now. I would fly out early on a Monday, and then back home on a Friday afternoon or evening.”

“But Jamie’s only commuting until the end of November, and then Superman shooting is done. Your professorship is basically permanent, right?”

“Yes, it would be a permanent position. It would only start in January, and by that time Jamie would be home again. With the occasional few days away here and there for talk shows and publicity until the Oscars and Superman are done.”

“So from January, you will be gone all week, every week.”

“Ummm … yes. I guess you could look at it like that.”

“For how long?”

“That’s really hard to determine,” Claire replied, looking at Jamie. 

“What about when you guys have babies? I mean, I guess you think we are already old enough to cope without you, but what about babies?” Ella couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice.

“Ella! We certainly don’t think you’re old enough to cope without me. This is a very difficult decision to make, and that’s why we need to talk about it as a family.”

“Mom, I want to know about that too,” Beth inserted. “What happens when you have babies? You were just talking about babies and diapers and dummies! Will you take your babies back and forth with you every week?”

Claire glanced at Jamie again, and he squeezed her hand gently. This was not going as smoothly as either of them had hoped. 

“We will have to think about that very carefully too,” Jamie replied, “but for certain the babies would not be traveling back and forth. I will be around to look after them. Superman will be long done by that time. We would plan it so that I’m not out of town at the same time as yer Mam.”

“There will _definitely_ be times when you’re out of town at the same time,” Ella insisted. “What will happen then?”

“Ella, don’t be so aggressive,” Beth scolded. “Seriously, you guys, if it’s only a night or two, I’d be happy to look after the babies. But it still sounds like a really disruptive thing for them to have their mom gone so much.”

Jamie smiled at her, “Beth, leannan, we love you for suggesting that. But you would likely have school or maybe even be off at college by that time. Your Mam and I will have a solid plan for baby care, dinna worry about that.”

“And you’ll be living in a hotel all week, every week?” Ella asked incredulously. “Mom, it made me so sad when we FaceTimed on Thursday night and we were going out to Francesco’s without you and you were getting room service.” Her voice hitched and she swallowed hard and continued. “And I hate the thought of you getting room service in a lonely hotel room every night.”

“Ella, if your Mam decides that Haas is a good option for her - for us - we’ll get her a small apartment or townhome and furnish it beautifully and comfortably so that it feels like a second home. I don’t like the thought of her in a lonely hotel room either. I’ve done it for long stretches at a time, and it’s really not fun.”

“An apartment will still be lonely, no matter how nicely it’s furnished,” Ella said bitterly.

“Ella,” Claire said softly, “I know this is a lot to take in. We can take a break from talking about it and discuss it again in a few days once you’ve had a chance to think about it.”

“No! I want to talk about it now. Jamie, how do you feel about it?” Ella looked him straight in the eye, and he could feel Claire’s hand tense up in his.

“Full Fraser honesty, please Jamie,” Ella added, invoking his family’s pledge to always tell the truth, no matter what.

“Initially, my reaction was very similar to yours. I felt hurt, and worried, and upset at the thought of yer Mam not being around during the week. It still makes me sad, because I know I would miss her terribly. But I also took into account how awful the Trustees at Fulton made her feel - not all of them, just the group she mentioned earlier. Your Mam is the smartest person I know, and she has worked incredibly hard in her career. I’ve read all the articles she’s published, and even the latest one that isn’t published yet, and each one is more impressive than the last. The breadth and depth of her knowledge in her field is mind-blowing, and the Fulton Trustees basically disregarded her contributions to Fulton, and tossed her work on the back burner with the MS Comms degree, and then ignored her when it came to a well-deserved promotion. Haas, on the other hand, recognizes her intelligence and her potential, and they are pursuing her hard because they know she will excel there. So it’s a very difficult question to answer. I don’t like what the position would do to all of us, but I think it’s important for your Mam to be able to realize her personal goals, and she has been prevented from doing so at Fulton.”

“So you’re okay with her putting her work before you? It’s okay for her to go after the title of professor at a fancy college while you’re at home missing her and raising your babies. Without her?” Ella asked, her voice tinged with bitterness. Jamie was silent for a moment.

_Jesus! These girls have moments of child and flashes of adult - and the adult flashes come when you least expect them! How do I answer that?_

He mentally scrambled for a good answer to that difficult question, but before he could formulate a response, Beth spoke up.

“I feel the same way as Jamie,” she looked at Claire sadly. “I want you to feel fulfilled in your career too. But I’m going to miss you so much during the week. And I know you’ve been away at a lot of conferences for almost a week at a time, but that’s different. This feels so … permanent.” Her eyes welled with unshed tears, and she quickly looked away.

“Why can’t you wait and see what Melissa does with the new board at Fulton? You said there’s a chance they might approve your new degree. Can’t you just wait for that?”

“I am waiting for that, Ella. I keep reminding you that I haven’t made a decision.”

“I know, you keep saying that, but when you talk, it sounds like your heart has already made up its mind, even though your head hasn’t.”

Jamie swallowed hard. Ella had voiced the thoughts that kept surfacing in his mind too.

“Aren’t you going to miss us, Mom? And Jamie? Aren’t you going to miss Jamie too?”

“Oh my God, Beth! Of course I am! I am going to miss you all so much.” 

Ella jumped to her feet. “See! Right there! You said ‘I am going to miss you all so much.’ You’ve basically already made up your mind.”

“No, Ella I haven’t. I didn’t mean for it to sound like that.”

“I really don’t get why you can’t wait for Fulton’s decision.”

“I have a few weeks to make up my mind. I promise, Ella, I have not decided yet. But in the event that I do decide to go with Haas, you will be in Jamie’s care.”

“We know, and we love Jamie, and we wouldn’t want to be in anyone else’s care, but we need you too, Mom,” Beth said, her voice plaintive and pleading. “The next two years will include a lot of our last events. Last showcases, last cheer competitions, last volleyball State champs, last homecoming, first and last Prom - and you won’t be here for any of that.”

“Exactly!” Ella added emphatically. “Everyone says that junior year is the most difficult by far. It’s also when we start looking at colleges - and that’s the year you choose to leave us!”

“I’m not leaving you! We will FaceTime every night - and more if you need to speak to me about anything. I will always be available to take your calls.” 

“No!” Ella was practically shouting. “No! We have an absent father who’s basically a deadbeat-” 

“Ella!” Claire admonished her angrily, “Don’t talk about your father like that.” 

“Why not? It’s the truth. We’ve told him so many times that we were doing a showcase, and he hasn’t once asked us for pictures or videos. Not even once!”

“It’s true,” Beth said hesitantly, “And it’s not just the athletics - he occasionally asks about grades and whether we're doing well in history, but he never asks about our lives and interests, or our friends, or what we like to do in our spare time. He definitely doesn't know what our favorite candy is."

“He shows no interest in us at all! Jamie has been more of a Dad to us than our actual father could ever hope to be! We finally feel like a real family! And it's about to be ruined!” Ella’s voice caught in her throat, and hot tears rolled down her face. Her next words came in huge gasping sobs. 

“We … already have … an absent … father! We don’t … want … a FaceTime Mom ... too.”

She turned and ran towards the kitchen door, almost knocking Melissa off her feet, and disappeared upstairs.

Melissa walked slowly towards the rest of the group on the patio, and sank silently into a wicker chair, not wanting to disrupt the flow of the conversation, as heated as it may be.

Jamie glanced at Claire, who had lost all the color in her face. Turning to Beth, he was about to suggest that they talk about it again when he was home the following weekend. By then, the news would have sunk in a little more, and the girls would have had more time to process their thoughts and feelings. With any luck, Fulton may have even come through with something promising.

“Beth-”

“Can I say something, Jamie? Mom? Please? Ella really has a point about us finally feeling like a family. Mom, Henry loved us, and we loved him, and we loved the life that you both built for us here when we moved from Boston. But Henry always let you be the parent. I know he supported you and your decisions, and he picked us up from school and stuff and we hung out with him when you were at book-club and all those things. But you were the one who made all the big parenting decisions. Maybe because Henry was older, he felt out of the loop on parenting stuff - I don’t know his reasons, but you were definitely our go-to parent, and Henry felt more like a loving caregiver, and we loved him right back.”

She paused, looked from Jamie to Claire, then took a deep breath and continued.

“We have never really known what it’s like to be a close family until Jamie came into our lives. We love all the fun things that he does with us - the winery and horse-riding and picnics and L.A. and basketball challenges and cooking together. But that’s just a tiny part of it. He cares about us and what is going on in our lives. He knows when our next showcase is, he knows that we’re reading _Long Way Down_ for summer reading, and he read it last week so we can all talk about the major themes and get ready to work on it when school starts. He takes an interest in our friends and our volunteer work at Greta and pretty much every aspect of our lives. We ask him for help and advice when we need it. We even ask him for permission to do things. Like Ella said, he is totally like a dad to us. A young, cool, but very loving dad. But more important than all of that, is what he means to you! I’ve never seen anyone as much in love as the two of you - not even in my books. Ella and I have never seen you as happy as you are when Jamie’s around. He loves you so much, Mom, and this decision of yours has already hurt him. He straight up admitted it earlier. Working away from home permanently will destroy us. I have a gut feeling about that. I really hope you don’t take the California job. Ella and I want to be in a happy family with you and Jamie and our new babies, when they come. Just because we’re 16 and off to college in two years doesn’t mean that we suddenly stop wanting to be part of this family. Right now, our family unit feels so right, and so safe. This whole decision process is putting it at risk. Can you please wait and consider what Fulton offers?”

She stood up, walked through the kitchen, and went upstairs to join a sobbing Ella.

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	53. Chapter 53

* * *

A heavy silence hung in the air after Beth left the patio. Jamie’s hand rested on Claire’s on the sofa, and his thumb absently caressed the web of skin between her thumb and forefinger. Her other hand worked the knot of tension that had built up in her shoulder. Eventually, she looked at Melissa.

“I ordered you a Margherita pizza. It’s keeping warm in the oven.”

“I’m fine. I’ll grab it in a minute.”

“I’m sorry, Mel - I didn’t even ask. How was the whale-watching?”

“It was good - we can talk about that another time. I’m guessing you started discussing the Haas job with the girls.”

“Yes. How much did you hear?”

“I heard from when Ella was saying that Jamie has been more of a father than Frank ever was.”

They both looked at Jamie, who swallowed hard a couple of times and then stood up.

“Will ye both excuse me for a minute, please?”

He walked to the end of the patio, stepped down onto the middle terrace, and walked to the edge of the property line, exactly where Claire had stood and waved at him when he was in the helicopter. That was over two months ago, but it seemed like a lifetime of events had happened since then. It was too dark to see anything on his property, but the rustling of leaves and distant hooting of an owl were oddly soothing in the aftermath of the turmoil that the discussion with the girls had awakened.

If he was already feeling wretched about his role in the upheaval that had turned Claire’s life upside down, hearing that he featured so prominently in the girls' distress during the patio discussion made him feel infinitely worse. 

_Christ! You’ve done enough damage with Anja and the social media disaster that followed Claire. Now the girls have turned on her partly because of you._

He heard soft footsteps in the grass just before Claire’s arms wrapped around him from behind. She held him tightly and rested her cheek on his broad back. Winding his fingers between hers, he stood in silence with her for a while, until he felt the warmth and wetness of her first tears through his shirt and on his back. He gently pulled her arms away from his waist, and turned to face her so they could embrace face to face and chest to chest. 

“My girls …” a sob escaped her throat, and he held her tightly as her tears flowed unabated.

“Shhh, mo ghràidh. It’s okay. It’s tough news to process. We need to give them a few days.”

“I know,” she murmured through her tears, her cheek pressed against his chest. “They reacted strongly when I told them we were leaving Boston, but they were so little back then. I did not expect them to come at me with so many details and potential problems. In Boston, I had to deal with whining and tears, mostly. Now their comments cut like a knife.”

“It was hard to hear them say some of those things, I canna lie. My heart hurt for you and for them.”

“It’s so much harder to make this decision now that they’re teens. They may be older, but sometimes they think like little kids, and sometimes they think like adults. Talk like adults too!”

“I was thinking the same thing earlier. It’s where they are developmentally, Claire. They’re not quite mature enough to handle this on their own, so they’ll need us to hold their hands through it this week. They’re expressing their truth, and we need to hear them out, as hurtful as their comments may be.” 

“You fared okay in all of that,” she said ruefully. “The thing they’re most angry about is the effect on _you_ , and whether I’ll destroy our relationship.”

“I’m so sorry, Claire. I did not expect them to say all those things. I’ll talk to them on my way up and reassure them that it won’t come to that.”

“It’s going to take me a while to untangle everything they said and deal with all the pieces separately. I want to address all their concerns. I misread this situation so badly, Jamie! I thought they’d be okay with it, excited, even … knowing that you’ll be done with Superman by the time I’d have to start working at Haas. And they’re off to college in just two years, so I figured they would be thinking about that too.”

“Ye heard what Beth said, just because they’re going to be away at college doesn’t mean they don’t want to be around us and feel like part of the family.”

“I know,” she said quietly. “I spend so much time around college kids who are excited to enjoy their independence and spread their wings a little. I shouldn’t be projecting those attitudes on my girls. Not yet anyway. Sometimes their maturity masks their insecurities. They … they still need me.”

“Aye, they do. You’ve been under a heap of stress for a couple of months, Claire. It tends to cloud one’s thinking. You may have miscalculated their reactions, but now you have a better sense of where they stand on it. And it will help you come to a decision.”

“It's going to be a tough week ... so many viewpoints and feelings to consider.”

“It'll probably help not having me around this week. Murtagh shared some of his wisdom with me on the Zoom. He said that without my sad, ugly face in front of you all week, it might be easier for you to make some decisions.”

“Remind me to clobber him when I see him,” she looked at him through tear-filled eyes and reached up to touch his face. Trailing her fingers lightly over his cheek and across his jaw, she said in a near-whisper, “I would like nothing more than to see your face all week.” 

“It will be good to do some talking and thinking with the girls - without me around. I feel like I'll just add a complicated layer to all of this, and you can do without that. You have Melissa here as a great sounding board while I’m gone. We keep forgetting that she’s working harder than all of us at keeping the Fulton hopes alive too. Haas is not a done deal.”

There was a prolonged silence while he waited for her to respond.

“Claire? Haas is not a done deal, is it?” he repeated. 

“No, it’s not a done deal. But the longer Fulton takes to get back to me, the more I think they don’t really want me, and the more attractive Haas becomes.”

His eyes narrowed a little as he looked at her and pondered her response.

“Don’t look at me like that, Jamie. It hurts my heart.”

“I think that’s what Murtagh means. I sometimes wear my heart on my sleeve and on my face, and it will probably make it easier for you to think some things through while I’m in L.A.” 

“Jamie, I’m perfectly capable of seeing your sad face in front of me and still making the right decision. Please stop treating me like I’m so damn fragile! Murtagh too!”

“Claire, no one thinks you’re fragile. We’re all very cognizant of your strength and fortitude - especially after everything you’ve gone through over the past couple of months.” 

“I know I’ve been indecisive of late, but that’s because this is the biggest decision I’ve had to make that involves us as a family!”

“It is, Claire. And please don’t attack me for saying this again, but I want to give you the space you need to focus on the girls, without having to worry about me and how I’m feeling. You heard them on the patio tonight, Claire! They need you right now.”

“Don’t tell me what they need! I know what they need. And I’m going to worry about how you’re feeling regardless. But right now, I’m more worried about the fact that this ‘giving me space’ thing is sounding a little like ‘I need a break from Claire’s indecisiveness and mood swings’.” 

“Jesus, Claire! Nothing could be further from the truth. And the fact that you’re even going there is a pretty good indicator that it’s a good thing I won’t be around this week. I feel I’m contributing to your irritability right now. And if I'm perfectly honest, I need the space too - to do some of my own thinking. To work through some of my own guilt - because whether you like it or not, Claire, I am carrying a lot of guilt and other feelings around right now.”

They stood in silence for a moment, both in disbelief that they were actively throwing verbal barbs at each other. 

Claire was the first to regain her composure. 

“Space might be a good idea after all, Jamie," she said with an air of resignation. 

He nodded soberly.

“So ... no FaceTiming at all?” she asked.

“Just for this week, while you work through things with the girls. Obviously, we’ll text or call if something important comes up.”

“Will you FaceTime with them if they need you?”

“Of course, Claire! I’ll let them know that too. I’m going to go on upstairs and talk to them. Catch up with Melissa for a bit. I’ll wait for ye in bed.” 

He kissed her temple and left her on the patio to join Melissa. 

“Ella? Beth?” Jamie stood in the study area between their bedrooms - the area that Claire had been using as her home office since she had given up the downstairs study to Jamie when he first arrived. 

“Girls, I’m leaving early tomorrow morning, but I wanted to talk to ye both first.”

Ella’s door opened slowly, and both girls emerged, eyes swollen and red from crying. His heart tightened at the outward signs of their distress.

“Are we in trouble?” Beth asked hesitantly, as she searched his expression. “I know we vented a lot of our feelings. Maybe too much?” 

“You’re not in trouble at all. Why don’t you sit in yer bean bags and I’ll pull up a chair.”

They slumped into their bean bags and he rolled a chair over from the desk, grabbing the box of Kleenex as he did so. Placing the Kleenex on the floor between them, he looked from one to the other.

“Talk to me girls. What’s going through yer heads and hearts right now?”

“I’m in total denial, Jamie. I don’t want this to happen. Can we stop the whole process and go back to how we were?” Ella’s eyes welled up again. 

“I want to make sure you girls understand that your Mam has not made a final decision.”

“It feels like she has,” Beth said, her voice defeated and sad. 

“I think that the offer from Haas has been such a strong validation of yer Mam’s work and her potential, that the excitement of thinking and talking about it probably makes it sound like she has made her decision, but she really hasn’t.”

He realized that he was trying to convince himself as much as the girls. 

“We get how important it is for her to feel fulfilled and appreciated, and we understand the impact of her taking a professorship at Haas,” Ella said, her face and voice reflecting the sadness she felt. “Especially as a woman who has been affected by sexism. We’ve spoken so _so_ much about that with PILF and all, and we know that she’s been through stuff that would never happen to a man in the same position. But Melissa is trying to get new people on the board at Fulton and I know she will find people who are woke and won’t allow sexism and racism and all the other ‘isms’ to affect their decisions about stuff. Do you think Mom will wait until then before making her decision?”

“She has promised she’ll wait to hear from Fulton before doing that.”

“I wish she would also think about how it’s going to impact our family - and you!” Beth said plaintively. 

“Exactly!” Ella added. “I want her to think about how it affects _you_ as well as us!”

“She is thinking about all of that, girls, she really is.”

“Do you remember when we went to Montalcino for dinner to celebrate getting our driver’s licenses?” Beth asked.

“Aye, I do.”

“We asked you a ton of questions about your career that night, and you said that meeting Mom and knowing that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her was a big factor in adjusting your five year plan to get out of the movie industry.”

“Yes, I remember talking about that,” he knew where this was going, and it would be difficult to address. 

“Part of adjusting your plan was rejecting the James Bond movies, because the three movie deal would be way longer than five years, and you said that meeting Mom helped influence your decision.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“That was a huge sacrifice for your relationship, Jamie. I mean who turns down James Bond!”

“I’ll admit that meeting your Mam played into that decision. Making the Bond movies would have meant some very different publicity and pushing an image that I didn’t want to go through again, and I certainly didn’t want to put your Mam through all of that. But there were other personal considerations too that I took into account when making my decision.”

“But that’s exactly it! You thought about everything, not just your career! I want Mom to think about everything too!” Beth said, with a fierceness that hinted at the depth of her pain. 

“She’s definitely thinking about everything, leannan. Tonight’s discussion was very difficult and quite heart-breaking for her.”

“We didn’t mean to say hurtful things, Jamie,” she sniffed.

“I know we came across as spoiled and entitled, but we are so scared that this commuting thing will hurt our family.” 

“You didn’t come across as spoiled and entitled at all, Ella. In fact, I canna think of anyone else your age who is more appreciative and more giving than the pair of ye. I heard you clearly out on the patio. I know you’ve not always had the type of family situation that you’ve both dreamed of, and now that we have our own version of it, it feels safe and secure and so, so good. I feel that too, I want ye to know that. I love yer Mam and both of you so much, and of course the idea of anything impacting our family is frightening. But this doesn’t necessarily have to harm us. It could make us even stronger.”

Ella wasn’t convinced. “I can’t see how that would make us stronger, Jamie. Seeing your kids and husband - or whatever - two days out of seven is not an arrangement that would build a stronger relationship. I just want Mom to see that.”

“She’s trying to weigh up so many different things as she makes this big decision, girls. She’s trying to think about your feelings, my feelings, our life here, the house, future babies, your last two years of high school - it’s a lot. This week is going to be pretty important in that process. Hopefully, Fulton is closer to coming up with a decent offer. She’ll need to get back to Haas with a yes or no decision in the next couple of weeks. And I think having me around just adds a layer of stress that she doesn’t need right now, so I told her I’m going to back off the FaceTiming with her and give her a little space to think about things this week.”

“Boom! There you go!” Ella exclaimed, her face a mask of shock and distress. “‘Giving someone space’ is basically code for taking a relationship break,” she continued, as a fresh wave of tears spilled over. “And that never ends well.”

“No, leannan. It’s not that at all. I promise. It’s not a break. I’m literally giving her time to think about things without having to hear any sadness or hurt in my voice. I worry that it will inadvertently pressure her into a decision she might not want to make.” 

“Ugh! I wish we could go back to how things were earlier today. It was such an awesome day at the games, Jamie. It was the type of family day that we love - doing silly, goofy stuff and just being together.”

“It was a great day, girls, and I really appreciate that you came out and enjoyed some of my culture and traditions.”

“Jamie, I hope none of what we said hurt your feelings. We were mad at the idea of Mom not being around, but we love that you will be done with Superman and that you’ll be around more.”

“I got that, dinna worry. Things will work out for us. We're committed to making that happen, okay? Your Mam is going to want to talk about this some more with you. Can I make a suggestion? Right now, you’re feeling angry and upset and scared, and all those feelings will make holding a productive conversation difficult. Take a day or two to think about questions or concerns or suggestions, and then have a good talk with yer Mam about it. I would love for you to be open and receptive to what she has to say and for you to talk calmly about things that are upsetting or worrying you.”

They nodded silently in agreement.

“Also, your Mam and I may not be FaceTiming as much as usual this week, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be FaceTiming my girls,” he smiled broadly, knowing they loved it when he called them ‘his girls’. “Ye can text me any time, as always, and I’ll check my phone when I’m not shooting. Did ye know that when I’m shooting, I hand my phone over to Astaire for safekeeping? I’ve lost a few phones on different sets over the years, and now I always find a designated phone-sitter. On Superman, it’s Astaire. If I’m not responding, you can even Snap or text Astaire, and he’ll let me know to call you when I have a break between scenes.”

They smiled at Jamie’s attempts to lighten the mood.

“I need to pack a few things for my week in L.A. I’ll see you girls on Friday, but know ye can reach me by text or FaceTime any time before then. We’ll have a good weekend together, and then ye’ll be gone most of the following week for yer volleyball skills camp, right?”

“Yes. In the San Juan Islands.”

He stood up and pulled them both to their feet, and they hugged together in silence until he kissed the top of their heads and said goodnight. 

It was well over another hour before Claire eventually made it upstairs after a long conversation with Melissa. Jamie was in bed going over his scripts for the week, and sleepiness was starting to set in. 

Her heart sank a little when she saw Jamie’s packed carry-on near the door, ready for him to grab on the way out in the morning. He only packed a few essentials on Sunday nights, as Panther had provided him with a furnished apartment near Studio City for the duration of the shooting, and he had shopped for jeans, shirts, toiletries and other basics during his first week of work on Superman. 

“Ugh - I hate seeing that bag by the door on a Sunday night,” she groaned as she peeled off her sweats and slipped under the cool bed covers, snuggling into his warmth. “It reminds me that you’re going to be gone all week.”

He eyed her thoughtfully as he pondered her comment. “I’ll be feeling the same way come January,” he said quietly, dropping his script on the nightstand. He turned to face her, and drew her into his arms, blowing a mouthful of her curls out of his mouth.

A frown fluttered across her brow as she took in his words, but before she could answer, he asked, “Did ye see the girls?”

“They’re asleep. Both of them are in Ella’s bed. They don’t do that much anymore. I kissed them goodnight, but they were out for the count.”

“Poor lasses. Tough night for them ... for all of us. I think they feel bad about their outbursts. We had a good chat.”

“Thank you, Jamie,” she said kissing him in the hollow between his neck and shoulder, and nuzzling his scruff. “I’ll be doing some soul-searching and thinking this week. And I’ll need to have a series of long, candid conversations with Beth and Ella. I’m sorry I went at you outside.”

“I’m sorry too. These are tough times for all of us, mo chridhe. We need to be able to discuss things without ending up in an argument.”

“We’ve always been able to talk openly and comfortably. We need to get back to that.”

“Yes we do. When I get back this weekend, we’ll go sit out on the stone patio - just the two of us. I’ll want to hear all about yer week and how things went with the girls.” 

He tightened his hold on her and trailed his fingertips gently up and down her back, relishing the soft warmth of her skin against his hands. Her eyelids got heavier and heavier and her breathing slowed, and he knew she’d be asleep in minutes.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” she said sleepily.

“I’m going to hold you in my arms all night. I’ll wake you in the morning.”

They floated into the limbo between wakefulness and sleep, teetering on the edge, each haunted by their own worries and concerns. Their troubled thoughts may have differed in focus, but they intersected at the same point - family and self and love and career. Jamie’s discussion with the girls was yet another reminder that his own difficult career decision had helped him find that equilibrium. He was more than satisfied with his final decision. Claire had yet to find that balance, and he wondered if this week would bring her closer to finding her answers. 

Finally, they both drifted into a dreamless, restless sleep.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie and Claire stood together at the front door, waiting for his limo to arrive for the airport run. It seemed like any other Monday morning goodbye, but they both felt that this one was different somehow. It would be hard to maintain the distance and space they agreed would allow them both to think things through more clearly.

The excavators were already at work, and the rumbling sounds of the earthworks were a poignant sign that work on their forever home was well underway. 

As the big black SUV swept around in the driveway, Jamie tilted her chin back with his forefinger and kissed her tenderly.

“I love you so much, Claire. Ye’ll not be out of my mind for a moment all week. I’ll see you on Friday.”

“I love you and I can’t wait until Friday.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Joe was in his office by 6:30 a.m. At 6:55, his internal phone rang. The LED display read 9999. Office of the University President. 

“Good morning, President Hernandez.”

“Dean Abernathy, I trust you had a good weekend. I want to touch base with you on two things.”

“Certainly.”

“First, I spent most of my weekend going through Dr. Beauchamp’s work on the MS Comms. You were right, it is a very impressive and comprehensive proposal, and I have no doubt whatsoever that after a few tweaks, the Board of Regents would have rubber stamped it.”

“It’s tragic how badly the Trustees’ decisions have thwarted Dr. Beauchamp’s career progress,” Joe commented.

“It's disgraceful, actually. Based on my impressions of the MS Comms proposal, and what I know about Dr. Beauchamp, I have some ideas that I’ll share with you soon. Most of what I know about her is based on hearsay, her stellar reputation, and other people’s impressions. I would like to meet her in person before I finalize anything, and I like this type of meeting to be informal. To that end, I’ll be inviting her to breakfast in the next few days. I’m letting you know in case it comes up in conversation with her. She doesn’t know about our discussions of course, and I thought it wise to warn you ahead of time, so that you are prepared if she mentions the breakfast.”

“Thank you, President Hernandez. I will be ready if she happens to mention it.”

“The other issue I want to discuss is the report on the first three prospective Trustees that you brought me on Friday afternoon. All of them are outstanding candidates. I have no qualms about approving Suki Lukic, despite her personal relationship with Dr. Beauchamp. It’s likely that by the time Lukic’s approval comes up for discussion, it will be a Trustee approval anyway, and her board colleagues will see how much value and insight she’ll add.”

“I agree with that completely.”

“The Board of Regents is due to meet early next week. I would prefer to present them with a few more Trustee candidates to approve, if possible. Currently, we only have one who is a certainty - Ayesha Williams. If I can present five or six at once, the BoR will approve their appointments all together, and that will put the Board of Trustees well above quorum, with sufficient new Trustees to start driving good decisions.”

“That makes perfect sense too, President Hernandez. I’ll make sure that Ms. Thornton is aware that you’d like some more reports this week.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As soon as Jamie’s limo turned out of the driveway, Claire headed to the kitchen and started to prepare breakfast. She toasted bagels, set out cream cheese and coffee mugs, and was about to empty the dishwasher, when the girls walked in. They were dressed in their volleyball gear and were due at a team meeting in just over an hour. 

“Good morning, girls,” Claire’s mood was somewhat subdued as she searched their faces for signs of the anger and resentment that had been there the previous night. Her heart hurt as she took in their eyes - still slightly puffy from hours of crying. They had done their best to cover it up, and a little make-up had done wonders, but Claire could see the evidence of last night’s unsettling talk.

“Good morning, Mom,” they replied together. 

“Thanks for the bagels,” Beth said, as they settled onto their stools at the island.

“Girls, last night was really tough,” she began, “and I realize that I badly underestimated how strongly you would feel about the Haas job offer. I should have done a better job about preparing you for what we were planning to talk about.”

“Mom, honestly, I don’t think that any amount of preparation would have made it any easier. We’re both just really scared right now.” Ella looked at her intently.

“I know you are, and I know that it’s my job that’s bringing this fear and uncertainty into your lives.”

“It’s not really the job, Mom. It’s your decision about the job. You’re the one in control of that.”

“Yes, you’re right. My decision could go either way, and we all need to weigh in to help me come up with the decision that works best for all of us.”

“Sure,” Ella replied listlessly. “Jamie suggested that we spend a day or two thinking about questions for you before we talk about it again.”

“How do you feel about that suggestion?” Claire asked.

“I think it will give us all time for our feelings to cool down a little,” Beth said.

“He told us that he’s giving you some space to work on your decision this week,” Ella said, searching Claire’s face for her reaction.

“Yes, he is,” Claire said evenly, but her heart lurched at that. Why had he shared that with the girls?

“Doesn’t that worry you? I thought it sounded like a relationship break, which wouldn’t surprise me with all the stress going on around here!”

“Ella!” Beth admonished loudly, “Jamie told us that it wasn’t a break!”

“It’s not a relationship break, girls. It really is just a matter of Jamie giving me some space to spend time talking with both of you.” 

Ella shrugged. “Okay, Mom. I just hope that Fulton comes through with something soon, before things get worse with you and Jamie. Will you tell us as soon as Fulton has made an offer?”

“Of course! I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything from them - whether it’s good news or bad news. I want to be open and transparent with you, so that there are no more surprises.”

She kept her voice even and calm, but she was annoyed that Jamie had mentioned that he was giving her space this week. He should have known they might misconstrue that.

They ate their bagels in silence for a few minutes.

“Any ideas regarding what your team meeting is about this morning?” Claire asked brightly, hoping to inject some normalcy into their morning.

“I think Coach is going to announce that volleyball season is being delayed until spring. I just hope they don’t cancel our skills camp next week!” Beth declared with an air of exasperation.

“That’s what just happened with football,” Ella pointed out. “The season got moved to spring because of the pandemic.”

“Oh, wow, that’s a pretty big deal,” Claire remarked. “Moving an entire football season and volleyball season - the logistics of that must be mind-boggling! What will happen with homecoming?”

“That’s what everyone wants to know. Some of our friends think it will be scheduled around the spring football season, and others think it will be cancelled outright.”

“Oh, sweethearts, that makes me sad for you. Homecoming is always such a fun part of the year. Has Coach Jen said anything about Cheer season?”

“We have team pictures on Wednesday. We'll need our blue and white uniforms for that. The dance showcase is still going ahead, and the smaller regional competitions will likely be cancelled, but the bigger qualifiers for State and Nationals will go ahead in January and February.”

“And in the meanwhile you’ll maintain your training schedule?”

“Yes - for both sports. We have to keep our stamina up, and we’ll be adding more strength and conditioning.”

“Keep me posted on what Coach says. I’m going to campus today with Melissa. I have meetings all day, and Melissa is working on board replacements. We’ll see you for dinner later.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie was whisked off to Stage E the minute he got to the sprawling Panther Entertainment complex. The head of costume and wardrobe was waiting for him, and as soon as her team of costume designers was done with measurements for both his Superman costuming and Clark Kent outfits, he took a break and FaceTimed Murtagh.

“I promised you some information about a potential Food and Bev Manager, and I wanted to give you a preliminary update. Do you remember Julio and Alma - the husband-wife pair who did the street taco catering for us at the big meeting in June?”

“Aye, of course. That was a fantastic meal.”

“It was! Well, I spoke to Julio this morning on the way to the airport. He may be interested in talking to you and Helen about the job. He’s worked at the Rainier Club for eight years, and in the last four he was the club’s compliance officer for food and safety regulations. Since he took on that role, they have consistently scored a food safety rating of ‘Excellent’ in all their inspections by King County. He has also hired and trained new bar and restaurant staff, and he seems to be a good team player generally, from my limited observations of him at work. His experience is more on the bar management side, but he has had to fill in for the Club F&B Manager a lot. The current guy is not very reliable and tends to wander in and out on his own schedule, so the General Manager at the club passes a lot of those duties on to Julio.”

“That doesn’t sound like it would be a huge problem, actually, because our exec chef is pretty good with menu planning, events, and inventory control, and he can continue to handle that for a while. By the sound of Julio’s experience, Helen can take him under her wing and bring him up to speed within 4 to 6 months, I would think.” 

“Didn’t Helen also talk about building a poolside cafe for lunches and light meals?”

“Aye, she did.”

“You could consider Alma for that. She doesn’t only do Mexican cuisine, you know? Although I think that would probably be the most popular option for light lunches. Just another avenue to boost our offerings at the winery.”

“I like that idea. Helen and I can talk about that later. What would the next steps be as far as meeting Julio goes?”

In the middle of his FaceTime with Murtagh, a text slid in from Claire.

**** **** **_Sorry to break the ‘space’ arrangement, can you call me when convenient?_ **

He hurriedly finished his conversation with Murtagh. 

“Julio has the weekend off, so I was planning on picking him and Alma up on Sat morning and bringing them over to see the place and chat with you and Helen. What do ye think?”

“Let’s plan on it.”

He ended the call with Murtagh, and immediately called Claire. 

“Everything okay, Claire?”

“Yes, and again, I’m sorry to break the arrangement on day one. I’m in my office, and I have a break between Zoom calls. The girls and I spoke a little at breakfast.”

“How did that go? Still tense?”

“Yes. And it didn’t help that you thought it was a good idea to tell them you’re giving me space this week. They thought exactly what I thought - that it was tantamount to a relationship break. Ella is pissed. Beth is trying to smooth things over.”

“Are you just calling me to haul me over the coals for that, Claire? I wanted to be upfront with them because they will obviously notice that you and I aren’t FaceTiming at night. I also wanted to reassure them that they can still FaceTime me when they want.”

“I get that, but please be mindful they already resent me for even considering Haas - mostly because they think it’ll wreck us, and now you practically tell them we’re on a break.” 

“Do ye want me to talk to them and reassure them again that it’s not a break?”

“No, I don’t! You’ve done enough damage. I just want you to be a little careful with what you say to them this week. They’re my daughters, and I need to handle these conversations.”

His heart thudded painfully in his chest at those words. Her ‘my daughters’ had hit hard. She was right, of course. They may feel like a tight family unit, they may behave like one in many ways, but he was not officially their step-dad. Yet. 

“I didn’t think they would turn against ye like they did. I take a lot of the responsibility for that, and I’m sorry.” 

“I’m just saying that I need to handle some of this with them. Maybe you need to stop FaceTiming with them this week too. They’re particularly sensitive right now - things are just … difficult.”

Even though his head rationalized her words as honest and factual, his heart took a hit at the harshness of her message. His anguish and the build-up of stress over Claire’s decision made him lash out in a way he would not normally have done. 

“I’m not the cause of the difficulties, Claire.” He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. 

There was a prolonged silence.

“Claire, I’m sorry. I didna mean-”

“It’s okay, Jamie.” She sounded hurt and distressed. “I’m well aware that I’m the cause of a lot of uncertainty and difficulties in our family right now. I’ve said what I wanted to say - just think about what you say to the girls before you say it. I’ll see you on Friday.”

“Claire-”

She had already disconnected. 

_Fuck! You cocked that up, you dumbass!_ Jamie buried his head in his hands and groaned aloud. 

In addition to the stress of the Sunday night conversation and the new guilt he felt about the girls turning on Claire, now he was dealing with the knife-sharp comments that Claire had thrown at him, and his uncalled-for retaliation. How were things unraveling so fast and so badly?

“Uh … Jamie?” He looked up to see Astaire watching him with a quizzical look. “They're ready for you at the table read.”

Jamie followed Astaire through the corridors, frowning deeply and feeling decidedly unsettled. He already anticipated another sleepless night, during which he would need to ponder his comments to Claire and figure out how to make amends. 

His table read was with two co-stars who had relatively minor roles, and they would be shooting scenes from this script reading over the next few days. He paused briefly outside the reading room, took a deep breath, and forced aside his personal woes. Astaire opened the door, and Jamie entered the room with a wide smile - looking every bit the polished professional.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire texted Melissa and asked if she could join her in the break room. It was deserted, and Claire selected a strong Colombian coffee pod to insert in the Keurig machine. She needed a jolt of caffeine and a change of scene after her call with Jamie. Melissa appeared just as her coffee finished brewing.

“Coffee?” she asked, holding out the mug she had just made.

“No thanks. I’ve had my quota for the day. It’s been a busy morning. What’s up - why are we meeting here?”

“I needed a change of scene, and I have a Zoom call coming up in less than a half hour, so I don’t have a ton of time. I just spoke to Jamie. Correction - I just hung up on Jamie.”

Melissa’s eyes widened. “Why was he calling? I thought you were supposed to focus on the girls’ needs this week - no talking to Jamie. Wasn’t that what he wanted?”

“Yes. I asked him to call me.”

She explained the gist of their conversation and waited for her friend’s response. 

“Claire, I have to be honest. I agree that someone needed to tell the girls that you were putting some distance between yourselves this week - from a communication standpoint, not emotionally. They are way too smart not to notice that you’re suddenly not FaceTiming each other every night. I mean they photo-bomb your calls sometimes! Do you resent the fact that _he_ raised the 'space thing' with them? You think you should have been the one to explain it to them?”

“I don’t know, Melissa. I mean, yes, they probably needed to know. I guess I’m just annoyed. It gave Ella another reason to come at me this morning. And then when I spoke to Jamie about it, we ended up going at each other again too. Why do we keep doing that, instead of talking about it calmly?”

“Because there is so much at stake here, Claire. I agree that his comment about not being the cause of the difficulties was unacceptable, but instead of hanging up, you should have spoken about that.”

“You’re right. I should have addressed it right away. But to hear him come at me for causing all the difficulties was a bit much to take. I was on the verge of saying ...” she trailed off.

“Saying what, Claire? That the difficulties started when Anja entered the fray?”

“Yes, actually!” She looked at Melissa defiantly. “I’m going through all sorts of self-imposed mom-guilt and other guilt right now. I’ve tried to reassure him that he shouldn’t bear the blame for what Anja started, but right now I’m pissed, and maybe he should feel some of that pain too.”

She took a sip of her coffee and smarted at the strong, bitter taste. 

“You need to share that with him, Claire. He needs to know your feelings about this. All of them.”

“The week we met, we spoke so openly and comfortably about our deepest and darkest. And now we can’t say anything without it spiraling into the beginnings of an argument.”

“You’ll get back there, Claire. I know you will. You’ll get back to discussing things calmly and thoroughly. You’ve faced a lot of drama together in these few short months, and you’ve come through it every time. There’s no reason to believe you won’t come through this. Remember what I told you about seeing this pattern in my clients. People come to me at the lowest point in their lives, Claire. They come to me because they need me to fix something, and I see them at their worst. And when the situation is fixed, I see them at their best. Right now, I’m not seeing the best Claire and Jamie. I’ve already told you about the mood fluctuations that almost all of my clients exhibit under their extreme duress. Mood swings - whatever you want to call them. It’s affecting both of you. As soon as this whole situation is resolved, you can get back on an even keel. A lot will depend on your decision, of course, but once it’s made, you can chart a way forward that all four of you can be involved in.”

“I hope you’re right, Mel. I feel like this last phone call was the toughest. I shouldn't have hung up. I’ve never done that. Do I call him back? Text him?”

“I don’t think that will be helpful right now. I think that ‘my daughters’ comment probably cut deep, and you will need to address that with him in person, not over text or a phone call, just as he will need to address his ‘difficulties’ comment with you in person. It’s just a few more days until you can talk face to face again, and you will need to lay it all out and discuss this properly. Take the time this week to work on the girls, work on your feelings, work on your decision. But when Jamie gets back, it’ll be time to deal with all these unresolved issues. I’ll go and do something with the girls on Friday evening, and you guys will have uninterrupted time to talk.”

Claire bit her lower lip as she listened to her friend. 

“You’re right. We need to get this figured out face to face.” 

“You and Jamie will find your way back to each other. I have no doubt about that.”

Claire smiled weakly, “I need to get back for my Zoom. Thank you for helping me put things in perspective. You make so much sense - as always.” 

Melissa took Claire's hand and squeezed it gently as they headed out of the break room. That little gesture reminded Claire of all the times she and Jamie had spoken, always with their hands interlaced or clasped together - literally from the first week they’d known each other. She had found it so endearing, but never questioned why he always felt the need to reach for her hand. He had finally explained it to her, how his father had always held his hand even when scolding him to reassure him that he still loved him, even though he was in trouble. She had melted at the poignancy of that family habit, and as she entered her office, Jamie’s words from all those weeks ago echoed in her head: _“When our hands are connected, our hearts are too.”_

She needed to get through this week, and she needed to sit with Jamie and hold his hand so they could have a real conversation - hearts and hands connected. And she needed to talk about that ‘my daughters’ comment. 

With four minutes still to go before starting her Zoom call, Claire quickly checked her inbox. She clicked on a high priority email.

> _To: Dr. Claire Beauchamp, Associate Professor, Fulton Business School_
> 
> _From: Office of Dr. Mirella Hernandez, President, University of Washington, Seattle_
> 
> _Date: Monday, August 24, 2020 11:37 AM PST_
> 
> _Subject: Breakfast_
> 
> _Dear Dr. Beauchamp,_
> 
> _President Hernandez requests the pleasure of your company at breakfast on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 8:00 a.m._
> 
> _Kindly confirm your availability at your earliest convenience, upon which this office will confirm arrangements and provide you with additional details._
> 
> _Sincerely,_
> 
> _Thomas Boyle_
> 
> _Executive Assistant to the President_

Claire read the email twice. It seemed to be a personal invitation to breakfast - not a departmental or Fulton event. The sparse details were worrisome. It was also just two days away. What could be so urgent?

_Shit! What’s this about? I mean, it’s an honor and all, but what’s the purpose of the breakfast? Surely I can’t be in trouble over the board drama? Has word reached her that I’m interviewing at a competitor?_

Her Zoom call took much longer than anticipated, and it ended up being a game-changer for Claire. 

The call was one of those unexpected events that started out as a routine meeting - one she had reluctantly agreed to. It was the last week in August, classes resumed in two weeks, and Claire still had a string of items to check off her to-do list before virtual orientation. However, the request to attend the Zoom meeting came from her colleagues in Admissions, and there was no way she was going to turn them down. They had worked closely with her during her feasibility studies on the MS Comms. Together, they’d spent hours running figures and projections and scenarios to determine the level of interest in a business communications degree from both local and international students. The work the Admissions team had undertaken on her behalf helped convince her that the degree was viable and worth pursuing. The least she could do was help them with one call this week.

Admissions hadn’t given her a lot of information about the call, but she knew it was with a group of international students interested in pursuing business degrees at Fulton. She would probably do the usual PR - extolling the virtues of a Fulton degree and exuding warmth and enthusiasm to win over the potential applicants. She had done plenty of these calls, and wanted to get it over with so she could return to her own work - starting with the email from Hernandez.

She joined the meeting a minute early, and three Admissions team members were already on the call. They smiled and waved enthusiastic greetings from the grid on her screen. A notification indicated that there were 5 people in the virtual waiting room. 

“We’re waiting for seventeen students to join us before admitting them all,” Jonah from Admissions, announced. “They’re aware of that.”

“Where are they from?” Claire asked.

“Three countries in Africa. I’ll give you some very quick background. This only hit my email a week ago, and I’ve had a couple of meetings with these students. One of the first things we did after establishing that they are interested in our degrees was to have them complete some Admissions tests to establish academic readiness. Unusual move, but you’ll understand why later.” 

Claire’s interest was piqued, and she listened attentively as Jonah explained more.

“Basically the seventeen young women you’re about to meet are risking their lives by talking to us today.”

He waited for the shocked reactions to abate before continuing. “They come from countries where girls and women are deprived of education. Fortunately for them, the young women you’ll meet either had the family resources or were funded by others, and received a secret and underground education through private tutors and/or clandestine online classes. It amazes me that they all have access to cell-phone and internet technology, but are deprived of a formal, institutional education.”

“Oh my God,” Claire whispered.

“Yes, this is a tough situation,” Jonah agreed. “As I mentioned, we administered the tests, and they are all more than ready for college-level education. I’ll share the results via email - some very impressive figures there.”

“Are we looking at scholarships for them?” Claire asked. “And what about travel, accommodation, basic needs? Please tell me we have a solid plan to help them.”

“We’re looking at all of that, but it's unlikely that we will cover all seventeen. I see that fifteen are now in the waiting room, so we’ll admit them shortly. They have a lot of general questions about our degrees, Claire, and I thought you’d be a great faculty representative for this call. Thanks for agreeing.”

What should have been an hour-long meeting ended up taking almost three hours. Claire’s head and heart hurt throughout the meeting and long afterwards. The grid of enthusiastic, articulate, intelligent young women shared so much of their lives and the difficulties they’d had as they educated themselves - and each other - with whatever resources they could find. Borrowed laptops, first generation iPads with limited functionality, outdated software that crashed and needed frequent rebooting, keyboards with missing letters, smuggled charger cables that were left in secret places for students to find, use, and replace for the next student. The obstacles that they’d overcome in the interest of a basic education were mind-boggling, and Claire’s feelings of respect and admiration quickly suppressed her initial pity. They deserved so much more than pitiful platitudes. These were women who were ready to tackle the world head-on, and they wouldn’t allow anything to stop them.

As the meeting drew to a close, every one of them thanked Claire and the Admissions reps for their time. One young woman declared,”If Malala Yousafzai can take a bullet in the head for her activism to help women like us, then we can cope with an outdated laptop. We need to further our education so that we can continue to make a difference for all the girls who are growing up without the basic education that we were lucky enough to get.”

Claire stared at the blank screen for a long time after the meeting ended. Finally, she moved her finger over the touchpad, and clicked on her email app to pull up the young women’s test results. The email from Hernandez was still open, and Claire needed to check that off her list first. 

She walked over to Joe’s office and tapped lightly on the door. 

“Come in,” he called out. She stepped into his office and he greeted her warmly.

“Claire! To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” He indicated that she should sit at his small conference table.

“I won’t take up too much of your time, Joe. I received a breakfast invitation from President Hernandez, and was wondering if it had anything to do with departmental or Fulton business? Do you know of anything going on this Wednesday?” 

Joe raised his eyebrows, and considered his response before answering.

“I don’t know of anything Fulton-related going on this week that might have resulted in a breakfast invitation. What did the email say?”

Claire read it to him from her phone.

“It sounds like a personal invitation. I’ve briefed her on the board developments and she knows about NexusIG. She probably wants to reach out and check in with you on that. You planning on accepting?”

“Of course! It’s a singular honor to be invited to breakfast by UDub’s president. I’m definitely accepting. I was a little worried that I might be in trouble.”

“No, my guess is she wants to talk a little about your treatment at the hands of the old Trustees, and express her regrets that you had to go through all of that.”

Joe felt a little guilty about giving Claire the run-around about the reason for the breakfast, but he knew that President Hernandez would cover everything he had just told Claire. He had merely omitted some important facts about her MS Comms proposal being on Hernandez’s desk right now. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire, Melissa and the girls got caught up on their day over dinner. Carrying their bowls of spaghetti bolognese with them, they made their way down to the stone patio at the bottom of the property. It had been Melissa’s suggestion that they eat there.

“Let’s have a change of scene! It’s starting to get dark a little earlier now, and I’d like to enjoy those mountain views while I can,” she said brightly. What she really wanted was to avoid the covered patio that had been the scene of so much anguish the previous night. 

It was a good move, because while they started their dinner with vestiges of tension, it was soon dispelled as Melissa kicked off their dinner conversation.

“Well, the high point of my day was getting two more Trustees to confirm their interest in serving on the board. I was able to present Dean Abernathy with their reports this afternoon. He wants a couple more before he moves it up the chain and if they are confirmed, we will be a few steps closer to a stronger, more representative board.”

Claire was desperately curious to know the identities of the Trustees Melissa had secured to date, but she knew better than to ask about the highly confidential work her friend was undertaking. Additionally, everything related to the board and the new Trustees was locked down by solid NDAs. She’d overheard two names over the course of the past few days - both of them from evening calls Melissa had taken as she quickly moved out of earshot of Claire. Those two names were powerhouse prospects, and they buoyed Claire’s hopes that structuring a new Fulton board was going in the right direction. 

“Tomorrow, I’m driving down to Portland to meet with an amazing prospect for the board. I’ll be there overnight, and back in Seattle by lunchtime Wednesday. Claire, what was your day like?” 

“Well, for starters, I was able to finally submit my paper to the Harvard Business Review, and now I just have to wait and see if and when they'll publish it. Then I met on a Zoom call with our Admissions department and a group of seventeen international students who are considering enrolling at Fulton. That was both amazing and heartbreaking, because all of them were young women who live in countries where they are denied access to education. Every one of them has been educated by a private tutor or online classes, in secret, and they are seeking scholarships to study abroad. It was a tough call, and took a couple of hours longer than originally planned.”

The twins were immediately interested in finding out more about the group of young students, and Claire shared what she could within the confines of confidentiality. It led to a broader discussion about countries that prevented young girls from seeking an education, and the lost potential of so many intelligent and conscientious young women who were hungry for an opportunity to pursue studies in their field of interest. It felt good to set aside the strained air between herself and the girls and to talk about important issues like they had always loved doing.

Claire had been unable to forget the excitement of the young women she had Zoomed with as they spoke about the possibility of furthering their studies in America. She was haunted by the idea that they were endangering themselves just by speaking to her about it, and she shared her thoughts and feelings with the twins. 

“Wow - talk about perspective!” Ella exclaimed. “Beth and I were so disappointed about having our volleyball season delayed until spring. Most of the team was super upset. And we’ve all been complaining about school opening in remote learning. At least we can still get an education that will prepare us for college! These girls desperately want to learn in any way possible.”

“I know!” Beth grimaced. “It also makes me kind of ashamed that I was so pissy about volleyball earlier! Mom, what are the chances that the students you Zoomed with will get scholarships?”

“Admissions is working hard on that. I’m pretty confident that we’ll successfully fund at least one third of them.”

“Can we do a fund-raiser for them as part of our community service?” Beth looked at her hopefully.

Claire and Melissa glanced at each other. It would take hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the girls could hope to raise, but they weren’t about to dampen their enthusiasm.

“Of course! Every little bit will help. Even if it’s a school supplies drive for basic needs.” 

They ate in silence for a while, thoughts of the unfortunate two-thirds of the students weighing heavily on all their minds. 

Claire’s brain was in overdrive as she bounced from the painful memory of her conversation with Jamie, to the plight of the students denied an opportunity to obtain an education. An idea had started deep in her very core, but she needed to confer with Melissa first. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie walked into his ‘Superman apartment’, as Claire called it, at around 7:00 p.m. Panther Entertainment owned four units in the luxury apartment complex, and kept them well maintained and comfortably furnished for actors who did not live in the L.A. area. 

He tossed his backpack and a take-out bag on the kitchen counter, and went to change into his sweats. Returning to the kitchen, he pulled a styrofoam box from one of the bags, and set it on the table while he grabbed a plate and some flatware. All the talk with Murtagh about Alma and her mouth-watering food had him hankering for some great street tacos, and Astaire had picked up an order for him before bringing him home from the studio. 

When negotiating the finer details of the Superman contract, Panther had offered Jamie the services of a dedicated car and driver, but he felt uncomfortable having someone at his beck and call, and knew that his driver would spend long, boring hours just waiting around. He figured it was easier to Uber around instead. Astaire, however, was having none of that. He had taken quite a shine to Jamie, considering him the most down-to-earth and decent celebrity he had ever worked with. He quickly appointed himself Jamie’s personal assistant of sorts for the duration of the Superman project. 

Luke Beyer was completely on board with that, with the proviso that if he needed Astaire to take care of something for him urgently, he would have to prioritize his needs over Jamie’s. Astaire already knew that those needs were generally related to picking the kids up from school or home, and taking them to piano, Kumon Math, or Tae Kwon Do, when Beyer’s wife was busy with her volunteer work at one of a series of homeless shelters around inner-city L.A. It wasn’t a frequent occurrence, however, and Astaire took his role as Jamie’s personal assistant quite seriously. 

Jamie plated up a generous helping of street tacos and toppings, and settled himself in front of the TV. He selected a mind-numbing show about home improvements, but none of what he saw or heard registered at all. Normally, this would be the time when he FaceTimed with Claire as they got caught up on each other’s day. His earlier tense discussion with Claire weighed heavily on his mind. He had pushed it to the edges of his awareness all day so he could focus on his work, but now, as he unwound from the stresses of the day, their strained conversation came to the fore, and tormented him as he went over and over what they’d said to each other. Plagued with regrets over what he should have said - or not said - his mind worked overtime and sleep was still hours away. 

Realizing the futility of pretending to watch TV as a distraction, Jamie got into bed with considerably more on his mind than he’d had the previous night. In the quiet darkness of his apartment bedroom, he tried to still the thoughts that raced through his head. His mind yearned to find the relief and rest that sleep would hopefully bring to his body, but the girls’ words and phrases from the patio discussion, and Claire’s sharp comments from their earlier conversation kept knocking around in his head, ricocheting off each other like billiard balls. 

“… what about the house …”

“… an apartment will still be lonely …” 

“… we finally feel like a real family …”

“… they already resent me …”

“… you’ve done enough damage …”

“… they’re my daughters…”

A feeling of tightness settled over his heart as the words echoed hollowly around him. He was distressed at the way so many of their recent discussions had degenerated into near-arguments. In deference to the amount of stress she was under - much of it he felt was his fault - he had backed off as soon as their conversations started to turn, and the deeper issues remained unresolved. How had they gone from discussing so many profoundly personal moments from their lives within days of meeting each other, to having their recent conversations fall apart so badly? Part of it was his tendency to avoid confrontation, especially now when he felt deeply responsible for so much of Claire’s stress. But if they were to successfully navigate problems and issues that would inevitably come up as they built their life together, they needed to find a way to effectively resolve their problems and find their way back to each other emotionally. He had suggested a discussion on the stone patio as soon as he was back from L.A., and he was determined to use that as a springboard to regain their deep connectedness.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As the conversation between Claire, Melissa, Beth and Ella wound down, and sleepiness started to take hold, they all sat quietly on the stone patio, enjoying the peace and quiet of the slightly cooler night. In the moonlight, they could see the distant mountains silhouetted against the inky sky, and the usual nightly sounds of animal life reminded them that it was getting later and later. 

For Claire, sitting on the stone patio brought back many cherished moments and conversations that she had enjoyed there with Jamie. Her heart felt heavy thinking of the disconnectedness she felt. She looked up and caught Melissa watching her. She smiled wistfully at her friend, and Mel shook her head slightly and held up four fingers. Four more days, and he would be back home, and they could sit out on this very patio and reconnect. 

“We all need to head up to bed,” Melissa announced, standing up and stretching. 

They said goodnight in the kitchen, the girls hugging Claire and Melissa warmly - the first time they had hugged Claire since the Haas discussion the previous night. As Beth and Ella headed up the stairs, Claire and Melissa tidied up and got ready to head to their rooms.

“Melissa …” Claire started hesitantly, “I know it’s late, but can you give me twenty minutes? I need to bounce something off you.”

Twenty minutes became almost forty five, and an exhausted Claire finally pulled on her pajamas and slid under the covers. Without Jamie’s warmth next to her, she needed the extra layer for comfort. Instinctively reaching for his pillow, she held it tightly and buried her face in his lingering scent. As she allowed her body to sink towards sleep, her mind remained unsettled. Words and phrases she’d exchanged with the twins and Jamie floated in and out of her consciousness as she tried to find the mental respite that sleep would bring her.

“… we need you …”

“… we don’t need a FaceTime Mom …”

“… we finally feel like a real family …”

“… I’m not the cause of the difficulties …”

“… they’re my daughters …”


	54. Chapter 54

* * *

Tuesday brought little comfort to Jamie and Claire. Neither had slept much, and sleep deprivation did nothing to help their state of mind. Both were still mired in their despair over the emotional distance that had inserted itself between them since their contentious phone call less than 24 hours earlier. There were just four days to go until they could talk face to face on Friday, but both battled feelings of anguish all day. 

By lunchtime, Claire had received emails from six of the prospective scholarship students she had met on the previous day's Zoom call with Admissions. They had reached out to thank her, and the apparent leader of the group let her know that they had done a little online research on her. They commiserated with her on her experiences with PILF, and after coming across the brief announcements on the professorship, they felt compelled to expressed their regrets. They had also found most of Claire's published articles, and were in the process of reading them. None of them mentioned her relationship with an internationally renowned actor, focusing instead on a series of questions about her internship programs with Seattle companies.

Melissa had driven to Portland that morning to meet with a potential Trustee who had a lot of questions and requested a face-to-face meeting. It was important that she meet with this powerful young woman, a civil rights lawyer with a proud Native American heritage, who would bring a fresh and much needed perspective that included the needs, interests, and opinions of America’s Indigenous peoples. 

Having successfully concluded their table read the previous day, Jamie and his two co-stars were in rehearsals for much of the morning. In the afternoon, he worked for hours with an accent coach to perfect his American accent. Astaire brought him his phone during one of the breaks. The girls had sent him a silly viral TikTok that brought a smile to his face, and he sent them a string of emojis in response. He took the opportunity to check for voicemails or texts from Claire, but there were none. Another sleepless night loomed, and he was not looking forward to fighting off intrusive thoughts and snippets of tough conversations. 

Claire arrived home from work to an empty house. The girls were at Hannah’s with Ashlee for dinner and a movie, and would be back at around 11:00 p.m. With Melissa in Portland for the night, Claire had only herself to cater for, and she heated up some leftovers from the previous night’s bolognese and ate at the island.

Her workday had been productive and promising. She’d spent her morning getting caught up on the items she had postponed due to her longer-than-expected Zoom call with the young marginalized women the previous day. After replying to their emails, she walked across campus to the admissions department to check on their progress with funding sources for possible scholarships for the women. The kernel of her idea from the previous night had started to take root in her heart, and she had Beth and Ella to thank for giving her that final nudge. 

After changing into lightweight sweats, Claire went straight to the desk in the study. She sank into the chair and looked at Jamie's neat stack of folders, her heart tightening and a slight smile teasing her lips as she acknowledged his characteristic neatness and organization. 

She opened a drawer, pulled out a yellow legal pad, and titled the first five pages. Beth, Ella, Jamie, Me, Family. Then she started to list a series of bullet points on each page. Some of the bullet points had indented bullets below them. She kept writing, adding line after line after line. The five pages increased to a few more, and when she squeezed in the last point at the very bottom of the eighth page, she took a highlighter from the drawer and highlighted and numbered what she considered to be the top ten points on each page. 

This felt good. She was getting somewhere. During their long chat the previous night, Melissa had encouraged her to take a methodical approach to her decision so that she could effectively unravel the many threads that kept getting tangled up in the emotional mess of her feelings, the girls’ feelings, Jamie’s feelings. If anyone knew how to untangle a mess of clues, threads, and ideas, it was Melissa. So Claire took her advice and listed everything she could think of regarding her Haas/Fulton decision, and how it impacted each of them. 

She got up and brewed herself a cup of chamomile tea, adding a half teaspoon of honey - just like Jamie did whenever he brewed one for her. She took the mug back to the study and opened her legal pad to a clean page. 

This time she worked on a mind map. She drew bubble after bubble and linked them with lines, and wrote names and dollar amounts in the bubbles and along the lines. After a half hour of mind-mapping, she tapped her calculator app, and tallied up different combinations of the figures. 

By 10:30 p.m., she was mentally and physically drained. Two sleepless nights in a row and the constant onslaught of emotional trauma had left her quite exhausted. And three solid hours of thinking and writing about one of the most difficult choices she had faced merely added to her weariness. But worming its way through her distress and anguish was a tiny glimmer of … something. She couldn’t quite put a finger on it yet. 

Setting aside the mind-map, she made a mental note to slip it in her tote and take it to work with her the next day. She checked the time on her phone. It was getting late and she really should try to get a decent night’s sleep before her meeting with President Hernandez the next morning. 

_Just one more look at these bullets before I go upstairs._

She reached for the legal pad, and leaned back in the chair, skimming through the pages of notes she had made. So much food for thought there. So many things she had thought about deeply, and just as many that she needed to think about more deeply. 

The last few bullet points on her page jolted something in her memory, and she swiveled the chair around and reached into the cabinet behind the desk. She pulled out a thick white envelope, and reaching inside, she withdrew a small stack of white note-cards. It was her carefully stored collection of handwritten notes that Jamie had sent with the daily deliveries of gladiola during his first week-long absence in L.A. 

The cards were not in chronological order, and she read the one at the top of the stack first.

> **"The silence isn’t so bad, till I look at my hands and feel sad. Because the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly.” Owl City**

She swallowed hard. It made her yearn for their night-time conversations, with hands clasped together and souls emotionally connected. Blinking away the tears that threatened, she read the second card. 

> **“I looked into your eyes and I’m sure that some divine artist dipped her brush in the same soul and used it to paint us both.” Cristen Rodge**

A tiny smile lifted the corners of her mouth, and she moved to the next card.

> **“It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together ...” Tom Hanks, Sleepless In Seattle**

The next two quotes pushed her emotions completely over the edge.

> **“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Nora Ephron**
> 
> **"The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected." Nicholas Sparks**

A small sob escaped her throat as she read the last two cards. She pressed her fingers to her temples and moved them in small circles in an effort to massage away the tension that refused to budge. 

Sighing heavily, she leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes as warm, heavy tears left their tracks down her face.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie lay in bed responding to texts from Tara and Murtagh. He sent Tara a quick one line response and opted to call Murtagh instead of texting him. He needed a friendly voice. 

“What are ye doing up so late, ye numpty? I thought ye were shooting this week. Shouldn’t you be getting yer beauty sleep?”

“I am and I should be. But I felt like I needed a voice of reason right now.”

“Well, ye’ve got the wrong number-”

“Murtagh, I’m serious.”

“Okay. What’s going on? Things still rough with you and Claire?”

“Yes. I messed up big time and told her I’m not the cause of the difficulties in our lives.”

“God’s tooth! What the hell did ye say that for?”

Jamie shared a summary of their recent conversations, and Murtagh grunted his responses.

“Sounds like a fine mess, Jamie.”

“Let me remind you that you’re the one who thought that giving her space might be helpful.”

“Aye, and I still do. But ye went and told her that you needed time and space too, to work through yer own guilt.”

“I do, though. I feel terrible that the girls are resenting her for this.”

“I see two things wrong there, Jamie. First, ye’re a bull in a china shop! Ye could have handled the ‘space’ thing better. Now she thinks _you’re_ the one needing space. No wonder she and the twins thought you wanted a break! Second, ye need to let go of that Anja and Dougal guilt. How many times has Claire asked you not to blame yerself? It’s not helpful to you or to yer relationship. It’s done. It’s in the past. If ye keep focusing on that, it’ll keep dragging ye back, instead of allowing you to move forward.”

“Easier said than done. I can’t believe I’m asking you for relationship advice! How could I have handled the ‘space’ thing better?”

“I don’t really know. You know how your Da would have handled it? He would have put on some romantic music and poured yer Mam a dram of whisky. Then he would have sat her down and scooted in real close and whispered sweet nothings in her ear for a while. And then he would have broached it very delicately.”

“That’s no help at all, for fuck’s sake. And the whole situation on Sunday was not exactly conducive to me sidling up to her with a glass of whisky and romantic words.”

“The bottom line, Jamie, is that you need to move past the Anja mess. It may have been the catalyst for all this, but it’s multiplied into very different problems. Since you needed space for your own thoughts this week, I suggest you start thinking in terms of Claire taking the California job. And then come up with ways to make that work. Talking to her and sharing some actual workable solutions is the best way to show her your support. Not just saying ‘I’ll support whatever you want to do.’ That sounds hollow - even to me.”

“Hmmh.”

“Jamie. I know I give you a hard time sometimes, but I hear the sadness and worry in yer voice. I know you’re going to work this out. I’ve told ye many a time that you and Claire have a rare connection. Ye’ve been in a blissful isolated pandemic bubble for weeks and weeks, and real life is starting to penetrate that. Ye’ll have to find ways to work out these issues. That's the only way to fix this. You’ll find your way back to each other. I know that with one hundred percent certainty, because I’ve seen you two together and I’ve seen the intensity of the love between you. You’re like two pathetic turtle doves when ye’re together. Now go think about ways to show Claire your support rather than just sitting there looking like a miserable git.” 

Jamie tapped out of the call, and checked Sassenach❤️ for the umpteenth time. Still nothing. He scrolled up and up and up, pausing to read the occasional older text that made his heart skip a few beats. Messages of love, promises of hanky-panky when he got home, silly messages to brighten his day. He kept scrolling. Musical poetry, a viral meme, a link to a news story she knew would interest him, a paragraph from her current article for his opinion and feedback. So many reasons to love and cherish this remarkable woman who had captured his heart from the moment he laid eyes on her. 

He stopped scrolling when he found what he was looking for - the quotes she had sent him during their first week-long separation when he was in L.A. It had been her idea to stop the “I’m missing you” messages, and send quotes instead, and the ones she had sent him had carried him during that week. Would they still have the same impact now?

> **_In case you ever foolishly forget: I am never not thinking of you.” Virginia Woolf_ **
> 
> **_“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Emily Brontë_ **
> 
> **_“You and I, it’s as though we have been taught to kiss in heaven and sent down to earth together…” Boris Pasternak in Doctor Zhivago_ **
> 
> **_“You’re everywhere except right here and it hurts.” Rupi Kaur_ **
> 
> **_“It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; - it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.”_** **Jane Austen**

He quickly found that they had an even deeper impact on him now … and everything in him ached. He read them several times, pondering each one individually, reflecting on Claire’s state of mind when she had sent them. 

His desperate need to figure out a solution to the issues that had crept between them kept him awake for hours. Murtagh had rightly pointed out that it was futile to keep ruminating over his Anja guilt. The damage had been done and the consequences were unimaginable, but he needed to stop allowing the causes to drag him backwards, and he needed to focus on solutions and answers now.

What could he do to better support Claire? Should he consider a move to California? Would the girls be even more resentful? The winery was in good hands with Murtagh and Helen, and that was an important consideration for him. 

What would they do about the girls' schooling? They were so close to graduating, and had worked hard to make the varsity teams in cheer and volleyball. Relocating them at this point would be hard, but thousands of families did it every year. It wasn’t ideal, but it was doable. 

What about the house? It was a desirable property, and once construction was complete, it would fetch a decent sum in Seattle’s booming property market. Yes, he loved Seattle, and especially Snoqualmie, with its spectacular scenery that reminded him so much of Scotland. But he loved Claire and the girls and their family life more. 

Or was there a different solution? He would be home full-time from January, with just the occasional trip for Unauthorized Contact publicity or his last premiers and awards shows until he was finally out of the industry. A commuting arrangement for the next two years would allow the girls to complete their schooling at the Cascadia Academy, with him as primary caregiver. Of course that would create all manner of problems with Frank, but if he was officially their step-Dad, it would be considerably easier. Once they headed off to college, he could move to join Claire permanently in California.

After hours of going through multiple iterations of their lives and what workable changes they could make, he was no closer to a definitive answer. 

_Stop! Get some sleep. If she chooses Fulton, the whole scenario will look completely different ... but at least you have some solutions if it ends up being Haas._

Jamie and Claire were separated by hundreds of miles that night, but both were immersed in their reflections and musings about the choices facing them. One was starting to find answers and the other was still desperately searching. 

Their thoughts weighed heavily on them, obscuring the fact that despite the miles between them, their souls were still deeply connected. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire felt a foot nudge hers in bed. Wakefulness started to seep in, but her eyes felt swollen and sore and she kept them closed.

Last night slowly began to come back to her. Her list … the note cards … the tears. She must have fallen asleep in the study chair, but had no recollection of getting to bed. 

The foot moved again, and she whispered, “Jamie?” 

No response.

She opened her eyes and in the dim light cast by the clock radio, she slowly focused on the chestnut curls just inches from her face. 

Ella. 

She was fast asleep. Claire lifted her head and checked the time. 4:30 a.m.

She turned her head and shoulders carefully. Beth was asleep on the other side of her. 

How exhausted had she been - both physically and emotionally - that she couldn’t remember getting to bed last night? Evidently, the girls had something to do with it. Her sweethearts had set aside their sadness and resentment to help her get to bed, and then climbed in with her to ensure that she felt loved and protected and supported. 

She rested her head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. Pressing her fingertips to her eyes, she realized she would need to do some puffy-eye rehab before leaving the house. Re-reading Jamie’s quotes had pushed her emotions into overdrive. The last time she’d had a good cathartic cry was the night Melissa arrived. That had been a release of the hurt and disappointment over losing the professorship. Last night was a deep, quiet unleashing of the pain and stress she felt over her difficult choices and the conversations they had evoked. Her relationship with her girls had taken a knock, and she felt like her connection with Jamie was hanging by a thread. 

She had a good few hours before she needed to meet President Hernandez for breakfast. In all her emotional distress the previous day, she still hadn’t given a whole lot of thought to what the breakfast might be about. She figured that Joe’s theory was probably accurate - Hernandez wanted to express her sorrow and regret at the way things had unfolded with the board. Hopefully, she'd have an opportunity to tell the President how it had affected her. 

Moving slowly and carefully, she sat up and extricated herself from an assortment of limbs and extremities, then scooted quietly down the middle of the mattress onto the bench at the end of the bed. She grabbed her robe, and went downstairs to the kitchen. Glancing outside at the illuminated patio, she wrinkled her nose and muttered to herself, “Welcome back, Seattle.”

It was overcast and a soft rain was falling - tiny, sparkling droplets backlit against the patio lights. Western Washington had enjoyed a dry spell of a few months with no rain over the summer, but as the long hot days started to shorten and give way to cooler fall weather, drizzly days would become more and more frequent. 

She dug around in the fridge and pulled out a Ziplock bag with face-masks and eye-masks. It all belonged to the twins, but she knew they wouldn’t mind. She emptied the contents onto the counter, and picked out an eye-mask that promised ‘miraculous de-puffing action'.

Lying on the sofa in the family room, she pressed the silicon patches under her eyes, set a timer on her watch, and lay there in the stillness of the early morning hours, with only the sounds of the soft rain in her ears. 

Thoughts of Jamie fought for space with the ideas she had been nurturing since Monday night. She allowed all of it to float around in her head. In fact they intersected at a certain point and brought a momentary reprieve to her despair. 

The cold silicon of the eye mask gradually warmed up in response to her body heat. The sense of calm that continued to descend over her as she lay there was not just a result of the soothing rain and refreshing eye mask. A slow but deep-rooted feeling of relief had begun to permeate her consciousness. It had started the previous day, but was so tenuous and fragile, that she was reluctant to dwell on it for too long. But by the time she sat in the study and made her list of bullets and re-read Jamie’s note-cards, it had spread through her very core. And waking up between her girls this morning had entrenched it so firmly, that she knew there was no turning back.

Decision time had come, and she was ready.

Claire saw no reason to delay it any longer. The entire process had impacted her and her family enough, and the past few days had brought a startling and profound clarity. Peeling off her eye mask, she got up and pulled her laptop out of her work tote. She set it on the kitchen counter, selected “New Mail” in her email app, and stared at the blank email template for a few seconds.

She was done waiting for Fulton to come up with something. While she appreciated all the work Melissa was still doing behind the scenes, she also knew that the revamped board would be the most representative and effective board in Fulton’s history, and she couldn't wait on a fully constituted board any longer.

She started typing.

> _To: Dean Elizabeth Hoffman, Haas School of Business._
> 
> _From: Dr. Claire Beauchamp_
> 
> _Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 5:45 AM PST_
> 
> _Subject: Offer of Employment_
> 
> _Dear Dean Hoffman,_
> 
> _I would like to express my deep appreciation for your kind offer and for the gracious manner in which I was received by your team._
> 
> _It was an honor meeting you, and an even greater honor to be offered a professorship at Haas School of Business. After lengthy consideration and reflection, I am respectfully declining your offer to pursue other avenues in my professional life._
> 
> _As discussed during our meeting, I am always open to collaborating with your team on research and other academic projects, and I look forward to opportunities to do so in the future._
> 
> _Sincerely,_
> 
> _Claire Beauchamp_

She held her forefinger over the mouse button for a split second, and then hit “Send”. 

“Done,” she said quietly, relief washing over her anew. It felt good to get this step behind her so that she could focus on what lay ahead. She shut her laptop and headed up to the laundry to find some workout gear. With plenty of time to complete a full yoga class, she would start her day feeling energized and centered, despite the lack of sleep over the previous three nights. 

She managed to shower, dress, and apply her makeup without waking the girls. Moving silently through the bedroom, she smiled at the sight of them sprawled across her bed. It would be a very different conversation they’d be holding on the patio tonight, and she was excited to share her news with them.

After finishing her hair in Ella’s room to prevent the noise of the dryer from waking the girls, she stepped back and took a final look at her appearance for breakfast with the University President. She had dressed in a graphite pantsuit with a shorter, fitted hip-length jacket by Dolce and Gabbana. A pressed white shirt, small diamond studs and black suede Manolo Blahnik pumps completed her look. Realizing that she’d forgotten to apply perfume in her room, she looked through the small selection of bottles on Ella’s bathroom counter. She spritzed Fierce, by Abercrombie and Fitch, on her pulse points and hoped for the best. Taking a quick whiff of her wrist, she nodded approvingly, and decided she looked and smelled just right for her breakfast meeting.

On her way out, she stepped into the study to grab a notepad. The stack of Jamie’s note-cards with quotes had been gathered and replaced in the white envelope. She quickly scrawled out a note for the girls and left it on the kitchen counter. 

> _My sweet, sweet girls,_
> 
> _Thank you for your help getting me to bed last night. Such an awesome surprise waking up with you this morning! I have an early breakfast meeting, so had to run. It’s a miserable, rainy day - be careful out on the roads, it’ll be slick with first rain of the season. French toast in the freezer if you want it. Don’t be late for cheer team pictures! I ran your uniforms through the dryer to de-wrinkle. They’re hanging in the laundry._
> 
> _See you tonight - I’d like to chat with you both over dinner._
> 
> _Love you so much! Mom._

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Astaire picked Jamie up early for a full day of shooting. On the way to the studio, he chatted away non-stop. Jamie was exhausted, and had spent a third sleepless night fretting over thoughts of Claire and the girls. His MUA, Oliver, would have his work cut out for him. Covering the shadows under his eyes would take all his skill.

“Jamie, I am going to be running a bunch of errands for Luke and his wife today, so I won’t be around a whole lot. Mrs. Beyer is working on supporting the residents of a homeless shelter as they develop plans to stay safe during the pandemic, so she’ll be busy for a big chunk of the day. I have to schlep the kids around.”

“That’s great Astaire. You shouldn’t feel like ye need to take care of me. I can Uber home this evening.”

“No, I’ll be done by then. I won’t be on set to look after your phone and whatever other things you need me to do, but I’ve asked one of the interns to come down and take care of that for you. Her name is Ava. She's new, but she's super enthusiastic.”

“Ava. Got it. Thanks, Astaire.”

His phone buzzed, and he grabbed it, hoping against hope that it would be a text from Claire. He really wanted her to be the one to reach out, especially as it had been he who’d insisted on giving her space.

It wasn’t from Claire. It was from Geillis Duncan at Millennium Studios.

**Check ur email**

Jamie tapped his inbox and read the email from Millennium Studios. They had finally set a date for the Premier of Unauthorized Contact, and it was confirmed for the end of September. The premier would be hosted at a formal dinner, similar to the Golden Globes, as it would be easier to manage pandemic guidelines for social distancing at an exclusive formal dinner than at a jam-packed theater-style premier. 

He texted Geillis back.

**_Got it, thanks. Assuming lots more info coming from u?_ **

**Yes - keep an eye on email. LMK soonest whether ur bringing plus one or plus three. Your girls welcome, we just need to figure out tables well in advance**

“At the rate I’m going, I might not have a plus at all!” he muttered under his breath.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
  


Claire walked into the charming lakeside restaurant, Cravings, a few minutes before 8:00 a.m. President Hernandez was already seated, but rose to her feet as the maître d’ led Claire to their table. 

Extending her hand and shaking Claire’s, she smiled warmly. “Dr. Beauchamp, thank you for meeting me at short notice.”

“Not at all, President Hernandez. I appreciate the invitation.”

“Why don’t we get the ordering out of the way, and then we can talk without distraction. I can recommend their Eggs Benedict. Amongst the best I’ve had.”

“Done! I love a good Benedict.”

Hernandez placed their order, along with a chai latte for herself and a regular latte for Claire.

“How’s your week going so far? What’s been the highlight?” Hernandez always used this as an ice-breaker and conversation starter. It yielded better discussion than small talk about the weather. 

“It's been a week of ups and downs, actually, but one of my highlights is a mess of contrasts. It started out a little sad and depressing at work, and then I took it home with me, and it suddenly morphed into something hopeful and positive.”

Hernandez smiled and took a sip of her chai. “Intriguing. Tell me more.”

“On Monday, I teamed up with Admissions on a call with seventeen female students from South Sudan, Central African Republic, and Mali. All of them have been denied public education, and all of them have been taught in secret by private tutors. Thankfully, their parents saw the benefit of educating them from an early age, and academically they are exactly where they should be for admission to most reputable colleges in America. UW Admissions has done all the requisite testing, and their results were stellar, to say the least. In fact, some of them are in the top 2% in terms of SATs and GPAs.”

“I assume they are part of an underground network of female students who connect online? I’ve heard of active networks in Africa and the Middle East.”

“Yes. And the group we met is part of a much larger group, but these young women are all interested in pursuing business degrees.”

“And you mentioned that this whole event started out sad and became more hopeful?”

“Yes. It gave rise to an excellent discussion with my sixteen-year-olds - I have twin girls - and their interest and reaction was nothing short of inspirational to me. They immediately asked if they could raise funds to help with scholarships, and even though their best efforts wouldn't make a huge financial impact, their enthusiasm resonated with me and got me thinking.”

Hernandez nodded encouragingly.

“I may have access to a sizable donation in the very near future, and I’m investigating ways to leverage some of those funds, while also exploring other avenues for funding. I would like to look at realistic ways to scholarship all seventeen students at Fulton.”

The Eggs Benedict arrived and they started on their meals. Hernandez was deep in thought over what Claire had mentioned. 

“Dr. Beauchamp, I’ve read all your published works, and I’m familiar with the research work you’ve undertaken with some of Seattle’s biggest organizations. This idea … this concept of yours to reach out and find ways to improve the plight of people - women - who have the potential to become great business leaders, community leaders, even national leaders here or in their home countries, it dovetails beautifully with some of the research and internship work you do with our corporates. It’s not a stretch to broaden the corporate social responsibility initiatives to include relevant global social justice and human rights issues.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” 

Hernandez observed Claire carefully. Her energy was heightened and her whisky-colored eyes sparkled vividly as she continued to share some of the preliminary ideas she had come up with and how she thought they might work under the umbrella of Fulton’s MBA program.

“And you don’t feel that some of these initiatives would work well within a Master of Science in Communications degree?” Hernandez asked casually.

Claire almost dropped her fork at the mention of the MS Comms. 

“Actually, it would be much better rolled into an MS Comms degree. It makes much more sense to include it as a three-year minor under the broad category of Corporate Values, rather than as a semester elective, which is what it would be in the MBA.”

“Dr. Beauchamp, full disclosure, I am in possession of the proposal you prepared on the MS Comms new degree offering, and I want to compliment and congratulate you on the quality, depth, and breadth of the work you put into that entire study.”

“Thank you.”

“It must have been terribly disappointing when it went dormant.”

“It was. But I’m hoping that with a reconstituted board, there'll be an opportunity to dust it off and start working on it again in a few years. In the meanwhile, I plan to continue working on some new ideas for research projects with corporates in my current role.”

“I trust that you are feeling supported in your current role - your ongoing role as associate professor.”

“Yes. As you know, Professor Davidson is new to Fulton, and he is still finding his way around. But I have no doubt that he will be a supportive and strong leader once he comes into his own. I look forward to some of the initiatives he wants to implement, and we are already sharing ideas for new electives.”

“And Dean Abernathy has been supportive during this ordeal?” 

“Absolutely! Dean Abernathy has been a rock. Not only did he have to strategize very carefully once he learned of the nefarious netherworld within the board, he has had to keep the academic side of Fulton and all its departments running in a remote learning model. He’s been an outstanding leader throughout. I can’t imagine Fulton without him.” 

“Yes, we are fortunate to have him in that role.”

She pushed her plate aside and looked at Claire.

“Tell me more about yourself, D. Beauchamp. How did you make it from England all the way over to Seattle?”

Claire found it easy to open up to Hernandez, and she shared a condensed version of her life story that included her abandonment by Frank, and her marriage to Henry, who was of course known to Hernandez as the late Professor Emeritus Henry Benson. Claire also knew that Hernandez would be well aware that she was dating Jamie Fraser - it had been water cooler talk for weeks - so she didn’t shy away from mentioning him. 

“More disclosures from me,” Hernandez smiled and leaned in conspiratorially, “I caught him on the Trevor Noah show recently and found him charming and personable. And very discreet.”

“He is all of the above … and so much more,” Claire smiled back. It was hard to remain professional when she wanted to gush about how wonderful he was, and how awful she was feeling that they’d hit some rough waters. 

But women like Hernandez didn’t make it to the top of their careers without having a heightened perception and knack for reading people, and she picked up a flash of something … sadness, maybe … in Claire's’ expression when she spoke about him. It was not her place to comment, and she was too professional to do that, so she continued with their previous discussion.

“I’m sure you tracked the social media response to Noah’s show, Dr. Beauchamp. Our social media team keeps me abreast of UW’s significant social media mentions, and there was a slight uptick in PILF hashtags, but more interesting to me was the surge in 'I Stand With Doc B' activity. You have a small but fervent cult following amongst our students, you know? I’ve seen a number of students on campus for various small events over the past weeks, and a fair number of them were wearing Doc B t-shirts.”

“Yes - I noticed that too. To be honest, I’m pleased it settled down as quickly as it surged. I worry about Professor Davidson’s reaction to the idea of people thinking I was passed over unfairly. He is a competent and capable man who is deserving of his role.”

“Yes he is, and I don’t believe the hashtag will reflect poorly on him. Don’t write off the influence you have on our youth. I see the Doc B thing as pushing back against sexism as a whole, not just the professorship. It’s PILF, it’s the male hierarchy, it’s everything you stand for as a strong woman making her way to the top in a male-dominated profession. I hope you feel you can embrace that strong message in your position at Fulton. You are an outstanding role model, and I am delighted that your name is linked with that of Fulton and UW.”

“Thank you,” Claire replied. 

“One of the reasons I wanted to meet with you today was to express my sincerest regrets about the treatment you received under the previous Board of Trustees. No one should be subjected to the level of sexism and gender prejudice they meted out.”

“I appreciate that very much. It was a troublesome time and one that took its toll on me personally and professionally. I’m still recovering, to be completely honest with you.”

“Are you comfortable sharing more of that with me?”

“Certainly. I’ve overcome a lot of adversity in my life, and surmounted many challenges. All of them have contributed to a strong work ethic and drive to succeed. Part of that was to prove to myself that I can make it on my own after years of abandonment issues at the hands of the twins' father, and part of it was to show my daughters that not only can they too recover from hard knocks, they can flourish and achieve success beyond their wildest imagining. Even after marrying Henry, I insisted on forging my own career path and declined his offers to introduce me to ‘the right people’. I wanted my work to speak for itself. 

“I was quite annoyed when the University brought Henry in to help find a solution to the PILF matter, believing it was a not-so-subtle way of pointing out that as a young woman, I was incapable of solving a problem that involved my gender and sexuality. That just hardened my resolve to bounce back and rebuild my reputation. 

“I’ve prided myself on my hard work and my successes, and I worked particularly diligently on the MS Comms and for the professorship. You have my proposal so you know the academic rationale behind why I pursued the MS Comms so doggedly. The professorship was slightly different. A tiny vain part of me wanted to be the youngest person to be awarded a professorship at Fulton, but far, far more important to me was the recognition of my hard work, and the acknowledgement of how much more I have to offer our students. Can I do that as an associate professor? Sure. But the professorship adds a weight and standing that - for a woman in a profession still dominated by men - would open many more doors as I further my research and attract more funding for programs and electives that I’d like to spearhead.”

Hernandez listened carefully as she spoke. 

“When the rug was pulled out from under me twice in quick succession - first with the shelving of the MS Comms and then with the professorship - I took a huge hit to my confidence. It’s hard not to question your professional value and competence when more than half of a board of Trustees is telling you that you are not worthy. When you’ve done everything and more to earn your promotion, and all your colleagues believe that it’s a done deal, and you learn that you’ve been passed over, it is more than a feeling of crushing disappointment. There’s an unspoken sense that you’re not good enough, that you’re somehow less than. I’m still working through those feelings. I realize that there was so much more behind the Trustees’ actions than just blatant sexism. I’ve come to the decision that I’m not going to allow the sickening bigotry and heinous intentions of the Trustees to win this one. I’m coming back better and stronger than ever.” Claire’s eyes had never wavered from Hernandez’s face. 

Hernandez’s eyebrows had raised slightly by the end of Claire’s response, and she took another sip of her latte. 

“I want to thank you for your raw honesty and passion, Dr. Beauchamp. The University owes you a profound apology. You are at the top of your field, and you should never have been made to feel this way merely because you’re a woman. Your strength and determination are as inspiring and impressive as your distinguished career.”

Claire nodded her acknowledgement. “I’ve done a lot of thinking of late. This whole ordeal led to a series of opportunities and problems, and they’ve had a grave effect on my most important relationships. If there’s one positive that I can unearth in all of this, it’s that it has made me reassess my priorities. I’m feeling very optimistic about what the future holds, and in particular, about where I can be a changemaker.” 

Their breakfast meeting was winding down, and as they stood to leave the restaurant, Claire extended her hand and thanked Hernandez for her time. 

Hernandez clasped her other hand over Claire’s and looked at her intently.

“Dr. Beauchamp, I wanted to say one more thing - harness that influence of yours and put it to good use with our youth. I can already see you’re going to do great things with the students from Africa. Please keep me posted on your progress there. An occasional email about that would be most appreciated.” She smiled warmly at Claire, picked up her tote, and walked her to the restaurant entrance, where they separated and dashed for their cars in the steadily falling rain.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie sat in Hair and Makeup as Oliver performed his artistry and brushed, blended, and powdered away all traces of Jamie’s three sleepless nights. 

“Seriously, Jamie! Take a Nyquil or something and get some sleep tonight. What’s going on with you?” Oliver admonished, half in jest.

“I know - I’m sorry, Oliver. It’s a challenge to disguise these shadows, right? I’ll try and get an early night tonight.”

Astaire walked in at that moment with Ava in tow.

“Jamie, this is Ava. She’ll be looking after your phone and getting whatever you need while I’m out today. Water, coffee, whatever.”

“Hi Mr. Fraser,” a nervous Ava greeted shyly. “Happy to help you today.”

“It’s Jamie. And thank you, Ava, I appreciate your help.”

“I’ll brief her on your priority contacts. She’ll be waiting on set for you. I’ll be back in time to drive you home. Break a leg!”

Astaire walked Ava through the maze of Stage E corridors, filling her in on some of his ‘Jamie basics’.

“Jamie’s pretty easy-going. He’ll get his own lunch. Keep a bottle or two of water handy. Put his phone on silent, but keep it in your pocket so you can feel it vibrate if there are any important calls for him. The calls he always wants to return as soon as he has a break are calls from Claire, Beth, and Ella. That’s his family, and they are top priority. Watch for notifications from them and be sure to tell him during breaks if any of them called. And of course if Tara Lewis calls, he needs to know too. That’s his agent. Sometimes a guy called Murtagh too - but he doesn’t call that often. M-U-R-T-A-G-H. If there are no calls or notifications from these specific callers, then _do not_ bother him with his phone until the next break.”

“Got it,” Ava confirmed. “Claire, Beth, Ella, Tara Lewis, and a guy that sounds like ‘murder’.”

“Yep. Thanks, Ava! I owe you one.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The twins warmed up their French toast and ate at the kitchen island. They read through Claire’s note and looked at each other.

“I felt really bad seeing her so exhausted last night, Beth. I feel like I’ve been super harsh.”

“Yeah, me too. Although, to be honest, you’ve been more harsh than me. I mean she was wiped - probably emotionally too. It was almost like she was sleepwalking - kinda like Delaney did at volleyball camp last year.”

“I know, right? Those quotes from Jamie …”

“Oh my God - I think that’s what did her in. She had been crying for sure.”

“I’m thinking that’s not a good sign. Crying plus telling us in this note that she wants to talk to us tonight. I think she’s going to tell us that she wants to accept the Berkeley job.”

“Too bad Melissa’s not here. I would totally ask her if Fulton came up with anything yet.”

“Ugh! Seriously, I’m not looking forward to tonight.”

“Ella, you have to promise you’ll bite your tongue before you say harsh things. Just try to be nice, as hard as the news might be.”

“Yeah, I’ll try. Hurry up and eat, we need to get going.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire emerged from her breakfast with President Hernandez feeling unexpectedly buoyed and positive. Something about the way Hernandez had asked her about the MS Comms degree gave her hope that she might be able to resurrect it within the next few years. Until then, she was excited to work on her new passion project - funding to secure scholarships for the seventeen young women fighting for their basic right to an education. 

President Hernandez drove back to campus feeling energized and resolute after her meeting with Claire. That Claire had the competence, experience, and pedigree for the role Hernandez had in mind for her was unquestioned. The meeting was about determining Claire’s EQ, not her IQ. And Hernandez was more than satisfied that Claire met - in fact exceeded - her personal EQ criteria. She had gone into the meeting suspecting that Claire was perfect for the role, and their breakfast discussion had only confirmed her intuitive sense that she was on the right track. It was hard not to feel a smidgen of smugness about how consistently on target she was with her staffing decisions. 

Before driving away from the restaurant, Claire tapped her messages app and sent Jamie a text. She wanted him to know she had made her decision and had already informed Haas. He was undoubtedly feeling as unsettled as had been about the nature of their recent conversations and she wanted to set his mind at ease.

**_Please call me as soon as u get this_ **

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Ava sat well out of the way and took in the busy and frenetic pace of the on-set activity. They were on take six of scene three when Ava felt Jamie’s phone buzz against her belly. She dug around in her sweatshirt pocket and looked at the text notification on the lock screen. Sassenach ❤️

It was not one of the names Astaire had asked her to look out for. She slipped the phone back in her pocket. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Ella backed out of the garage and waited impatiently for Beth to get in the passenger side. They were due at school in less than 15 minutes for cheer team pictures. 

“Jeez, you could have waited in the garage, Ella! Thanks for making me run out in the rain. You’d better hope my hair doesn’t frizz up.”

They drove along the winding road towards school, Beth fretting and fussing with her hair in the visor mirror. 

“Slow down, Ella. Mom said the roads are more slick with the first rain.”

“We’re going to be late. Hey - that’s Deacon’s truck ahead, right?”

Beth peered through the rain at the oncoming traffic, and confirmed, “Yeah, that’s totally Deacon!” 

Deacon passed them, acknowledging the girls at the last minute with a broad smile. 

“He’s on his way to the building site,” Ella remarked. “We’re not the only ones who are running late, then.”

“Yeah - maybe he had to run an errand for his uncles. Ella, watch the curve, slow down. _Slow down, Ella!”_

Ella tried to correct her oversteer, but the slick road refused to cooperate and the back of the car slid out. Lacking the driving experience to control the car’s erratic movements, she braked hard and turned the wheels in the opposite direction. 

It was too late. The car fishtailed and then skidded off the road, flipped, and landed on its roof in the long grass on the side of the road. 

For a long, long minute, the only sound was the soft thrumming of raindrops on the undercarriage of the upturned Tesla.


	55. Chapter 55

* * *

  
“Whoa, she’s taking that curve a little fast,” Deacon thought as he saw the Tesla move farther away in his rear-view mirror. He wasn’t sure if he saw the car fish-tail as it disappeared around the corner, or whether it was just his imagination. He eased back on the gas pedal and kept an eye on the rear-view mirror. When he saw the brake lights of the cars that had just passed him light up one by one, he knew. 

He waited for a gap in the traffic, did a U-turn right in the road, and floored the gas. Easing up as he got close to the cars that had pulled off the road, he stopped near the upturned car, and threw his truck into ‘Park’. He flung the door open, grabbed his phone, and raced towards the Tesla. 

“Beth, Beth! Oh my God. Beth! Ella!”

There were already four or five people huddled under umbrellas on the shoulder, and a man immediately chased after Deacon.

“Be careful - don’t move anyone in there!” he warned Deacon.

“I’ve already called 911!” a woman on the shoulder yelled out. “You should probably move your truck so the ambulance can get in close.”

“Can you move it for me,” he pleaded with her. “Please! The keys are in. This is my ... it’s my girlfriend and her sister.” 

“Okay - I’ll move it up the road a little way, but don’t touch anyone in the car.”  
  
The car had come to rest in a shallow ditch, and Deacon scrambled through the long wet grass to reach it. The airbags had all deployed, and although the windshield was completely shattered, it held together in its frame and he couldn’t get a clear view into the car. He ran to the passenger side, and through the shattered glass he could see Beth hanging upside down, still firmly secured in her seat belt. She wasn’t moving.

“Jesus, please …” he whispered a quiet prayer and then looked past Beth at Ella. She was also hanging awkwardly upside down, moving her head and trying to raise a hand towards her seat belt buckle.

“No, Ella!” he yelled, “Don’t unbuckle! You’ll injure yourself!”

He scrambled to the other side of the car, and found a small spot in the shattered window where some of the safety glass had crumbled inwards. He started to pull out small chunks, and when he could wedge his hand in, he pulled away bigger pieces until he had an opening large enough to give him a clear view inside.

“Deacon, Deacon!” Ella screamed. “Help us, get us out, get us out…” She was overwrought and panicked and he suspected she was in shock too.

“Ella, don’t move. Help is coming. I can hear the sirens already.”

He looked inside, and saw that one of Ella’s hands was trapped between the steering wheel and the dashboard, and she was tugging to get it free. 

“Don’t do that, Ella, you’ll make it worse.” 

He also noticed that Beth was still completely motionless. 

“Ella, reach over and hold Beth’s hand,” he said in a voice that he hoped sounded calm and reassuring.

Beth’s arms hung limply and completely still. Ella reached over and felt for Beth’s hand.

“Oh my God, oh my God! She’s not moving! Beth! Beth! BETH!”

“Feel for her pulse!” Deacon was frantic, and reached inside past Ella, in an attempt to find Beth’s pulse.

Without warning, he was grabbed, pulled from behind and dragged back up towards the shoulder of the road. Two burly firefighters had him by the elbows. 

“No, no!” Deacon protested, trying to pull away. “Sir, please …”

They released him carefully, and he slumped onto the wet ground.

One of the firefighters ran back towards the firetruck, where several more had busied themselves preparing the equipment they would need to get the girls out.

“Please…” Deacon implored, as the other firefighter got down on his haunches to speak to Deacon at eye-level.

“Buddy, we understand,” he said kindly, “that’s your girlfriend in there, right? We got this. We need you to stay 15 feet away from the car so that we can do a damage control extraction. That means we need to cut the car, and we need everyone at a safe distance.” 

“Beth’s not moving.” 

“The ambulances just got here. We'll extract them and get them to a trauma center as soon as we can. Is Beth the driver?”

“No, Ella is the driver. Beth is my girlfriend. She’s not moving.”

“Got it. What’s your name?”

“Deacon Marshall, sir.”

The firefighter looked at the small, but growing crowd and called out to no one in particular, “Can someone sit with Deacon here and shield him from the rain while we do our work? I’ll grab some blankets from the truck.”

“I’m on it.” A woman with an umbrella stepped forward and knelt down next to Deacon, holding her umbrella over his head and hers. The firefighter dropped a couple of blankets next to her and rushed to join his colleagues. In the meanwhile, the EMTs from both ambulances were preparing gurneys and other equipment they would need. 

The woman lay a folded blanket on the ground and asked Deacon to scoot onto it.

“Deacon, my name is Sarah. I know your jeans are pretty wet already, but it’ll be more comfortable for you if you sit on the blanket.” She draped the other blanket around his shoulders. 

“Have you called their parents?” she asked.

“No!” He looked at her in shock. “Oh God - I haven’t called them yet. Wait - I don’t have their Mom’s cell number. Oh my God.” He held his head in his hands, at a loss for what to do.

“Honey, it’s okay. Let’s work this out. Do you know anyone who might have her number?”

“Yes. My uncles - Beau and Colton.”

“Let’s call one of them. Where’s your phone?”  
  
Deacon pulled his phone from his front jeans pocket and tapped Colton’s number.  
  
“Uncle Colt, there’s been an accident … No, not me, the twins … Yes ... I don’t know ... The car rolled over and the firefighters are cutting it right now ... Can you send me Mrs. Fraser’s number, please? Claire - whatever ... Send it to me please ... Yes, please come … It’s the road that goes past the big red barn that you love. Just past the baseball field ... You’ll see the emergency vehicles.”  
  
Sarah rubbed his back comfortingly, and he looked at her gratefully.

“My uncles are on their way. They’re about seven minutes drive from here. And Uncle Colt’s texting me Claire’s contact details. That’s their mom.” He looked over at the crash scene, where firefighters had stabilized the car and were already cutting away parts of the body work. He turned and looked at the road. Two firetrucks, two ambulances and three police cruisers were lined up on the road, emergency lights flashing in the dull light of the rainy morning. 

“I hope Claire doesn’t drive over here, because seeing all these emergency vehicles might freak her out. I feel like it would totally freak my mom and dad out,” he remarked to Sarah.

“As a mom, I can tell you that it would probably freak anyone out initially, but then your instincts would kick in and you’ll want to comfort your kids. Why don’t you go ahead and call Claire, Deacon. She needs to know.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  
Claire sat at her desk as soon as she returned from breakfast with President Hernandez and went through her list of urgent items to work on. She was still getting caught up from Monday, when her Zoom call with Admissions had eaten a chunk out of her day and pushed things down her list. Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it quickly. It was a phone number with no contact name, so she didn’t answer it right away. She’d wait for the voicemail, and if it warranted a return call, she would handle that at a more convenient time. 

Her phone buzzed again. It was the same number, but this time it was a text. She tapped it.  
  
**Claire this is Deacon, I need to talk to u, can u please answer?**  
  
_**Sure**_  
  
She wondered if there was a hitch in the building progress and he couldn't get hold of Jamie. As overall project manager, Michelle might be a better option to answer those questions.

Her phone buzzed, and she accepted the call. 

It turned out to be one of those heart-stopping moments - the type of call that every mother dreads.

Claire listened for a moment, then stood up suddenly and grabbed the edge of the desk with her free hand. Every bit of color drained from her face, and her heart thudded hard in her chest, amplifying the waves of panic that coursed through her. She gasped for air.

“Are they okay? Are they moving, talking?” Her voice was loud, sharp, frantic.

Deacon was silent for a moment too long.

“Deacon! Deacon! Answer me. Are they moving?” 

“I’m not sure if Beth is moving, Claire.”  
  
The guttural scream that emanated from Claire’s office brought the occupants of the two offices closest to hers running in. Professors Davidson and Morris ran to her side immediately. 

“Claire, what is it? What’s happened? Sit down.” Morris took her arm and guided her carefully back onto her chair.

Claire fought for control. “My girls. Accident…” she said hollowly. 

“Oh my God,” Morris whispered. She turned to Davidson. “Warwick, go get Joe please.” 

Joe was in her office in less than a minute, concern and shock all over his face.

“Claire, what do we know? Where are they?”

“I … I don’t know ….”

“Where’s her phone?” Joe asked, looking at Davidson and Morris. 

It had fallen out of her hand and slid under her desk. Joe retrieved it and looked at the screen. The call was still active.

“Hello? Hello?” he spoke urgently into Claire’s phone. “Who is this?”

“It’s Deacon. I work for the Frasers - on their new house. And Beth is my girlfriend.”

“Deacon, can you tell me what happened?”

“The girls were in an accident. A rollover.”

Joe’s heart sank and he walked out of Claire’s office into the hallway.

“Are they okay, Deacon?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know. The firefighters had to cut the car open.”

“Is someone there with you?”

“Yes, my uncles just arrived, and someone called Sarah has been here with me.”

“Let me speak with Sarah.”

After a brief conversation with Sarah, Joe established that the girls were being extracted and placed on gurneys. Cervical collars had been secured around their necks to protect their spinal cords, and they were about to be rolled into the ambulances.

Joe heard Deacon ask if he could ride with Beth, and the first responders denied his request due to a ‘family members only’ policy.

“Sarah, please find out where they’re taking the girls. UW? Children’s? Harborview? Can you get anything on the girls’ condition? Let them know their mother is in Seattle anxiously awaiting news.” 

After a few moments, Sarah confirmed that both girls had stable vitals, but one had a head injury and was still unconscious. She also confirmed that they were being transported to Harborview Medical Center. Joe wondered fleetingly why they weren’t bringing the girls to UW Medical Center, but quickly remembered that it was almost entirely a Covid care facility at the moment, as the University’s medical teams and researchers worked with others around the globe to find solutions to the pandemic. Harborview’s Level 1 Trauma Center was widely regarded as the best in the state, and he was confident that the girls would get outstanding care there. 

He asked to speak to Deacon again.

“Deacon, I believe the girls are being taken to Harborview. I will drive Claire there myself. Do you know if Mr. Fraser knows?” 

“I don’t think so - I just told Claire on this same phone call. Probably not. Uncle Colt is taking me to Harborview now. Uncle Beau is staying to get the girls’ stuff from the car and he'll get pictures of the accident and road conditions.”

“Okay, we’ll probably get to the hospital before you and the ambulances. We’re only ten minutes away, and you’re probably 30 minutes out.”

Joe returned to Claire’s side and she looked at him expectantly with large, terrified eyes.

“Claire, I’m sorry I don’t have a lot of information. It appears that both girls have stable vitals. That’s a good thing. They’re being brought into Harborview. I’ll drive you there. What do you need?”

“My purse - the tote. My iPad and phone and the charger cable. I think that’s it.”

Davidson hurriedly gathered the items she had listed and placed them on her desk.

“Claire, do not worry about a thing here," he urged. "We will handle everything for you, work-wise. Go be with your twins and let me know if you need anything at all.”

She barely remembered getting into Joe’s car. 

As they set off, he asked, “Have you called Jamie?”

“Nooooo,” she groaned. “Oh God, he’s going to be beside himself.” She reached for her phone.

  
\- - - - - - - - - - - -   


Jamie’s phone buzzed in Ava’s pocket and she pulled it out. It was a phone call from Sassenach❤️. 

Ava let the call go to voicemail and then dropped it back in her pocket. 

It buzzed again almost immediately. She pulled it out again, and this time it was a text message from Sassenach❤️.

“Ugh! Again?” she muttered, looking at the screen. “You’re not on the list - sorry!” 

She replaced the phone, and watched the action on set for a few minutes before taking out her own phone and tapping on the Minecraft app.

  
\- - - - - - - - - - - -   


“I left Jamie a voicemail and text,” she told Joe. “When he’s on set he has someone look after his phone, and he’ll see the text during his next break.” 

“What about Melissa? Have you called her?” 

“I’ll call her now. She's on her way back from Portland by now.”

Before she could do that, a text came in from Coach Jen.  
  
**Ella and Beth haven't arrived for pictures yet. Team is waiting. Did they forget?**  
  
“Oh God. I need to call their coach. Their team-mates will be so upset.”  
  
She called Coach Jen and shared what little information she had. Coach was dismayed and concerned, and thought it best to tell the team right away before it hit their social media. She anticipated a lot of distraught reactions from her team. Additionally, she would need to inform the principal, who would likely recall the school counseling team from summer break, in case anyone needed their support.

“We’ll reschedule pictures,” she told Claire. “Please keep me posted on their progress. My thoughts are going to be with you and them all day. I need to go tell the team now.”  
  
“Jen, please take Ashlee and Hannah aside and let them know separately. Before you tell the others. They’re closest to my girls, and this will upset them a lot.”   
  


After ending the call with Coach Jen, Claire called Melissa. As expected, she was blind-sided and fraught, and then moved immediately into take-charge mode. 

“GPS says I’m just over an hour out. Do you need anything? What are you wearing?” 

“Huh? I’m wearing what I wore to work. Pantsuit and heels.” 

“Do you want me to swing by the house and get you something more comfortable? You’ll be there overnight.” 

“I’d like something more comfortable, but I need you here more than I need sweats right now. It’ll add another hour or more for you to go all the way home and back. We can figure clothing out later.” 

“You called Jamie, right?” 

“Yes. He’s shooting this week, remember? I left a voicemail and text. He’ll call back as soon as he gets his phone from Astaire - probably during the next break in shooting.” 

“Okay. I'll call Armando. What about Frank? Did you call him?” 

“Shit! No, I haven’t. I’ll do that now.”  
  
Frank didn’t respond to her call, so she left a voicemail, and then called Kelly. 

“Oh no! Oh Claire! Frank’s in England. His mother is moving into an assisted living facility, and he’s helping with the process. Selling the house and all that. He’ll be back on September 3rd. Unless you need him before that?” 

“I don’t know, Kelly. We’re just on the way to the hospital now. I’ll update you as soon as I know anything.” 

“Thank you, Claire. I’ll let Frank know when he calls. Claire … I’m sending so much love and strength. You know I’m very fond of the girls. Frankie and Lily …” she choked up before she could finish her sentence. 

“It’s okay, Kelly,” Claire said hoarsely. “They love you too. And Frankie and Lily. I’ll be in touch.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
Melissa was driving Henry’s Model S at Claire’s insistence, and she pressed the voice command button on the steering wheel. 

“Call Armando.” 

The call went through in seconds. 

“Hey hon! What’s up?” 

“It’s Mel. I have some bad news, ‘Mando. The twins got in a rollover accident. They’re on their way to Harborview by ambulance right now. Joe’s driving Claire there as we speak.”

“Jesus! What? Are they okay? Mel! Are they okay?” He was instantly frantic with worry and anguish. 

“'Mando, you need to calm down. I don’t have many details. All I know is that they are in ambulances right now. I need you to do something for Claire. Can you clear your day?” 

“Yes. Shaun will handle my appointments. Oh God, oh God! What can I do?” 

“Uber to UVillage right now and get some things for her please. Then Uber to the hospital. Do. Not. Drive.” She could tell he was an emotional mess, and knew that an Uber would be his best bet. “I’m going straight to Harborview, and I’ll meet you there.”

She listed the items she wanted him to shop for, and then asked voice command to redirect her to Harborview. 

  
  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
Joe pulled into a parking spot at Harborview Medical Center, grabbed a couple of face-masks from the stash he’d stuffed into his glove box as back-ups, and ran around to the passenger side to help Claire out. They walked briskly towards the parking lot elevator and rode in silence to the Trauma Center level. 

Claire was vaguely aware of the click-clack of her heels on the hard floor and Joe’s hand under her elbow as the sights and smells of Seattle’s leading Trauma Center hovered on the edges of her awareness. It was a haze of people. People in scrubs and white medical coats. People with worried eyes above their face-masks. People slumped in chairs in waiting areas. Sirens sounded intermittently outside. 

They arrived at the triage desk at the far side of the building, where the young triage nurse took one look at Claire, picked up a two-way radio handset, and led her and Joe into a private meeting area. 

She began to process the paperwork quickly and efficiently. Claire provided all the medical insurance information she requested, signed a few forms, and then asked her to check on the progress of the ambulances. 

The triage nurse spoke into her handset. The conversation was a jumble of codes and esoteric medical jargon, but eventually, she set the handset down and looked at Claire.

“The ambulance is three minutes away. Both patients are still stable. Both will need to go straight into imaging, and one will need to go to surgery immediately after that. One will be in imaging for a while longer for a CT scan and further assessment. She has a head laceration that will require stitches or staples.” 

“Oh my God! Who needs to go to surgery?” Claire asked, her voice tremulous with unrepressed anxiety. 

“I can’t tell you that yet, simply because I don’t know. I only have very basic details. But I promise you,” she glanced down at the intake information, “Dr. Beauchamp, when they get here and I’m able to get more from the paramedics, I will keep you fully informed. Would you like to sit in the waiting area nearest the ambulance bay?” 

“Yes! Please … please ...” 

Joe accompanied her and they could hear the sirens winding down as the ambulances rounded the corner and came to a stop in the ambulance bay, one immediately behind the other. A team of medics and nurses hastened to the back of each ambulance and assisted with the removal of the gurneys. Claire craned her neck anxiously, hoping for a glimpse of her girls moving - any sign to reassure her aching heart and torturous fear. 

The girls were wheeled in side-by-side, and Claire rushed to the gurneys as soon as they entered the corridor. Her first look at the girls was terrifying. The paramedics had cut away their tight, fitted cheer uniform tops, placed an assortment of electrodes and monitoring devices where necessary, and covered them with a light sheet. Ella’s hand was stabilized and splinted, and wrapped in copious bandaging. Beth had a dressing on her head laceration and was drifting in and out of consciousness. The EMTs had administered strong painkillers for Ella’s hand injury, and she was also in a semi-alert state.

“This is the patients’ Mom,” the triage nurse announced to the team around the gurneys. “Dr. Beauchamp - PhD.” She made that distinction so that the medical team wouldn’t immediately assume Claire was a medical doctor. “Please keep her informed every step of the way.” 

The on-duty head of ER received a briefing on the patients from the EMTs, and then turned to Claire. 

“Dr. Beauchamp? I’m Dr. Choi. Walk with us, please.” 

The team of EMTs, nurses, and hospital staffers wheeled the gurneys as Dr. Choi walked alongside them. Claire walked between the two gurneys, holding one of the girls’ hands in each of hers. 

Dr. Choi filled her in on the next steps. “We’re taking both girls to imaging. It’s likely that …” she checked the wristband on both girls, “ … it’s likely that Ella will need surgery right away to repair at least two, possibly three broken fingers. Crush injury. She may need pins.” 

Claire’s heart sank. While she was relieved that Ella’s injuries weren’t worse, she knew that it would be a blow to her athletic and active daughter. 

“Okay,” she replied. “Is that it? Is that the extent of her injuries? Why does she have the neck collar?” 

“It’s just a precaution for both patients. We still need to do a full assessment, but the EMT’s are confident that neither girl sustained neck or spinal injuries. Despite that, we will do neck, spinal, and pelvic X-rays on both girls. It's our protocol for all serious MVAs. The imaging will help us determine whether there are any internal issues that we need to attend to.” 

“The cops told us that this would have been way worse if they hadn’t been in a Tesla. It withstands rollovers better than any other car, apparently,” one of the EMT’s told her. 

Claire nodded. “What about Beth? Why is she not conscious?” Her voice hitched. 

“Beth sustained a bad knock to the head during the rollover. She has a scalp laceration that will require at least 10 to 12 stitches or staples. She’s in and out of consciousness, and that’s much more promising than being completely unresponsive. We’ll need to monitor her closely for at least 48 hours, maybe 72. We’ll be looking for issues like subdural hematomas and cerebral contusions.”

They walked down a long hallway with double doors at the end, and Claire turned to one of the EMTs. 

“Do you have any information on what actually happened? And who was driving?”  
  
“According to the witness statements I overheard while waiting for the firefighters to do their work, the car fishtailed and slid off the road. It rolled over twice before coming to rest on its roof.” 

Claire pressed her fingers to her mouth to suppress a sob. 

The EMT continued, “I believe the driver was the patient with the injured hand."

“Ella,” Claire said softly, as she looked down at her feisty daughter, now silent and still and pale against the stark white bedding.

The gurneys were just yards from the double doors, and the team slowed to a stop. Claire turned her back to the doors and faced the team of medical professionals surrounding the gurney. Her face was anguished and her eyes bright with unshed tears.

She placed a hand on Beth’s shoulder. “You should know that Beth is sweet and kind and gentle. She loves baking and reading historical romances and she stands up for anyone who is feeling excluded. She has a horse named Sugar, and she just started dating her first boyfriend. He was at the scene of the accident.” 

Dr. Choi and the team around the gurneys nodded or smiled in understanding as they listened to Claire. She turned to look at Ella, placed her hand on her shoulder, and looked up at the medical team again. 

“Ella is friendly and generous and feisty. She works with children with physical and cognitive limitations and helps them to feel comfortable on horses at a neighborhood facility. They adore her. She has a horse named Spice and she loves John Green books and she’s very witty.”  
  
Dr. Choi lay a comforting hand on Claire’s arm. “We will take very good care of Beth and Ella. You have my word on that.”

A single tear escaped and Claire dashed it away with her fingertips, nodding gratefully.

“Dr. Beauchamp we need to leave you here now,” Dr. Choi reminded her gently. “Please know that your daughters will be in the best hands. Ella will be taken to surgery right after her X-rays. Beth will be kept under observation after her CT scan. If she can maintain a decent conversation with us and stay alert for a good amount of time, her neuro team will allow her upstairs with Ella. Both girls will be brought to the 5th floor, which is Level 1 critical care. That means they need constant care and monitoring, but no major organ support. We’ll keep them there with us for at least two nights. I will let the nursing team know to expect you. There is a comfortable family waiting room on each floor. Please let me know if I can do anything else …”

“Just bring me my girls back, Dr. Choi. Just bring them back to me. I’ll be waiting on the 5th floor." 

“I’ll check in on them before I leave tonight. Take a minute, and then I need to get them through these doors.” 

Claire leaned over and kissed Ella’s cheek and temple. “I love you sweet, Ella,” she whispered. Ella whimpered slightly, and Claire knew that she was aware of her presence. 

“Mmmmm,” Ella muttered, and Dr. Choi smiled.

“I think she’s trying to say 'Mom'.”

“Ella, I love you, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you get back.”

“Beth … Beth …” Ella mumbled.

“Beth is okay. She is getting the best care possible, Ella. Don’t you worry, sweetheart. I’ll be waiting for both of you.”

She turned her attention to Beth. Smoothing her curls away from her face, she kissed Beth softly on her forehead and her cheek, carefully avoiding the part of her head with the wound dressing. Another tear rolled down her face and disappeared into Beth’s curls.

“Sweet Beth. I love you so much, Beth. I’ll be waiting for you. I’ll be here, sweetheart.”

Beth's eyes flickered open and she gazed at Claire for a few seconds before giving her the tiniest smile and drifting off again. Even though the monitors that were being rolled along with the gurneys indicated that her vitals looked good, Claire was deeply unsettled. She held both girls’ hands until the last second - until they disappeared behind the double doors. 

Claire watched through the narrow rectangular windows in the doors until the gurneys were wheeled behind another set of double doors into “Imaging”. 

She turned and walked slowly back towards the ER waiting area, where Joe had offered to wait for her - and keep an eye on her tote. The sound of footsteps in the hallway caught her attention, and she looked up to see Deacon running towards her. He stopped a few feet from her, his eyes questioning and fearful. 

Claire shook her head quickly. “She’s okay right now, Deacon. Her vital signs are good, and they are doing CT scans and X-rays. Ella is going into surgery soon.” 

Deacon’s face bore all the signs of his concern, and she reached out to give him a hug. He clasped her firmly, needing the reassurance and comfort that his mother would have extended had she been there with him. 

“Come sit with me, Deacon. We’ll wait together.” She threaded her hand through the crook of his elbow, and he quietly supported her as they walked back to the waiting area together. Colton was standing near the door and moved towards Claire the moment he saw her. 

“Claire, I’m so sorry,” he said, and gave her a warm, heartfelt hug. 

“Thank you Colton. Thank you both for your support. I’m so grateful that Deacon was there with the girls." She smiled sadly at him. "It must have been comforting for them to have a friend with them. Thank you for calling me so quickly. The girls are in good hands. Now … now we wait.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -   


Luke Beyer had taken a seat near Ava towards the end of shooting scene five, and watched the proceedings with a critical eye. He called the director over and they had a whispered discussion, followed by a few retakes.

Jamie’s phone buzzed again, and Ava checked the screen for the contact ID. ‘Jenny’. 

“Nope,” she said to herself, “you’re not on Astaire’s list.” 

Before she could return the phone to her pocket, it buzzed again, and she looked at the lock screen. It was Sassenach❤️ again. 

Ava shook her head, a little nonplussed by the repeated notifications from this contact. She didn’t want to piss Astaire off by annoying Jamie with calls and texts from contacts who were not on the priority list. She tapped her phone, inserted her Airpods, and watched a series of TikToks.

When the cast and crew broke for lunch, Beyer headed straight for Jamie, and gave him a quick one-armed hug. 

“Good to see you, Luke! Did you watch some of the shoot?” 

“I did! Some awesome work there, Jamie. If you’re heading to craft services for lunch, I might join you guys.” 

“That would be great. Let me check on something with Ava.” 

Jamie took a few steps towards Ava and called out across the set, “Ava, any important calls?” 

“Nope. Nothing from the list Astaire gave me,” she called back. 

Jamie gave her a thumbs-up and rejoined Beyer, as they made their way to lunch.

  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Over the next couple of hours, there was a lot of activity around Claire. Melissa arrived and immediately became Claire’s mainstay. ‘Mando turned up shortly after Mel, bearing a couple of shopping bags. He had picked up a pair of black yoga pants, a soft long-sleeved tee, ankle socks, and a pair of comfortable size 8 Nike sneakers - exactly per Mel’s instructions.

A nurse appeared, ready to accompany Claire, Melissa, Armando, and Deacon up to the 5th floor. 

Claire thanked Joe and Colton profusely and encouraged them to return to their respective places of work. Beau had checked in with Colton and confirmed that he’d been given all the items from the girls’ car, including their phones and backpacks. He had left them tucked away on the front porch of the house.

After rejecting repeated offers of lunch, Claire finally agreed to an apple and her fifth cup of coffee. As they waited in the comfortable family waiting room, they received frequent reports from the medical team. 

Ella had three broken fingers, two of which required surgical pins. Her surgeon opted for incisions along the inside of her fingers to minimize scarring, and her recovery would take 4 to 6 weeks. The third broken finger was placed in a splint and taped to her pinky finger for stability. 

Her orthopaedic surgeon spoke briefly to Claire. “Full recovery within 6 weeks. She needs to avoid activity that involves extensive use of her hands, of course. I can tell you that she is extremely lucky. Usually, with rollover accidents, we see horrific injuries. Your girls got off relatively lightly, considering.”  
  
Beth’s CT scan had yielded encouraging results. A neurotrauma specialist accompanied Beth’s neurologist to the fifth floor to update Claire. 

“Beth’s laceration required eleven staples. She has a very small cerebral contusion that we are watching, and a moderate concussion. Her periods of consciousness are longer, which is very promising. She was able to maintain a good conversation with us and stayed awake for a few hours. However drowsiness is very common in cases like this, and you can expect her to sleep a lot more than usual. Don’t be alarmed - sleep is a great healer and she will need to rest. We’re going to keep her on pain meds for that head wound and we'll monitor her for the next 48 to 72 hours. She'll come up to her room as soon as her sister is cleared after surgery.”

While the girls were in recovery, Claire sat in the family waiting area with Melissa, Armando, and Deacon. With Claire’s permission, Deacon updated Ashlee and Hannah via text every time there was a bit of news from the medical team. 

“Have you heard back from Jamie yet?” Melissa asked Claire. 

She checked her phone. Nothing from Jamie.

“No,” she said. “He may be shooting right through the afternoon.”

“How about Nonna?” Armando asked. “Did you let her know?”

“No. Dammit! I need to do that now. And I’ll text Jamie again. I should let Murtagh know. And Jenny. Or maybe Jamie can do that. I don’t know how many more big reactions I can handle today.”

  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
Lunch had taken a little longer than usual - mostly due to Luke Beyer’s presence and his desire to talk about the upcoming green-screen shoots. As VP of Production at Panther, he was almost obsessive about seeking technology and techniques that would raise the ‘Wow’ factor of the studio’s major movies. Superman would be using new aerial scene technology and a combination of optical and CGI effects that would make the flying scenes look more realistic than ever. 

“When do I get to meet the Canadian consultant?” the director asked Luke.

“He’s flying down week after next to check out our planned set-up,” Luke replied. “We’re still waiting on confirmation from suppliers on some of the equipment, so hopefully we can get some of it here in time for the consultant to train the team.”

“Who’s the Canadian consultant?” Jamie asked, curious to know what was making Luke so visibly excited about the flying scenes. 

“A guy from BC Studios, a film production facility in Vancouver. It’s the biggest and most advanced of Vancouver’s production studios, and they have pioneered some crazy new tech for flying scenes. I toured the facility a few months ago. Even the raw footage of a sci-fi they were shooting at the time was unbelievably convincing. I immediately signed this guy up to consult for us during Superman. He helped us out with your flying scenes for the big cast announcement.”

“Ah, yes! Those were pretty impressive - especially given the tight timeline that day. Can’t wait to see what he has planned for the big flying scenes," Jamie said, sharing their enthusiasm. 

“Your stunt double will do some of the riskier scenes, but you’ll definitely be getting in on some of the fun stuff. As soon as the consultant approves our set-up, we’ll have two weeks of rehearsals and then we’re ready for action.”

As they headed back to set after lunch, the assistant director was standing with the sound engineer and the production sound mixer, reviewing some of the footage from the work they had done on two earlier scenes. The assistant director looked somewhat troubled and called Luke and the director over as soon as he spotted them.

“Aw, shit!’ the director exclaimed, looking at Luke in exasperation. “When the assistant director and audio team wants to see both of us, you know it’s not gonna be good.”

"While you investigate, I’ll check in with Ava,” Jamie said. He moved past some of the crew and waved at Ava, who had spotted him walking towards her. She took his phone out of her pocket, ready to hand it over. Jamie stopped to congratulate one of the camera operators who was about to become a father for the first time. His wife was scheduled for a C-section the next day, and he would be on paternity leave for a few weeks. They exchanged niceties for a few minutes while Ava waited patiently.

Luke and the director joined the cluster of people around the monitors, and a quick look at some of the footage revealed a problem with the boom mic used during the shooting of scenes three and four earlier that morning.

"What went wrong there?" Luke asked, as they listened to the intermittent audio captured during the shooting.

"Faulty XLR connector. It's a quick fix, but we've already got someone bringing over a new one from Stage B," the sound engineer replied.

“Fuck! Why didn’t that alert your sound mixers right away so we could address it?” The director was frustrated and anxious to get moving on a solution.

“We haven't figured that out yet. Do you want us to fix it in post-production? Automated dialogue replacement?”

“Nope! Not doing ADR on this. We caught it in time to re-shoot. I want to capture the rawness of that scene with the dialogue intact. Get everyone ready to re-shoot please.”

Jamie wrapped up his brief conversation with the crew-member, and shook his hand. “You enjoy your time with your wife and baby, and I’ll see you when ye get back,” Jamie smiled as he walked away from the camera operator towards Ava again.

“EVERYONE STOP!” The director had an electric megaphone in his hand and loudly called everyone’s attention to him. Cast and crew froze, looked over to where he was standing, and awaited further instructions.

“We have a glitch and need to re-shoot scenes three and four.”

A loud groan arose from cast and crew members alike. 

“I know, I know. Let’s just get it done, and we can move on. Cast, please head back to Hair and Make-Up; crew, please get the set ready for scene three; assistant directors, please handle the scripts and accent coaches right away.”

Jamie sighed, looked across at Ava and shrugged. He started to walk backwards and called out “I’ll check in with you during the next break.”

“Okay,” she called back, dropping his phone back in her pocket. “Still nothing from your priority list, by the way.”

Jamie nodded, turned around, and headed back towards the hair and makeup trailer.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

The medical team kept Beth and Ella together in the recovery area after Ella’s surgery, and as soon as Ella’s anesthetist approved her release, they were wheeled into a two-patient room on the 5th floor. 

Claire’s heart ached when she was finally allowed into the girls’ room. Orderlies had pushed the beds a little closer together, so the twins could communicate more easily when they were alert. Ella was catheterized and connected to an IV for fluids and medication, and both were connected to monitors that tracked heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure. They lay perfectly still. 

Ella’s hand looked huge and ungainly in its splint and dressing. Beth had a large dressing on her head laceration that made her head injury look infinitely worse. The doctor was quick to reassure Claire that the shaved area around her head wound was kept to a minimum, and was much smaller than the dressing seemed to indicate. Her hair would grow back in due course to cover the scar and her thick curls would easily cover the patch while it grew back.   
  
Over the course of the afternoon, Melissa and Armando had walked to the visitors’ coffee area several times, and Melissa had used the time away from Claire to inform a shocked Armando about the latest developments and the difficulties that Claire and Jamie were working through. 

“She’s going to need some extra love from us,” Mel sighed. “The amount of stress she’s got going on right now would break most people I know.” 

“Claire’s so much stronger than people realize. But you’re right. This accident is enough to push me over the edge - I can’t imagine what she’s going through.”

  
  
Just before 5:30 that evening, the charge nurse came in to tell Claire that there would be a shift change shortly, and new nurses would be taking over. 

“I hate to say this,” the charge nurse began, “but we’ve kinda bent our protocols because this was a trauma that involved minors. Things have eased up a little in terms of our visitor rules in the non-Covid areas of the hospital, especially since the initial pandemic panic of April/May, but we’re still only allowed to have parents or guardians stay with patients for an extended period.” 

Melissa, Deacon, and Armando stood up. 

“We’ll go. Deacon, I’ll drop you off at home. Armando, you too. Claire, send me a list of what you need from home and I’ll bring it tomorrow morning. I can also reach out to some of the people who are texting you for updates. Joe, the girls’ coach, your neighbors - whoever else you need me to handle. Just send me the contacts.” 

Claire nodded. 

“Nothing from Jamie yet?” Armando asked. 

She glanced at her phone. “No,” she said quietly. “I’ve left a few more voicemails. And texts. I’ll call again after you leave.”  
  
Armando pressed his lips together and shot a look at Melissa. 

Claire didn’t know what to make of Jamie’s lack of response. Surely he’d had a break by now and Astaire had given him his phone to check? She’d left enough voicemails and sent enough texts that he must realize there’s some sort of emergency. Was he being churlish about the 'space' thing’? Was it her 'my daughters' comment? She knew that must have stung him, and she felt ghastly about it. In fact, it was top of her list of things to talk about during the stone patio conversation they planned for Friday night. She meant to apologize and tell him how much she appreciated that he treated the girls like they were his own, and she wanted to tell him that those words should never have left her lips. She closed her eyes momentarily, and then pushed those thoughts aside to focus on her girls and their needs.

  
  
Melissa hated to leave Claire on her own. She needed to rest, but would no doubt insist on staying up to be with the girls.

_Damn you, Jamie! Claire will be dealing with this on her own tonight. This is not the time to get all butt-hurt by things she said to you in anger!_

She made a quick stop at the nurse’s station and took the charge nurse aside. 

“I need a favor. Is there anyone on your team who is really persuasive? Claire needs to sleep. She hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep since Sunday night. She is under a lot of other stress, and this accident is the last straw. Who can you assign to nudge her kindly but firmly towards getting some sleep?” 

The charge nurse nodded soberly, “Can’t have a sleep-deprived parent making important decisions about medical care - I completely understand the importance of persuading Claire to try and get some sleep. Leave it to me. I’ve assigned my best person to handle the girls’ care for tonight, and if anyone can get Claire to sleep, it’s Vicki.”

Armando and Deacon waited at the elevator while Melissa conferred with the charge nurse. Tapping Jamie’s name in his messages app, Armando fired off a short but angry text.  
  
**What the fuck, man?**  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

By late afternoon, scene three had been successfully re-shot, and re-shooting on scene four was about to start. During the break between scenes, the cast had to go back to Wardrobe, followed by touch-ups in Hair and Makeup. Ava played Fortnite and Among Us on her phone while she waited for Jamie’s next break. 

Several more texts and phone calls had come in from Sassenach❤️ and Ava was positively stumped. What was the heart emoji all about? She carefully checked the spelling of Sassenach from Jamie’s notifications, and entered it in a Google search on her own phone.

_What the? Whisky? Sassenach is a type of whisky? So these are all marketing calls and texts? Fuck’s sake! Jamie should opt out. That’s a lot of texts from one company! And they need the whisky glass emoji, not a heart. What a dumb marketing campaign._

  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

The night duty nurse walked quietly into the girls’ room just after 5:45 p.m. She was instantly moved by the sight in front of her. Her patients’ mother had pulled up the visitor’s chair and ensconced herself in the space between the two beds. Her arms were extended so she could hold both daughters' hands at the same time. 

“Hi,” the nurse whispered, “I’m Vicki, and I’m assigned to Beth and Ella tonight. I’m just going to check vitals and update their charts.”

“Hi, Vicki! I’m Claire, and this is Ella, and this is Beth.”

Vicki smiled warmly, closely observing the strikingly beautiful woman in front of her. Professionally dressed in a pantsuit and heels, she had clearly come straight from work, and Vicki could only imagine the harrowing day she’d had. Her unusual amber colored eyes were pained and the shadows beneath them suggested a lack of sleep beyond this traumatizing day.

Claire's eyes hinted at the same determination Vicki had seen in the mothers of so many of her patients - an inner strength that enabled them to push through whatever stress and fatigue they were feeling in order to support and care for their ailing children.

The charge nurse had asked Vicki to try and convince her patients’ mother to get some sleep, and she had willingly agreed to try. This mom may prove to be a little more challenging than most - she sensed the tenacity beneath Claire’s exhaustion.

Claire watched as Vicki proceeded to check all the monitors and readings, as well as the fluid and medication levels, entering numbers into her tablet as she moved from Beth to Ella. Her phone buzzed several times as Vicki completed her update, and Claire fired off a few quick replies to the cheer and volleyball moms and her neighbor, Lauren.

“Everything is looking really good,” Vicki said reassuringly. “You look wiped, though. Have you eaten?”

“Yes, thanks, I had an apple earlier. Not sure I could handle more than that right now.” 

Her phone buzzed again, and she quickly responded to the text. Despite Melissa already handling some of the requests for news on the girls, the texts continued to inundate Claire’s phone.

“Have you had any rest at all?” Vicki asked.

Vicki’s manner made Claire feel comforted and cared for.

“Not really. I’m not sure I could sleep now, anyway. Too early, and I’m too worried about my girls. To be honest, I haven’t slept much at all for the past three nights. I’ll get caught up on the weekend, hopefully.”

“Hmmmm,” Vicki frowned in concern. “I don’t mean to lecture you, but you really need to get some sleep. You’re going to hit a wall, and that won’t be good. You’re not operating at your best when you’re this sleep deprived.”

“I know. I think once I’ve sat here for a few hours and reassured myself that they’re okay, I might curl up on the sofa in the corner.”

“They _are_ okay, Claire,” she said, as she adjusted Ella’s pillow. “They are stable and medicated, and they’ll sleep all night. They’ll sleep through all of this … me pressing and prodding them every hour or so. I can sneak you into one of the on-call rooms. I swear, it’s clean and sanitary - it’s not like Grey’s Anatomy, where on-call rooms seem to host sex-fests all day and all night. You’ll get much better sleep than on that small sofa, and I promise to call you if there’s a change in either of the girls.”

“I’ll think about it,” Claire smiled, but Vicki knew a brush-off when she heard one. 

Vicki lifted Ella’s arm carefully and pulled her blanket up a little higher. Ella stirred and moaned, and Claire jumped to her feet. Vicki stood back a little and nodded.

Carefully grasping Ella’s uninjured hand in hers, she whispered, “Ella, Ella. It’s okay, I’m here, sweetheart, and everything’s okay.”

Ella tried to lift her head, but Claire stroked her forehead and said, “No, don’t try to get up. You’re still under the effects of an anesthetic, and you’re on painkillers. They had to do surgery on two fingers, but you’ll make a full recovery. You’re going to sleep a lot over the next 24 to 48 hours. Just rest now.”

Ella looked at her through heavy, sleepy eyes. “Beth?”

“Beth is in the bed right next to you.” Claire moved away briefly from Ella’s side so that she could see Beth’s bed just across from hers. 

“Mom … I’m sorry …”

“Shhhh, sweetheart. It’s okay. Beth is asleep, but she’s going to be okay.”

Ella nodded a tiny nod.

“Jamie?”

“I’ve left him a message. He’s been shooting all day. Sleep sweetheart, sleep now. We’ll talk again in the morning.”

”Love you, Mom.”

”I love you so much, sweetheart.”  
  
Claire continued to stroke her forehead, and Ella’s eyes became heavier and heavier. She drifted off into a deep sleep again, and Claire stood watching her, still in her grey pantsuit and heels.

“Claire, I can find you some surgical scrubs to change into, and a pair of slippers or something. You’re not going to sleep comfortably in that suit.”

“I think I have something to change into. My friend grabbed some comfy things before he arrived here earlier today.”

She walked over to the sofa and opened her tote.

“Here,” she smiled at Vicki, as she pulled out the Nike shoes and a LuluLemon bag.

“Go ahead and use their bathroom to change. I’ll wait here.”

Claire emerged wearing the yoga pants and tee, her feet infinitely more comfortable in the sneakers. She placed her folded pantsuit on the sofa, and her heels on the floor underneath. 

“This feels so much better - thanks for reminding me, Vicki.” She curled up in the visitor’s chair and tapped her phone.  
  
Frank hadn’t called or texted.  
  
Jamie hadn’t called or texted either.

  
  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Astaire had one more errand to run for the Beyers. He needed to pick their son up from Tae Kwon Do and bring him to his Kumon math enrichment class at a local strip mall. While waiting outside the Kumon center, Astaire checked in with Ava, who informed him that shooting had hit a hitch, because the boom mic malfunctioned and they had to bring in a new one from a different soundstage and re-shoot two entire scenes. 

“Luke is pissed!” she said in hushed tones, lest he heard her.

“Yeah - he doesn’t like it when things go wrong on set.”

“I think we’ll only finish at around 7:30 or 8:00 tonight, according to some of the crew,” she told him.

“That works for me,” he said. “I’ll head over as soon as I’ve dropped off the Beyers’ little guy. How were things with Jamie?”

“Good. Quite a few calls, but none from the list you gave me.”

“Yeah, it’s been quiet from Claire and the girls the last couple of days,” Astaire remarked pensively. “I’ll see you soon.”

  
  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire stared at the hypnotic track of the electronic monitors that measured blood pressure and heart-rate. She’d had another conversation with Nonna, who was praying and crying at the same time. It was hard to convince her that things were okay when Claire’s voice sounded so hollow and pained.  
  
She also sent frequent progress reports to Kelly, Deacon, Armando, and Melissa. There wasn’t a lot to report, but the girls’ continued stability was a good sign. Ignoring the numerous notifications on her phone, she tapped Jamie F in her messages.   
  
Her string of unanswered texts to him looked sad and desolate, and she swallowed down the sob that threatened to escape.   
  
**_Ella asked for you. Beth is in a deep sleep after being in and out of consciousness earlier  
_**

It had been around an hour since Vicki’s last check-in, and she walked in quietly for her next one. She methodically completed her list of checks and updated the girls’ charts again. 

“How are you doing, Claire? Are you ready for that on-call room yet?”

“Not just at the moment, Vicki. But thank you.”

“Your eyes are hollow! I’ve seen exhausted, traumatized parents before, but you look pretty rough - I don’t mean any offense by that.”

“None taken.”

“Will your … will there be someone joining you tonight? We do allow both parents or guardians to be in the room in the case of minors.”

Claire glanced at her phone sadly. A few more notifications from concerned friends had come in, but still nothing from Jamie.

“No, I don’t think so. My … uh … Jamie is working and will only be back on Friday.”  
  
Vicki frowned a little at that. Claire and the twins had been all the talk at the nurses’ station earlier. A small group of nurses, therapists, and orderlies had gathered to chat because one of them had recognized Claire’s name on the whiteboard, under ‘Parent Contact’. A few Google searches and social media trawls had confirmed that she was indeed Jamie Fraser’s ‘love interest’. The charge nurse broke up the chatty group, but it had piqued Vicki's interest. She was less interested in the gossip than the way Claire’s expression changed when she mentioned Jamie. Something about that had touched Vicki’s heart. She had also noticed how quickly Claire changed the subject when Ella had asked for Jamie. Whatever was going on was obviously painful and difficult for Claire, but right now she was hyper-focused on her girls. 

“Claire, you look mentally and emotionally exhausted. As your family’s dedicated nurse for tonight, I’m going to insist that you get a few hours of sleep. I’m going to ask one of the on-call doctors to prescribe a very mild sleep aid that will help you fall asleep and stay asleep for a few hours. It’s mild enough that we can wake you easily if anything changes.” 

“I don’t think that’s necessary. I need to be here.”

“The girls will sleep right through the night. Dr. Choi will check in later. The neurologist will stop by a couple of times to check on Beth, but that’s as exciting as things will get in this room. And I’ll have all the latest news and reports for you when you wake up. You really need some sleep so you can function at your best for them tomorrow.”  
  
Claire looked at her phone again.  
  
“Why don’t you text your friends and Jamie, and just let them know that you’re getting a few hours of rest. I’ll look after your phone while you sleep.”

Vicki left the room and reappeared ten minutes later with a small pill and bottled water. “Dr. Choi authorized this for you. It’s really mild, but if you’re concerned at all, you can take half of it, and it will still help you get some rest … just not as fast-acting as the full dose.”

“I still feel that I should stay here with my girls.”

Vicki decided to try another approach. Maybe a little dry humor would help.

“Are you thinking I’m not doing a good enough job of monitoring my patients? You feel you need to keep an eye on me too?”

“No! No! You’re doing an excellent-” 

Claire stopped short when she realized Vicki was teasing her. She smiled ruefully and shook her head.

“You really are, though. I’m so happy you were assigned to us tonight,” she smiled warmly at Vicki.

“Me too. I’m supposed to have the night off tomorrow night, but I’ve requested a shift change. I’m asking to be assigned to Ella and Beth again tomorrow night.”

“Ohhh - thank you so much! I'm so grateful to you for doing that.”

Vicki’s level of commitment to her girls touched her deeply, and she suddenly felt tearful, but blinked back the tears that threatened to surface.

“Claire,” Vicki said softly, “you’ll need to be on form when the girls are alert tomorrow. Based on my experience, they will have an endless list of questions. Ella was driving, so she will have a lot of guilt and remorse. Beth will be more subdued, and she may have moments of confusion or dizziness due to that knock to the head, but she will have lots of questions too. Getting a few hours of rest will help you tackle what tomorrow throws at you.”

Claire sat silently as she mulled Vicki’s words.

“Vicki, you promise to wake me if …”

“Claire, I promise. I’m a mom too. I get it. Let’s make a deal. How about you get six hours? Just six hours of sleep, and then I’ll wake you.”  
  
Claire nodded reluctantly. Vicki was right, of course, but her heart ached at the thought of leaving her girls for any length of time. 

She sighed a long, deep sigh and stood up. Kissing both girls on the forehead, she smoothed their curls back, then followed Vicki to an unlabeled door next to the bedding supplies closet. Vicki opened the door and Claire moved past her into the room. It was a small space with a twin bed, a hand basin, and a nightstand with a dim lamp. 

“You’re literally five doors away from your girls’ room. And I’ll be in there with them mostly, or at the nurses’ station right out here.”  
  
Claire swallowed half of the pill, and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Thanks, Vicki,” she said, as her phone buzzed. She checked the notification. It was a call from Melissa. “Last call, I promise,” she said to Vicki as she accepted Mel’s call.

“I’m going to get a few hours of sleep in the on-call room. The girls are stable and doing well according to Vicki ... No ... Haven’t heard from Jamie yet ... Ella woke up briefly. She’s worried about Beth, of course. She asked about Jamie.”

As she ended the call, Vicki held her hand out in a silent request for Claire’s phone. 

“Your phone hasn’t stopped buzzing, and I know you’re not going to put it on ‘do not disturb’ mode.”

Claire placed it in Vicki’s hand and she left the room. By 8:00 p.m., Claire had fallen into a deep sleep. The sedative and sleepless nights and emotional shock of the girls’ accident and her body’s desperate need for rest had finally caught up with her.  


\- - - - - - - - - - - -   


Astaire arrived at Stage E just as the last take was wrapping up. It was almost 8:00 p.m., and everyone looked exhausted. Luke Beyer was still there, watching the re-shoots. He hated when technical hitches impacted their shooting schedule, and insisted on watching all the way to the end of the re-shoot. 

Ava made a bee-line for Astaire. “It’s been a long-ass day!” she said, relieved that Astaire would be taking over for her. “Can I go now that you’re here?” 

“Sure. Can I have Jamie’s phone?”  
  
He held out his hand and she handed it over. The crew had started to power down the equipment for the night, and only a few remained to clean up the set and move things around in preparation for the next day’s shooting. 

Astaire tapped Jamie’s screen and his eyes widened at the long list of notifications. 

He scrolled down and his jaw dropped, as he looked up at Ava in confusion. 

“I know, right?” she said, shaking her head. “Tons of calls and texts but none from the priority list you gave me.” 

“Ava …” 

“It’s also been super stressful around here because of the broken boom mic, and they haven’t taken a proper break since lunch. I kept Jamie informed that there were no priority calls or texts, and he was okay with that.” 

“Ava - have you seen how many texts and calls there are from Sassenach? That’s Claire by the way. Does he know about these?” 

“Sassenach is Claire? You never told me that, Astaire!” She looked stricken and nervous. “I had to look it up and it’s a whisky brand. I thought they were marketing texts or special offers or something.” 

“Fuck! My bad, Ava! I should have remembered to tell you. You can go - I’ll deal with this.”

Ava hurried towards the corridors and made her way out of Stage E. Astaire went straight to Jamie, who was chatting with the director about some ideas for the next day’s scenes.

“Jamie, sorry to interrupt …”

Jamie turned to him and smiled, “Good timing, Astaire. We’re almost done here.”

The director looked at his watch, “It’s late, Jamie. Let’s talk about these scenes tomorrow morning.” He made some quick notes on his clipboard.

Astaire had a concerned look on his face as he handed Jamie his phone.

“Jamie, I screwed up. When I told Ava who was on your list of priority contacts, I forgot to tell her that Sassenach is Claire. She’s been trying to get hold of you all day. Fuck! I’m really sorry.”  
  
Jamie frowned and unlocked his phone. He tapped his Sassenach❤️ message thread and quickly scrolled to his first unread text from early that morning. The one she had sent immediately after her breakfast with Hernandez.   
  
_**Please call me as soon as u get this**_  
  
The next text sent a shiver of terror all the way up his spine and into his heart. It had come in at 10:33 that morning.  
  
_**Just left you a VM, please call. Girls got in a car accident**_

He turned white almost immediately, and his jaw muscles worked fast and furious.

“Everything okay, Jamie?” Astaire asked, but he knew from Jamie’s expression and demeanor that everything was not okay.

Jamie didn’t answer him. He tapped Claire's phone number and mumbled a few Gaelic words under his breath as he waited for her to answer. It went to voicemail after six rings. He tapped it again. It went to voicemail again. He tried not to panic - a car accident could mean a fender-bender or a little ding in a parking lot. Or it could mean a whole lot worse.

He scrolled through the next few texts. All of them were messages from Claire asking him to call or respond. Then he read the one that made his heart stop.  
  
_**Ella has a badly injured hand, going into surgery. Beth is unconscious**_

“Noooo!” Jamie let out a primal bellow, and dropped to one knee, head clasped in his hands. His phone clattered across the floor, and Astaire knew that whatever Claire’s texts were about, it was serious - and bad. 

The remaining few people on set turned to look at Jamie in shocked surprise. Luke was still there talking to the sound engineer, but he abandoned the conversation and ran over to Jamie. The director hadn’t left yet, and he too rushed over to Jamie. 

“Jamie! What’s going on?” Luke helped him to his feet, and guided him to the director’s chair a few feet away.

“My girls!” Jamie said hoarsely.

“What about them?” Luke asked. “Jamie? What’s happening with Beth and Ella? Astaire, bring his phone over.”

“There’s been a car accident. Ella’s in surgery, Beth’s unresponsive.”

“No!” Astaire gasped, clapping his hand over his mouth. This was so much worse than anything he had imagined.

“Claire’s been dealing with this all day. Without me by her side. Oh God, Claire …” Jamie buried his face in his hands, utterly devastated and completely incapable of unraveling the onslaught of emotions that bombarded him. 

“Jesus!” Luke exclaimed. “We need to get you back there tonight! Astaire, get me Ayesha Williams on the phone. She’s going to need to authorize an urgent unscheduled fight ASAP.”

It took Astaire several minutes and a few calls to get Panther’s CEO on the phone. He had to go through her personal assistant, and she had to track her down at a private dinner party. In the meanwhile, Luke initiated Panther’s flight request process, and the pilots were already preparing to head to Van Nuys Airport and submit their flight plan. Astaire handed Luke his phone the moment Ayesha was on the call and headed back to Jamie’s side. Luke walked away from the group and paced back and forth as he explained the crisis to Ayesha. She approved the flight without hesitation and Luke promptly conveyed that to the pilots who were already en route to the airport.

Jamie, in the meanwhile, was going through all of his missed texts and voicemails, and felt worse with each one. 

“Jamie, I don’t even know how-” Astaire started to apologize.

“Fuck, Astaire! Just give me a moment here!” Jamie glared at him with a look that encompassed his rage and pain and frustration. “I need you to give me a moment to find out what I need to find out. Christ! Just back off for a minute.”

Astaire backed away. He had never seen Jamie angry, and it hurt that it was directed at him. He knew he deserved it, but it was deeply painful and distressing to know that he had made a bad situation worse by inadvertently keeping Jamie out of contact with Claire for the entire day during a dire emergency. 

The director walked over to Astaire, placed an arm around his shoulder, and walked him away from Jamie.

“Astaire, Jamie’s reaction is not personal. He’s angry and stressed and worried about the accident, and you’re kind of in the middle of all of it because you’re his phone guy. Give him space. This is really hard news for him to take in.” 

Jamie re-focused on Claire’s messages, seeking any information that would bring him some reassurance. Most of her texts were requests for him to call her, with few other details. The last text from her felt like a knife-wound right through his core.   
  
_****Ella asked for you. Beth is in a deep sleep after being in and out of consciousness earlier****_  
  
He placed another call to Claire’s phone, but it went to voicemail again, so he left a message for her, hoping that she would listen right away. 

“Claire, there was a mix-up with my phone on set and I didn’t get the news until now. I’m so sorry. I’m on my way, mo ghràidh. Panther’s flying me up tonight, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can. If you hear this, please call me. I need to know how you’re doing and I’m anxious for an update on the girls. I love you and the girls - so much. I’ll be with all of you soon.”

He followed up with a text.  
  
**Left u a VM. Please update me ASAP. I’m on my way home. Love you so much**

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire’s phone had been buzzing with annoying regularity since Vicki had slipped it in her scrubs pocket. She had ignored it, and thankfully, the calls and texts were starting to slow down as it got later and later.  
  
It was 9:30 p.m. and Vicky accompanied the on-call neurologist to the girls’ room. Beth awoke easily and spoke coherently - if still somewhat sleepily - with the doctor. He checked Beth’s pupils and carried out a couple of reflex tests that yielded good results. He checked her vitals, asked her a few more questions, and looked at her history in her chart. She was doing well, and a follow up CT scan the next afternoon would probably confirm that there was no build-up of intra-cranial pressure. Vicki took detailed notes to share with Claire as soon as she awoke. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Astaire was dismayed over his blunder and did everything he could think of to try and make up for it in some way. He was en route to Van Nuys Airport with Jamie. Because the flight was arranged in such a hurry, there would be no flight attendant and no meal. Jamie declined Astaire’s offers of take-out meals for the flight.  
  
“Astaire, I appreciate your help. Truly. I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier. You made an honest mistake, and I don’t want you to beat yerself up about it. I know that you and the girls have a special bond too, and I’ll let you know how they’re doing.” 

It was around a quarter before 10:00 p.m. when Jamie finally boarded Panther’s jet. In the absence of a flight attendant, the pilot delivered the safety demonstration and showed him where to find everything in the galley. The fridges were stocked and refreshed every couple of days, and tonight they were full of fresh fruit, wraps, trail mix, chips and a wide assortment of snacks and candy bars. There was also a fully stocked bar, and the pilot poured Jamie a shot of whisky. He knew the flight was for a family emergency, and planned to check on Jamie frequently during the flight.  
  
Once in the air, Jamie took out his phone, and held it for a few seconds before unlocking it. He had avoided looking at his other messages because he was entirely absorbed by Claire and the girls and the agony they must be going through. He'd been reluctant to allow any distractions to take the focus away from them. Now, as his scattered thoughts started to settle after the initial shock, it occurred to him that there may be important accident-related information in the texts he'd been avoiding. He tapped through the day's messages, starting with Armando's stinging one-liner. He winced as he read it and tapped on Melissa's text. Hers was more recent - timestamped 9:06 p.m.

**Sending you this in case you haven't heard yet. Claire has been trying to get hold of you all day. The girls were in a rollover accident, Ella has a hand injury requiring surgery for crushed fingers. Beth has a head injury and concussion and will be in for observation for at least 2 days. Please call Claire.**

He closed his eyes and rested his head back on the leather seat. It was hard not to feel frustrated and angry by the events that resulted in him getting the messages so late. As he re-read Claire’s messages, her pain and frustration was evident too. Words and phrases jumped out at him.  
  
Rollover … crushed fingers … concussion … observation ... Ella asked for you ...  
  
His stomach was in knots as he pondered the horrific day she must have had. Waiting for news, waiting for surgery to be over, waiting for the CT to be done. And waiting for him to answer her calls and texts. His pain as he thought about his girls and what Claire had been going through was almost physical.  
  
It also hurt to think about the pain and terror the girls must have suffered through their ordeal. He forced out vivid images of the Tesla flipping and the girls lurching around in the car, despite being strapped in and protected by the airbags.   
  
He re-read the messages from Armando and Melissa and considered replying to them, but in his distress he simply didn’t have the emotional capacity at that moment. His sole focus was Claire and the girls. There would be time enough the next day to explain to everyone else why he had been unreachable. He tapped out another text to Claire.  
  
**In the air and about two hours out. Any status updates?**

  
\- - - - - - - - - - -   


Claire’s phone buzzed again a little after 10:00 p.m. Since there had been at least an hour of very little activity on the phone, Vicki removed it from her pocket and tapped the lock screen.

Jamie F.

Her eyebrow raised a fraction. The two notifications below were also from Jamie F. A call and a text. She’d overheard Claire say in her call to Melissa that she hadn’t heard from Jamie yet. All of a sudden, there were several texts and calls from him. She wondered if his phone had run out of battery and now that it was charged again, he was finally able to respond.  
  
She’d have to wait until Claire awoke to find that out. In the meanwhile, she asked an orderly to go upstairs to the Labor and Delivery floor when he had a moment, and bring down a double-width glider-recliner from one of the empty rooms. She thought that if she placed that between the girls’ beds, Claire might be tempted to recline the chair and sleep for a few extra hours. She had only taken half of the pill and would need more sleep than a partial dose would bring tonight. The recliner was much more comfortable than the hard tub chairs in the rooms on the 5th floor. 

  
  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The jet landed at 12:13 a.m. Astaire had called a local limo company and arranged for a town car to pick Jamie up and take him straight to Harborview Medical Center. Jamie thanked the pilots and ran through the small, deserted terminal to the waiting vehicle.

The driver knew where to go and took the shortest route possible, but the fifteen minute drive still felt interminably long, and Jamie took out his phone to call Claire. He hoped she would pick up this time. 

She didn’t answer. 

  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The orderly finally had a break in his duties and went upstairs to retrieve the wide, plush, high-back recliner that Vicki had requested. Using a dolly to wheel it quietly into the girls’ room, he and Vicki maneuvered it between the beds and pushed it to where she thought would be the best spot for Claire to recline, while still seeing the girls’ faces and holding their hands. 

Claire’s phone buzzed in her pocket. It was an incoming call, but she ignored it. She set about checking the girls’ vitals and changed Ella's IV fluid bag. Claire’s phone rang again. It was just past midnight. Vicki frowned. _Who the heck calls a traumatized mom at this time?_

Pulling the phone from her pocket, she looked at the caller's ID and had to make a split-second decision before the call went to voicemail. 

“Hello?”

“Claire?” It sounded a little like ‘Clear’ with a heavily rolled ‘r’.

“No, this is Vicki. I’m the girls’ nurse tonight, and Claire is asleep at the moment. I’m looking after her phone. How can I help you, Mr Fraser?” 

“Vicki, please help me,” he sounded desperate. “I’m downstairs on the ground floor, and they won’t let me come up because I’m not a parent. They need authorization from a parent or one of the medical team.” 

“I’ll be right there, Mr. Fraser.”

Within five minutes, Vicki had signed the paperwork, and was leading Jamie towards the elevator lobby on the ground floor. She eyed him surreptitiously as they waited for their elevator. Only two other people were in the lobby, waiting for an elevator going down, and they all stood in silence. She took in Jamie's height and toned body beneath the grey jeans and dark Henley shirt. He seemed to have muscled up a little since the last movie she had seen him in, and she knew from the gossip at the nurses’ station that he was the new Superman. He must be working out to add bulk for a role that was pretty physical, and costumes that revealed every ripple. His hair was slightly darker than she expected, and his chiseled face was as devastatingly handsome as she knew it would be. It was his eyes that held her attention, though. They were dark with worry and pain, and the hollowness beneath them hinted at the sleepless nights that had affected Claire too. She pursed her lips as she pondered that and stepped into the elevator with Jamie.

She knew he would have questions as soon as the doors closed behind them, she just wasn’t sure how much she could tell him. But when he spoke next, she knew. Not only by the words he used, but by the pain in his eyes and the concern in his voice. 

“What can you tell me about my girls, Vicki? I have very little information.” 

She briefed him on what she knew about the accident, and on their progress since she had taken over their care a few hours earlier. 

“What’s the recovery time for both?” He asked as they stepped out onto the 5th floor.

“Around the same, actually. Ella can’t participate in any sport or activity that requires the use of her hands for six weeks.”

“Oh, God. There goes volleyball season! She’ll be so disappointed. But things could be so much worse, right?”

“Yes, definitely. Especially in rollover accidents. Your girls are incredibly lucky.”

“What about Beth?”

“Beth will look more scary to you than Ella. She has a large dressing on her head from a significant laceration. The doctors are watching a small cerebral contusion that will probably clear within a few days. She has a moderate concussion, so she will have to abide by our concussion protocol if she wants a timely recovery. That means limited physical activity, limited screen time - which is not a good thing during remote learning, unfortunately. Preferably no tests, because academic activity can be hard on a concussed brain. Luckily since they are just about to start the school year, they’re not going to be having tests and quizzes right away. No loud television and music, no headphone or earbud use. And again, all of this is over a 4 to 6 week time span.”

“Hmmh,” he grunted, “We’ll be making some adjustments at home, that’s for sure.”

“Six weeks will fly by before you know it,” Vicki said in reassurance.

“How’s Claire doing?” he asked, his voice softening, but concern still evident in his eyes.

“She’s absolutely wiped, Mr. Fraser.”

“Please call me Jamie.”

“She was exhausted and stressed beyond what any person should have to tolerate. Seems she hasn’t had much sleep since Sunday night, and with the events of today - yesterday, actually - she was heading for a complete shutdown. I need my patients’ parents well-rested so they can make good calls about their kids’ medical care, and four nights of cumulative sleep-deprivation is not going to cut it. So I insisted that she get some rest. She took half a sleep aid and is sleeping it off in an on-call room down the hallway.” 

“Can I see her before I see the girls?”

“If you promise not to wake her.”

“I promise.”  
  
Vicki quietly opened the door to the on-call room and allowed Jamie to slip in past her. In the dim light he saw Claire asleep on her side, legs curled up as if waiting for him to spoon her. She had fallen asleep with her sneakers still on. He knelt down beside the bed, and slowly and carefully removed her sneakers and placed them under the bed. He found a pile of clean blankets on a shelf, and covered her with one. Then he knelt down beside her again so that his face was almost level with hers. Reaching over, he gently moved some curls from her cheek. He took one of her hands in both of his and kissed her fingertips. Her breathing was slow and relaxed, and she didn’t stir at all when he touched her. Placing her hand back on the bed, he leaned over and kissed her forehead tenderly.   
“I love you so much, Claire,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you when ye needed me.”

He emerged from the on-call room looking more emotional than before he went in.  
  
“I didn’t wake her, Vicki,” he said. “May I see my girls now?”  
  
“Of course,” she smiled kindly. “Follow me.”  
  
She pushed open the door to the girls’ room and led Jamie in. He took a few steps ... and stopped in his tracks. For several minutes he stood there in the low light of the room as the girls lay motionless under their blankets. He took in the IV set-up, the monitors, Beth’s head wound dressing, Ella’s massively bandaged hand, and the utter stillness of his usually energetic, sparkling girls … and it hit him all at once. 

He took in a ragged breath, walked backwards a few steps and leaned up against the wall next to the door. He ran both hands through his hair and then slid slowly down the wall, landing on his rear end with a soft thud. Resting his arms on his knees, he lowered his head and allowed his tears to flow unabated. 

Vicki stepped out of the room, leaving Jamie to unleash his pain in private. When she returned after 10 minutes had elapsed, she could hear the sounds of running water in the attached bathroom, and Jamie stepped out seconds later, drying his face and hands with a paper towel. 

He cleared his throat. “Thank you Vicki, I needed that. I’m going to sit with my girls now.” 

He walked over to Ella, and leaned down to drop a gentle kiss on her head. 

“I’m so sorry, leannan,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry this happened. It’s going to be okay. Yer Mam and I will be here when ye wake up.” 

He moved over to Beth’s bed and took her small cool hand in his big warm one. He was too nervous to kiss her on the head because of her injury, so he held her hand, leaned in a little and whispered, “Beth, leannan. It’s going to be okay. I’m so sorry this happened, but ye’re going to be fine. Your Mam and I will be with you the whole time.” 

He sat in the plush recliner and reached out both arms to take one of the girls’ hands in each of his. 

Vicki’s heart melted at the sight of the big, burly movie star tenderly holding the fingers of his teenage … what were they? Stepdaughters?   
  
“Jamie, feel free to push the chair into a reclining position and get some sleep. I had it brought down because I thought Claire might fall asleep with the rocking motion. No reason why you shouldn’t try it.” 

“Thank you. I’m going to sit here with them for a while. If sleep comes, it comes. But I just want to be with them for now.”

“I’ll be in and out all night to check their vitals and update their charts. I’ll do my best not to wake them or disturb you.”

“Vicki, please do what you need to do. I’m so grateful to you and the team. Will you please let me know when Claire is awake?”  
  
Three hours later, Jamie was still sitting in the recliner. He had drifted off to sleep once or twice, and then awoken minutes later with a start. He was wide awake again, and he reached out to get a firmer grip on Beth’s hand and Ella’s fingers. 

Vicki was at the nurses’ station, updating patient records on the desktop computer, when the door to the on-call room opened and Claire emerged. Her hair was a little disheveled and she looked like she could use ten more hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep.

She smiled wanly at Vicki, “You promised to wake me an hour ago.” 

Vicki grimaced, “I know and I’m sorry. You needed that sleep, though.”

“You’re right,” Claire yawned, “I really did. How are the girls?”

“They are doing great, Claire. Why don’t you go on in and see them? I'll come and update you on the doctor's visits shortly.”

Claire pushed open the door to the girls’ room and stopped in the doorway, surprised to see the back of a large recliner in place of the tub chair she had been in earlier. 

Even more surprising was the fact that an arm protruded from each side of the recliner, and a large hand held Beth’s hand, while the other held Ella’s fingers - just like Claire had done earlier. 

Still in a sleepy funk, she squinted at Beth’s hand, and her eyes traveled along the masculine hand and forearm that rested on the edge of Beth’s bed. Her eyes widened slightly, and her breath caught in her throat. She would know those hands anywhere.

“Jamie!” she gasped. 

He jumped to his feet and swung around to face her. 

“Claire!” 

She swayed a little, and leaned on the door jamb for support. 

He reached her in a few long strides, swept her up in his strong arms and carried her to the recliner. Claire stared at him in confusion as he settled himself into the chair with her on his lap. Cupping her face gently in one hand, he looked at her steadily. 

“I thought you were going to pass out. Are you okay, mo chridhe?”

“I think so.”

She leaned towards him and rested her forehead on his.

They sat there in silence for a few moments, unspoken sorrow and regret giving way to the relief of having each other to lean on again.

“I’m so sorry, Claire. I didn’t get any of your messages or texts until almost 8 o’clock. I would have left L.A. immediately if I’d known earlier.” The raw pain in his voice touched her deeply, and she knew that he must be tormenting himself with grief and remorse. 

“It was agonizing trying to get hold of you all day and not hearing back, Jamie. I didn’t understand why … but you’re here now. That’s all that matters. That’s all that matters ...” her voice trailed off. “I need to see the girls,” she whispered.

He helped her to her feet and supported her with his arm around her waist as she spoke her words of love and comfort, first to Beth, and then to Ella.

When she was done, he drew her gently towards him, and she wrapped her arms around him. She lay her cheek on his shoulder and closed her eyes. His large hand splayed across her back felt warm and protective and comforting, and she willed him to keep it there for a while longer. He held her tighter, and they started to sway in infinitesimally small movements - an involuntary and instinctive rhythm that moved their bodies in perfect sync whenever they held each other.

Within seconds, he felt her warm tears through his shirt, and he pressed gentle, soothing kisses on her forehead.

“Shhh … shhh. It’s okay,” he murmured softly. “We’re together now.”

“We are,” she whispered through her tears. “We’ll be here to help the girls through this together. _Our_ girls.”

His heart stopped for a split second as he registered the impact of her words. The deeply embedded apology in them, and the acknowledgement that they shared everything. The joys, the sorrows … the girls.

His own tears mingled with hers, and they held on to each other as quiet sobs rippled through their bodies. They surrendered themselves completely to the emotional release that their weeping brought them, and when their tears finally subsided, he reached for a tissue and gently dabbed her face and wiped her nose.

Then he continued to hold her and comfort her tenderly in the only way he knew - by loving her fiercely and whispering the Gaelic words and phrases that meant so much to him. 

“Say more, Jamie, speak more of those Gaelic words, please.” Her voice was soft and he could hear the sleepiness creeping in already.

“Do you understand some of them, mo ghràidh?” he asked gently, his lips still lightly brushing her forehead.

“My heart understands them. Please say more ...”  
  
He spoke all the words he could remember - words his Mam and Da had used with him and Willie and Jenny - and with each other - whenever they needed comforting or reassurance. 

They stood in silence between the girls’ beds, enfolded in each other’s arms. She tilted her head back and her red-rimmed amber eyes locked with his blue eyes - his lashes still bearing the dampness of his tears. 

“Thank you, my love," she nuzzled against his neck. "I love you. I’m sorry I can’t say that in the beautiful phrases you just blessed me with. I love you so much.”

“And I, you. I love you more than I can adequately convey - in any language.”  
  
He kissed her temple softly. “You sound so tired, Claire. You can sleep on me now. We’ll both be here if the … if our girls need us. They’re doing so well. Vicki gave me a full run-down when I arrived, and the doctors have been in and out all night. Everyone seems very satisfied with their progress.”

Claire nodded against his neck and they eased themselves into the recliner, adjusting the chair and their bodies into a comfortable sleeping position. She moved her head onto Jamie’s chest and he held her close to him. She needed the intimately familiar sound of his heartbeat against her ear. He buried his nose in her curls, seeking her unique, comforting scent.  
  
The time for talking and apologizing and resolving would come later. For now, having each other to lean on as they faced the next day - and the days after that - was enough.  
  
As they lay heartbeat-to-heartbeat, the faint echo of the girls’ heart monitors merged with the cadence of theirs, and a peaceful drowsiness descended over them. Jamie slid his hand down her arm until he found her waiting fingers. The slow, steady rhythm of their breathing pushed them closer and closer towards a restful, restorative sleep.


	56. Chapter 56

* * *

Vicki gave them thirty minutes alone before stepping in quietly to check on her patients. She sighed with contentment when she saw Claire and Jamie lying entwined in each other in a deep sleep on the recliner. They lay chest to chest, fingers interlaced, their faces stripped of the worry and stress that had been painfully written all over them earlier.

It was very apparent that neither had slept well for days, but this coming together, this reunion of sorts, had started to bridge whatever rift had pushed them apart.

Working quietly, she checked the girls’ vitals, updated their charts, recorded medicine intake, and noted Ella’s fluid levels in the IV bag. When she was done, she pulled two soft blankets off a shelf in the bedding supplies closet and draped them carefully over Jamie and Claire.

Then she left them to sleep, and they remained in their deep slumber for her next check-in.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Mom … Mom …” Ella’s voice was raspy and lethargic.

Claire stirred and lifted her head sleepily. Her eyes focused on the monitor behind Ella’s bed and she suddenly realized where she was. 

“Mom …”

She scrambled awkwardly off Jamie and the recliner, waking him with a start, and they both sprang to their feet noisily.

Beth stirred a little, but quickly settled back into her slumber.

“Claire! What is it?” Jamie asked in a frantic whisper.

“It’s okay, Jamie. Ella’s waking up,” she whispered back.

Claire leaned in close to Ella and spoke quietly, “Good morning sweetheart. I’m here. Jamie’s here with me.”

Ella gave her a small smile and blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light. Jamie emerged into Ella’s line of sight, one hand protectively around Claire’s waist. His other hand reached out to grasp Ella’s uninjured hand.

“Good morning, leannan. It’s only 5:15 in the morning, a wee bit early for you to be up yet,” he said softly.

Ella smiled again, “Jamie …” her voice trailed off tiredly.

Claire smoothed Ella’s forehead with her fingertips and whispered, “What do you need sweetheart? Are you in pain?”

“No. Thirsty.”

Jamie looked at Claire questioningly, “Is she allowed to drink anything yet?”

“I’m not sure, would you mind checking with Vicki?”

“Wait!” Ella said, tightening her hold on Jamie’s fingers and looking at Claire with worried eyes. “Beth. I want to see Beth.”

“Beth’s right here, sweetheart. Remember?” Claire moved back slightly, and pointed to Beth’s bed across from Ella’s.

“Can I talk to her?”

“Not yet, sweet girl. She’s still asleep.”

“Did she have surgery too?” she asked, her voice still slightly hoarse from drowsiness and thirst.

“No. She has a concussion and she needed a few stitches.” Claire wanted to be as honest as possible without adding to Ella’s distress by giving her too much detail. “The doctors did a scan and they are very pleased with her progress, but she’s going to be pretty sleepy for a couple of days. Maybe a little dizzy every now and again too.”

“How bad?” she asked, tears welling in her eyes. “How bad is the concussion?”

“For now, the doctors are describing it as moderate. We’ll know more later - after her next CT scan.”

“Mom, I’m so sorry … I messed up … you warned us about the roads in your note … I hurt Beth … I’m so sorry, Mom …”

“Shhh, Ella. Shhh, my sweet girl. It’s going to be okay. You are both going to be okay.”

Her tears spilled over and more followed. Jamie covered her hand with both of his and squeezed gently in reassurance while Claire pulled a Kleenex from the box on the nightstand and wiped Ella’s eyes and nose gently.

“Jamie, please get that water now,” Claire asked, looking at him with sad, worried eyes.

Jamie walked quickly to the nurses’ station and Vicki jumped to her feet.

“Good morning, Vicki. Ella’s awake and asking for something to drink. Can we give her water?”

“Yes, little sips, as she may still be nauseous after the anesthetic. I’ll get some water and apple juice, and I’ll be right there.”

Jamie stood on the other side of the bed, supporting Ella’s head and shoulders with an arm under her pillow, while Claire held the straw to her mouth, allowing her to take small sips from the water bottle Vicki had brought in. 

Ella’s tears had stopped for the moment, and she was more awake now. Vicki stepped in closer and asked her a series of questions about how and what she was feeling. She updated her tablet as Ella spoke.

“Ella, do you have any questions about your surgery and treatment?”

“I have a question about Beth. Why is she sleeping so much?” Ella’s forehead was creased in a worried frown and she searched Vicki’s face for any signs of hesitation.

“This is typical after a head injury. Beth has been displaying the right kind of alertness that the doctors need to see. They were in here a couple of times during the night and they had to wake her up each time, so she’s had a disrupted night and is just sleeping it off. Her doctors said she is doing really nicely. The big dressing on her head is for a laceration - a superficial cut that needed stitches. She’ll be okay, honey. She’s getting another CT scan this afternoon, and I’ll go through the report with you when I’m back tonight.”

Ella nodded slowly as she took in Vicki’s honest and reassuring response. 

“Ok, thank you. Can you tell me what’s going on with my fingers? And how long will it be before I can do sports again?”

“You have three broken fingers, and two of them needed surgery. In about four to six weeks, you’ll bounce back stronger than ever. Your surgeon will be in to see you later, and she’ll show you the before and after x-rays so you can see exactly what they did during the operation.”

Ella nodded soberly.

“I’m sorry, Ella,” Jamie said, gently squeezing the fingers of her uninjured right hand. “I know you were looking forward to volleyball season.”

“No, it’s okay - it’s been moved to spring, like football. Most schools have had to move stuff because of the pandemic.”

“Well, that’s convenient!” he replied. “You’ll be all mended by then.”

“Beth too, right? She’ll be healed and ready to start playing by spring season?” Ella waited for Vicki’s response.

“Oh absolutely!” she replied. “She’ll have a similar recovery period for her concussion - four to six weeks. But you girls are going to have to be really good about keeping Beth off her devices. Reduced screen time will be important in Beth's healing process.”

“Yeah, we’ve had tons of friends get concussions and it’s always hard for them to stick with the doctor’s instructions - especially for staying off their phones. When can I get up and sit by Beth? I want to sit with her. If I can’t hug her, I can at least hold her hand.”

“We have a shift change coming up and a new team of nurses will be taking over. You’ll get some bland choices for breakfast - it won’t be that bad, I promise - and if you hold that down without getting nauseous, they’ll start switching you to oral medication instead of the IV and you can get rid of all this and move around more freely.” She pointed at the tubes and IV stand.

“Before I go - here’s your phone, Claire. I charged it for you at the nurses’ station. There’s a Family Resource Center up on the 8th floor. There are showers, desks with privacy panels and USB ports if you need to work, free WiFi. All that stuff. I’m assuming that one of your friends will bring you a change of clothes, so when you’re ready to shower, please head on up there. You’ll find dental kits, shower supplies, fluffy towels - everything you need. We like to keep these en-suite bathrooms here for our patients only.”

“Of course,” Claire replied. “Vicki, I can’t thank you enough. You’ve been a godsend!”

“I’ll be back with you tonight. The head nurse approved my request to change shifts. I’m going home to replace my husband on kiddie duty while he works remotely, then I’ll get some sleep, and I’ll see you in about twelve hours.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  


Their day nurse, Katia, had just started her third year of working at Harborview. She was a lively, energetic nurse who did her best to jazz up her basic blue scrubs with a sparkly lanyard, custom Nike sneakers accented with silver glitter, and a messy blonde bun held in place with a rainbow patterned hair tie. 

She sat at the nurses’ station and spent some time reading the overnight notes and latest orders for her patients - twins involved in a rollover MVA.

Beth was still asleep, and Jamie and Claire had angled the recliner slightly to face Ella’s bed. They sat side-by-side, hands clasped together, talking to Ella about anything that was not accident- or Beth-related. Claire tried to keep her from dwelling too much on Beth’s condition, knowing that Ella hadn’t even started to scratch the surface of her feelings about the rollover.

They spoke about a range of subjects - from what would happen with their volleyball skills camp the following week, to whether they would still have homecoming, to Astaire’s blunder that resulted in Jamie not getting his phone back until well into the night.

Ella’s jaw dropped and she clapped her right hand over her mouth, tugging the IV line with it.

“Careful there, sweetheart,” Claire reminded her.

“Jamie! That’s awful. Are you mad at him?”

“I was very frustrated last night, leannan, and I said some harsh words. By the time he drove me to the airport, I was still frantic with worry, but relieved to be getting home to all of you, and I apologized for losing my … for yelling at him. He is very fond of you girls, and he’s going to beat himself up over this.”

“Maybe I can Snap him a selfie of me and Beth together later and tell him we’re okay. Will he get in trouble?”

“I doubt it. He looks after my phone as a personal favor to me, and he assigned a new intern who was probably a little nervous to begin with. The few times I actually noticed her, she had her AirPods in - probably watching YouTube videos or something instead of paying attention. There will no doubt be some consequences for her, as there should be. A film set is always a busy and stressful workplace. Everyone has a very specific job to do, and if just one person messes up, it can cause major problems and set-backs. I know she was following the instructions Astaire gave her, but with so many texts and calls from the same contact … that should have been a clue that something was going on. If she had given me my phone after the first few texts from yer Mam, I could have been here by mid-afternoon. I feel terrible that I wasn’t here for all of you when you needed me.” He looked at Claire, and she leaned over to kiss his cheek.

“You’re here now, Jamie. That’s what counts.”

“Yeah, I’m just glad you’re here now too,” Ella sighed contentedly. She had expected to see some tension between Jamie and her Mom when he returned from L.A. Of course, the accident was completely unexpected and he was home sooner because of it, but she wasn’t picking up any ‘break-up’ vibes, and that was a huge relief to her. She couldn’t wait to tell Beth her assessment of the Mom/Jamie situation.

Ella had a few more questions about Astaire and while Jamie answered her and shared the boom mic story, Claire took the opportunity to check her phone and prioritize her replies to the numerous messages that had accumulated. She texted Melissa and Armando jointly first, letting them know that Jamie had arrived at midnight, but offering few other details, other than a brief update on the girls' condition and a promise to call them at a more respectable hour than 5:45 in the morning.

She also sent reassuring text messages to Kelly, Joe, Deacon, and Nonna.

At around 6:00 a.m., they were joined by their day-duty nurse.

“Hi guys!” Katia crooned softly in a sing-song voice. “I’m Katia, and I'll be looking after you today. How’s everyone doing this morning?”

“Hi,” they chorused back at her.

Katia tapped her tablet, and looked from Ella’s hand to Beth’s head. “I’m guessing you’re Ella,” she smiled. “Dr. Choi added a note that you have a horse named Spice! How awesome is that! I did a lot of riding when I was a kid. Ugh - I feel bad that you’re going to have to ease off riding for a few weeks. Both of you! How often do you get to ride?”

“Beth and I ride at least once a week, more if we can find the time. Mom and Jamie ride too, but not as often.”

“The girls also volunteer at the equestrian center. They work with young kids with disabilities or health conditions,” Jamie added proudly.

“Awww! I love that! Good morning to you, Mr. Fraser,” Katia smiled, “I heard you were here with our patients. How cool to meet you.” She sounded casual and not overly starstruck, much to Jamie’s relief. 

“Dr. Beauchamp,” she grinned widely at Claire, “It’s good to meet you too. My fiancée took two of your electives at Fulton, and also interned with you at a project you did for Amazon. She talked about you and her time in your classes when we watched Mr. Fraser on Trevor Noah’s show. She loved having you as her prof.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet! Please, call us Jamie and Claire. What’s your fiancée’s name?”

“Audrey Dillon. She was offered a job at Amazon after that internship, and has been working there since the beginning of this year. Remotely now, of course.”

“Oh how fantastic! I remember Audrey well. She took a keen interest in ageism in the workplace and wrote a brilliant paper on communication strategies that address age discrimination. Please send her my best wishes and let her know that if she ever stops by UDub campus for anything, she should come up and say hi.”

“I’ll tell her. Okay. Ella, let’s focus on you and Beth for now. I bet you’re hungry. And I’m going to need to wake Beth up to eat. Let’s look at your breakfast options. You’re going to want to start with blandish stuff after anesthesia, just to see how your body tolerates the food. And then if you’re doing well, I can get you a mid-morning snack.”

Katia stood next to Ella on the other side of the bed and showed her a laminated menu with all her options. After much discussion, a few nods, and one or two dramatic winces from Katia, they decided on an eclectic selection of Greek yogurt with fresh berries, French toast and a banana. 

“How about for you guys? You know you can also order a food tray for yourselves while you’re in here, right? When was the last time you had a meal?”

“Breakfast yesterday,” Claire replied.

“Lunch,” Jamie added wryly.

“Oh my God - we need to get you guys fed. Can’t have you passing out here - I don’t think we can fit any more beds in this room! Can I make a suggestion? At 9:00’ish, a medical team is going to come in and we’re going to need you to leave the room for at least 30 to 45 minutes. We’re going to get Ella and Beth a little cleaned up, change dressings, and do a few other things we need to take care of. During that time, you guys should go and get a big, hearty breakfast. There’s a great little mom ’n pop called The Bakerie. They do delicious breakfasts and a ginger-pear scone that’s to die for! It’s kitty corner from the parking lot exit. However, that’s still three hours away, and I know you must be hungry now, so how about I order you some Greek yogurt and granola too - just to keep you going?”

“That sounds fantastic! Thank you, Katia!” Claire smiled.

“You’re welcome! I’m going to need to wake Beth up now, do you want to stand beside her bed?”

“I want to see her, please,” Ella implored.

“I can raise your bed a little and prop you up, but you have to stay in your bed, okay?”

Jamie helped Katia by wheeling the bed a few inches so that Ella would have a better view. He moved to the other side of Beth’s bed and leaned up against the wall, so that Katia had unimpeded access to her. Claire plumped up Ella’s pillows and positioned herself between their beds so that she could see both girls equally well. 

Katia studied Beth’s monitors, adding some notes to her tablet before setting it down and attaching a pulse oximeter to her forefinger. She gently rubbed the inside of her wrist, and Beth’s eyes fluttered open, and then closed again.

“C’mon Beth,” Katia coaxed gently, “it’s time to wake you up so you can get some breakfast.” She turned to Claire, “You can get in closer and talk to her, if you like.”

Claire moved in closer and spoke softly near Beth’s ear. “Time to get up sleepyhead. Jamie’s here and Ella really wants to talk to you.”

Her eyes fluttered open again. “Ella?”

“I’m here, Bethie,” she replied softly.

Beth smiled and turned her head slightly, wincing a little as she did so.

“Hurry up and order your breakfast so I can get mine, I’m starving.”

The girls smiled widely at each other.

“Hey Ella. How are you doing?”

“Okay,” Ella replied, shrugging slightly. “I have some pins in my fingers. How’s your head?”

“I feel okay. I mean, I can feel some pain up here,” her hand reached towards her wound dressing, but Claire gently stopped it and lowered it onto the bed again. “It’s not too bad. The doctor said they had to shave away some of my hair.”

“Only a small patch,” Claire reassured her. “Your curls will cover it while it grows.”

“Beth, I need to order some breakfast for you. Do you want what Ella’s having?” Katia held up the laminated menu again and after discussing options, Beth opted for what Ella was having, with the addition of a blueberry scone, because Katia told her they were ‘freshly baked and super crumbly, with a sugary crust’.

Katia left the room to place the breakfast order, and Beth looked at Claire with worried eyes.

“Mom?” she reached out her hand, and Claire grasped it tightly. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry we gave you a scare.”

“Oh sweetheart, I was very worried before you arrived at the hospital of course, but when you got here, the doctors downstairs told me everything that was going on, and what they were going to do, and it put me more at ease.”

“I thought you said Jamie was here …”

“I’m right here, leannan. Just giving you time to wake up a little.” Jamie pushed off the wall and stepped into her line of vision on the opposite side of the bed to Claire, and she reached her other hand out to him.

He held her hand and she gave him a tired smile.

“How are you feeling?”

“Good,” she replied, sighing deeply. “I’m so happy we’re all together.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Breakfast arrived within a half hour. Before moving to join Jamie on the sofa in the corner of the room, Claire cut up Ella’s food so that she could manage it all with her right hand. The girls sat propped up in their beds, finally able to talk to each other across the space between their beds.

Whether out of their own personal trauma or their concerns about reviving Claire’s pain, they quickly agreed in hushed tones not to discuss what they remembered of the accident until they were alone together. 

Instead, Ella filled Beth in on Astaire’s gaffe with Jamie’s phone.

“Oh my God, Beth, I feel so bad for Astaire. He was busy with stuff for Luke Beyer’s kids, so he gave Jamie’s phone to a new intern who didn’t know that Mom is Sassenach in his contacts. She ignored _all_ Mom’s calls and texts from yesterday, and Jamie found out at like eight o’ clock. He got here at midnight.”

“No way! What’s going to happen to the intern?”

“Don’t know,” Ella said between mouthfuls of French toast, “She’ll probably be fired. You realize we were eating French toast around this time yesterday too?”

They were silent for a moment, and then Beth spoke. 

“Yah, but Mom’s cinnamon apple French toast is so much better. What about Astaire? Is he in trouble?”

“I don’t know. I mean he basically helps run a lot of Luke’s personal and family stuff, so I don’t think he’ll be fired. Maybe he won’t be allowed to work with Jamie now. He reamed Astaire out last night. He was pretty mad about it. But he apologized on the way to the airport.”

“Nooooo. He yelled at him? I love Astaire, Ella! Okay, so he screwed up, but Jamie’s here and we’re okay. Maybe Jamie can talk to Luke?”

“I feel like he will. He likes Astaire too.”

Claire and Jamie sat on the sofa in the corner of the room to eat their ‘appetizer breakfast’ as Jamie referred to it. They kept an eye on the girls in case they needed help, but they were coping just fine and were chatting happily with each other across their beds.

“It makes me so happy to see them talking like this,” Jamie said as he gently brushed a smear of yogurt from Claire’s lip and licked it off his thumb. 

“I know, my love. Things could have been-” her voice hitched.

“Don’t go there, Claire. Don’t think about what could have happened. Stay in the here and now. They are well on the road to recovery. We need to focus on that now. Regardless of what Vicki said to me last night about the next six weeks flying by, it’s going to be a lifestyle adjustment for all of us.”

“It will be - especially as they’re about to start school. How’s Beth going to cope with reduced screen time during remote learning? They won’t be able to go to the Volleyball skills camp next week. It’s a good thing the season’s been moved, and they’ll have time to recover. Their cheer dance showcase is in three weeks’ time. They won’t be able to participate in that. Coach might have to make some changes to the routine too.”

“Poor lasses. They’ve been looking forward to performing their dance,” Jamie shook his head sadly. “On the plus side, the great thing about having twins in the same classes, apart from one elective, is that they can help each other out a little,” he pointed out. “Beth will have to complete a lot of it on paper rather than on her laptop, so it will be a little slower, but she’ll have some accommodations, right?”

“Oh, absolutely! I know from so many of their friends having concussions over the years that the school nurse has a really good protocol in place, and the teachers are awesome about supporting students through their treatment plan.”

“Ella will have her own challenges - she’s only got the use of one hand, and that will slow her down. Should we get them a tutor? Someone to read things to Beth and transcribe their work so that they can stay on top of their classes.”

“That sounds like a great idea, Jamie. I’ll talk to the girls about that … maybe over the weekend when things are more settled. I’ll speak to the school too, but I think they’d support that.”

Melissa called as Claire was eating the last few spoonfuls of her yogurt.

“Hi, hon. I know it's barely 6:30, but I knew you’d be up. How are the girls? Did they have a good night?”

“They slept all night, and their vitals are great. Neuro came in a couple of times to check on Beth. They had to wake her up to do reflex tests and such, so she’s a little sleepy. Ella is doing okay, but it’s going to be hard for Miss Independent to cope with the use of just one hand.” She lowered her voice so that the girls couldn't hear, “I’m also seeing her first signs of guilt and remorse.”

“Ohhhh! This will be hard on her emotionally. Both of them, really, but especially Ella, since she was driving.”

“Mmhmm, we’ll talk about that later.” 

Melissa caught the hint that the girls may be within earshot, and changed the subject. “I’m so happy to hear that they are doing well. How about you? Did you get any sleep?”

“I did. I slept for almost seven hours in the on-call room. And when I awoke and came back to the girls’ room, Jamie was in here-”

“Yes! I saw your text. What happened?”

Claire explained what she knew about the intern saga, and how Panther had scrambled to get Jamie home.

“When he finally got his phone at around 8:00 last night and saw all the messages, he says he freaked out and Ayesha Williams, the CEO, approved an emergency, unscheduled flight. He arrived soon after midnight.”

Melissa’s eyebrow lifted a little at the mention of Ayesha’s name, but she said nothing. Claire would meet her soon enough.

“I’m so happy to hear that, Claire. Be sure to tell Armando what happened. He’s not loving Jamie at the moment.”

“I’ll call him after this.”

“I’m coming to the hospital later this morning. What do you need from home?”

“A change of clothes for me and Jamie please. Whatever you dig out of the laundry or closet is fine. We’ll sleep here again tonight, so comfy clothes would be awesome. The girls' phones. It’ll be their lifeline.”

“I’ll handle Beth’s phone for her,” Ella had been listening to Claire’s side of the conversation. “She’ll want to know what her friends are Snapping and texting.”

Beth smiled and gave her a thumbs up in agreement.

Claire smiled and nodded, and continued adding items to her list. “The girls’ slippers for when they can move around. Ella’s IV is coming out this morning, so maybe bring their robes. I threw them in the wash on Tuesday morning, so they’re probably still in the dryer.”

“Wait, I’m writing all this down. Robes from dryer … anything else? Shower stuff?”

“There’s a family area upstairs where we can shower, and they have all the basics, so no need for toothbrushes and such, but I’d love my hairbrush and makeup bag too, please. Also, can you grab the girls’ chunky stitch blankets that Nonna knitted? They are on their beds.”

“Got it.”

“Do you need anything else from home?” Claire asked, looking at the girls and Jamie.

“Charger cable for our phones,” Ella suggested. 

“Phone charger cables, and I think that’s it, Mel. Thank you so much.”

“Can I grab you and Jamie anything? Starbucks and a breakfast sandwich?”

“No, we’re good but thanks for offering. Jamie and I just had a pre-breakfast snack. We’re being ejected at 9:00 while they take care of some stuff with the girls, and we might go across the road to get a decent breakfast, depending on how the girls are doing.”

“Okay, I’ll aim to get there mid-morning.”

“Thanks, Mel. See you later.”

Claire tapped out of the call, and looked at Jamie intently.

“I know that look. What are ye thinking?”

She smiled, “I have some calls and texts to return, and I’m guessing you might have too. Should we step out and make them from the family lounge? It's just a few rooms away. I know they prefer that we don’t use our cell phones a ton in the rooms. It’ll also be easier to make our calls when we’re not sitting right next to each other.”

“Great idea. I do have some calls to make.”

They gathered their food trays, set them on a small table next to the sofa and explained to the girls where they were going.

“No problem, we’ll see you in a few minutes,” Ella said as Claire and Jamie left the room and headed to the family waiting room.

Ella studied Beth’s dressing. "How’s your head feeling?”

“I’m starting to get a slight headache, but the doctor that came in the middle of the night said I would. If it gets bad, they’ll give me something for the pain.”

“Do you want me to get Mom back here? Should I press the call button?”

“No, I want to finish eating and talking to you first. Things look like they’re back-to-normal, right? I mean, Jamie’s been holding her hand or putting his arm around her. And Mom keeps snuggling into his shoulder. What do you think, Ella?”

“I don’t know - it looks pretty good to me. When I woke up, I think they were asleep, all snuggled up on this recliner. But remember Mom’s note from yesterday morning? She wanted to talk to us last night.”

“Shoot! I forgot about that. That might change things again. Ugh, my headache just got worse.”

“Let’s not think about that until we really have to. I’m going to press the call button.”

“No - I was exaggerating. I’ll tell Katia when she comes back. How’s your hand feeling?”

“It’s feeling okay. I think there are a ton of pain killers in this IV bag. Beth … I’m so sorry …” her voice faded away and she looked at her sister with anguished eyes.

“Stoppit, Ella. It could just as easily have been me driving. The road was slick after the first rain in so long.”

“But you yelled at me to slow down. And I didn’t.”

“Ella-”

“The last thing I remember is you screaming, and then we were upside down in the car. And you were very quiet.”

“I don’t remember screaming.”

“Oh God, Beth. Your scream … I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It was the last sound I heard for a really, really long time. Apart from the raindrops on the car. And then I remember Deacon telling me not to unbuckle.”

“Deacon was there? Oh my God, I don’t remember that!”

“You were unconscious for quite a while. He was with us all the way until the ambulance came. He wanted to ride in yours with you, but they wouldn't let him because he's not family.”

“I remember passing his truck. Oh God, he must have seen the accident and turned right around. I need to call him-” she looked around her bed and the rest of the room in a futile search for a phone. “Do you think I can use the phone on the nightstand? Or is it just for the nurses to use? It looks like a hotel phone. I wonder what you have to push to get an outside line?”

“Wait until Mom gets back, you can use hers.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire and Jamie sat on opposite sides of the otherwise deserted family lounge, making calls and responding to texts. 

Claire wrote an email to Uncle Lamb. She had waited until she knew the girls were in a stable condition and recovering well, and her heart hurt as she tapped ‘Send’. Lamb adored the twins, and she knew how distressing this news would be for him. She included Jamie’s cell number in her email and encouraged him to call her or Jamie’s number, if her phone went to voicemail. She would drop any call to talk to Lamb. 

“I just emailed Lamb. It’s going to break his heart. I gave him your cell number - hope that’s okay. I don't want to miss a call from him if I’m in the middle of another one, so if mine goes to voicemail, he might call you. Can I Airdrop you his contact so you can add it to your phone?”

“Of course.”

She closed her eyes and rested her head against the sofa, sighing deeply. It was emotionally draining to have to deliver the news over and over, and she still had a few more people to contact.

“You okay, Claire?” Jamie was eyeing her with concern from his sofa across the room. 

“Yes. I’m texting Milo and Suki next.”

“Do you want me to come and sit with you?”

“I’d like nothing more, but we should finish working through our list of people to notify and update. After that, I’m going to need a good, long hug.”

“I have an endless supply of those.” They smiled at each other for a moment, then focused on their phones again.

While Claire texted back and forth with a shocked and saddened Suki, Jamie texted Tara to let her know about the accident. He sent an email to his legal team, and then called Murtagh. It was still early in the day, but he knew he'd be up and working by that time.

Murtagh was utterly crushed by the news. He was deeply fond of the girls and his heart ached for their pain and Claire’s. 

“Jamie, I know that mornings in a hospital are busy, but if things settle down a little later, could ye give me a call on FaceTime. I’d like to say a wee hello, and let the lasses know that their Uncle Murtagh is thinking of them.” 

“Of course! We have to keep Beth’s screen-time to a minimum, but a quick hello should be fine. I'll be in touch later.”

He knew that his call to Jenny would be in a different realm. As expected, she was distraught by the news and Jamie did his best to reassure her - repeatedly - that the girls were doing well.

Claire read through her emails and tapped on one from Dean Elizabeth Hoffman. Hoffman expressed her regret and disappointment that Claire had turned down Haas’ offer. She wished Claire well, and confirmed that her door was always open should she wish to collaborate or re-open discussions on her career options.

_Now’s a good time to tell Jamie about Haas. He needs to know. Can’t tell the girls yet - they are too emotionally overwhelmed after the accident._

She waited for him to end his call with Jenny, but Jenny needed to speak directly with Claire to truly convince herself that she was doing okay through this unexpected trauma. Jamie brought his phone over and settled into the sofa next to Claire. She took the phone from him and chatted with Jenny for a few minutes. 

“You make sure that my brother is supporting ye well through this. And he’ll need yer support too. We all love those sweet lasses so much. Please give them extra snuggles from Aunty Jenny. I’ll WhatsApp them later.”

Claire returned Jamie’s phone to him and took a deep breath.

“Jamie, I need to tell you-” 

Her phone buzzed with an incoming call and she took a quick peek. 

It was from a +44 area code - one she was very familiar with. An inbound call from the UK.

“Hello?”

“It’s Frank. How are the twins doing?”

Claire should have been used to his lack of manners by now, but she was still taken aback by his abruptness.

“They are doing okay this morning. Just finishing off their breakfast. I assume Kelly shared all the details with you?”

Jamie raised his head as soon as he realized she was talking to Frank. She scooted closer to him so that they were shoulder to shoulder, and he took her hand in his, silently supporting her through what he suspected might become a contentious phone call.

“Kelly shared all the information you gave her. I understand how the accident happened, what I don’t understand is why you haven’t educated them about driving on wet roads. They live in Seattle, for heaven’s sake. It rains for eleven months of the year.”

“Not quite. And you know very well that they attended driver’s ed and driving lessons for months before getting their licenses. In fact, they had their permits when they visited you in Boston. Did it ever occur to you to take them out on the road while they were with you, so you could give them some pointers and let them get some extra practice?” 

“I assume the car is totaled. Have you enquired about the insurance? What will the cost implications be?”

“And _I_ assume you are making a badly timed joke! No, I have not started the insurance process yet. I have been supporting Beth and Ella through a horrifying and traumatic accident that landed them in the hospital. So no! I have not even given the insurance issue a thought.”

He cleared his throat and ignored her barb. “Can you give me the latest on their condition?”

Claire updated him on what had transpired during the night, and what was coming up in their care plan.

“A team will come in the next hour or two to change their dressings and get them all cleaned up. Ella’s surgeon will check in on her, Beth is due for a CT scan this afternoon. I’ll update Kelly along the way, and I’ll send you a text tonight with a summary of the day’s progress. Do you know if Frankie and Lily have been told?”

“Uhhh … I don't know that, actually. It’s irrelevant-”

“It’s not irrelevant at all! They are half siblings and at some point in the next few days, Ella and Beth will want to FaceTime with the littles. They should be prepared - Beth has a large dressing on her head wound. You know what? Never mind - I’ll let Kelly know all this.”

“Fine. It sounds like it’s not urgent enough for me to fly out to Seattle. The timing is somewhat inconvenient-”

“What do you define as ‘urgent enough’, Frank? When would have been a more convenient time for them to be involved in a traumatizing accident? One of your daughters has a head injury and the other just had surgical pins inserted in two fingers. We could have lost them, Frank! We _all_ could have lost them.” She looked at Jamie, amber eyes afire with anger and frustration and hurt. 

Jamie bit down hard on the inside of his cheek and tightened his hold on her hand. 

“I should FaceTime them. When would be a good time to do that? Have they been asking for me?”

Claire’s jaw dropped and she was silent for a long moment as she mulled that question. Disjointed thoughts flitted through her head. The braless student on his lap ... his reaction to her C-section scar ... his lack of interest in so many areas of the girls’ lives ... his emotionless approach to almost everything …

“No,” she replied. “No, they haven’t asked for you. They asked for the man who goes to their school events, knows who their friends are, even knows their favorite candy - the man who dropped _everything_ to be here with them right now. They asked for Jamie.”

Jamie’s brows lifted slightly and Claire felt his hand stiffen slightly over hers and then relax again as she continued.

“I'll let you know when might be a good time to FaceTime with them. I will also let you know about the insurance situation. Thank you for calling.”

She tapped out of the call, and Jamie extended his arm over her shoulder and pulled her in close, dropping soft, tender kisses on her temple as she quietly pondered the phone-call.

“I love you,” she said quietly, after a few minutes. “I love you so dang much!”

“I love you too, babe. So dang much!” he murmured against her curls.

He kissed her forehead, then tipped her chin up and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

“I’m really gross right now, Jamie. I need a shower, I need to clean my teeth, and I’m well aware that I look a wreck.”

“You have never looked more beautiful to me, Claire.”

She rested a hand on his cheek and caressed him softly with her thumb. “Let’s go check on our girls.”

She would have to wait for another opportunity to tell him about Haas.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Beth’s neurologist and neurotrauma specialist were in the girls' room when Jamie and Claire returned from the lounge, and they were ready to update them. Claire reached for Jamie’s hand and he held it with reassuring firmness as they listened to the doctor’s assessment.

“Beth’s doing really well,” the neurologist announced. “She’ll still be quite sleepy on and off throughout the day. We’ll do another CT scan around lunchtime, and I’m expecting that to look good. She mentioned she has a slight headache, and that is completely normal and to be expected. I’ve ordered some acetaminophen, and that will help. Beth needs a lot of rest, so please keep visitors and screen time to a minimum.”

Katia updated her tablet as she listened to the doctors, and as soon as they left the room, she turned to Ella.

“Ella, we’re waiting on the on-call ortho. She’ll come in just before 9:00, we’ll unwrap your hand so she can look for signs of infection and then the nurse assistants will come in to help me re-do both of your dressings.”

“While we wait, can I use your phone to call Deacon, Mom?” Beth asked.

“Is that okay, Katia?” Claire asked.

“Yes. Beth, I’ll let you make one call to Deacon,” she said gently, but firmly. Turning to Claire, she continued, “As far as visitors go, we prefer that they’re not making a lot of calls when they’re in the rooms. Texting over WiFi is fine, but if you know you need to make a lot of calls, doing what you guys just did is the right way to go. You can call as much as you want in the family lounge.”

Claire nodded and handed her phone over to Beth. “By the way, in case you didn’t already know this, you girls are seriously popular. Jamie and I have been fielding calls and texts from all over!”

“Aunty Jenny and Uncle Murtagh send a whole lot of love,” Jamie confirmed.

“And Deacon, Nonna, and Armando too, of course,” Claire added. “Most of the texts have been from your friends and their moms, though. Coach Kate and Coach Jen are creating a group text so that I can update all of them in one go.”

Deacon was thrilled and relieved to hear from Beth. He’d had a sleepless night, and couldn’t get the images of a motionless, upside-down Beth out of his mind. He’d been haunted by the distressed sounds of Ella, frantic with worry over Beth’s lack of responsiveness, and the urgent sound of sirens echoed in his head as he lay awake wondering how the girls were doing. 

They spoke for a few minutes and Beth sounded instantly more upbeat and cheerful.

“Mom, Mom … can Deacon visit this afternoon?”

Claire looked at Katia, and the young nurse nodded.

“Yes. In the non-Covid sections, it’s two visitors per patient at any one time, including parents. Maximum visit time is 60 minutes, with the exception of parents or guardians. And it’ll be the same procedure as you went through yesterday before coming upstairs. Deacon must check in downstairs, they’ll screen him for fever, cough, shortness of breath and other symptoms, before allowing him upstairs. He’ll need to wear a mask the whole time.” 

Beth nodded, and Katia added in a dramatic whisper, “That means no kissing.”

She blushed hotly and gave Katia a thumbs up before relaying all the information to Deacon - minus the kissing part.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The on-call orthopedic surgeon was pleased with Ella’s surgery site overall, but was mildly concerned about some redness around one of the incisions, and she ordered an adjustment to the medication orders to include antibiotics.

“Nothing to worry about,” she reassured Claire and Jamie. “She’s on a broad spectrum antibiotic that should take care of it in a couple of days.”

The surgeon left and two nurse assistants entered the girls’ room almost immediately.

“These are the amazing women who will help me change your dressings and get you all cleaned up and ready to face the day. Jamie and Claire, you guys can head off and get a solid breakfast now.”

“Uhhh … I feel like Jamie and I should stay close by. We can wait in the family lounge.”

“Why, Mom?” Ella asked. “We’re doing great and they’re bringing us a mid-morning snack because I tolerated my breakfast so well. You guys should go get a big breakfast. We’ll be fine.”

“They are in the best hands here,” Katia indicated the nurse assistants, “and I have your cell number, Claire. I’ll call or text you if you need to get back for anything. You’ll be right across the road.”

“Jamie, please convince Mom,” Beth pleaded. “It’ll be a nice break and a good meal for you guys.”

Jamie winked at her, and turned to smile at Claire. “C’mon Claire, we’ve been on lunch dates and dinner dates, but I don’t think we’ve ever been on a breakfast date. We’re both dressed for the occasion.”

She laughed ruefully at their disheveled appearance.

“I’d be delighted to join you for breakfast,” she chuckled as he held out the crook of his arm and she slipped her hand through the gap. “Katia, please …”

“Of course. I’ll call you if necessary. Take your time. I’m giving Ella and Beth some time to rest as soon as we’ve done what we need to do.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie wrapped a protective arm around Claire in the elevator. She rested her head on his shoulder and thought about how much they had to talk about over breakfast. She hadn’t even broached the subject of her rejection of Haas, and she wanted to tell Jamie before she told Beth and Ella. She needed the timing to be just right when she told them, as she knew they would have a strong emotional reaction to the news. Ella and Beth were dealing with an overload of feelings at the moment and she wondered if they might need professional help working through them. She planned on asking Vicki that evening.

The owner of The Bakerie led Claire and Jamie to a quiet table near the back of the small restaurant. Alternate tables were intentionally kept empty in observance of social distancing, and they would be able to conduct a private conversation quite comfortably.

They used a QR code to access the menu on their phones, while a server named Phil hovered nearby. 

“Feel free to remove your masks at the table,” he invited. “Our usual breakfast crowd has come and gone, and we’ve sanitized everything.”

There were only two other occupied tables in the small restaurant, and both were situated near the door. Claire and Jamie removed their masks, breathing a sigh of relief as Jamie stored both masks in his jeans pocket. Phil’s face registered a flicker of recognition when Jamie removed his mask, but he was discreet enough to look away quickly. 

“Our Eggs Benedict is really good,” he offered, as they perused the choices.

“I had that yesterday,” Claire said, smiling politely at the eager young man.

“You did?” asked Jamie, with a raised brow.

“Yes,” she replied casually, “I’ll tell you about that in a moment.” It seemed like a lifetime had passed since she’d had breakfast with President Hernandez, but it was only 24 hours earlier. She shook her head slightly in disbelief at everything that had transpired since that meeting.

Jamie ordered Eggs Benedict and Claire opted for a spinach, tomato, and asparagus omelette. Both ordered bottomless coffees.

Phil nodded his approval and added their order to his tablet. He had worked at The Bakerie long enough to know that they had come over from the hospital - more than likely after having spent a night with patients. An elderly parent maybe? Children? The concern in their faces and slightly rumpled appearance after having slept on hospital sleepers was a give-away. And Phil also knew from the many medical professionals who frequented The Bakerie, that nurses often encouraged their patients’ visitors to get a good breakfast there. It was good for their morale to have a change of scene and a solid meal to get them through the next few hours.

“Can you also add a dozen ginger-pear scones, boxed?” Claire asked.

“For the nurses?” Jamie asked.

She nodded, smiling at him, and Phil added it to his order before disappearing behind the saloon-style double-doors towards the kitchen.

“Where did you have Eggs Benedict?” Jamie asked, intrigued by her earlier response.

“At Cravings on Lake Washington - kind of a long story, Jamie. So much has happened since you left on Monday. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Start at the beginning,” he encouraged her, and reached out to hold her hand.

She nodded, “Okay. But I want this to be a two-way chat - not just me giving you a summary of my week so far. Please interject if you want to add or ask something.”

“Of course, Claire.”

Their communication difficulties had been so pervasive and upsetting over the previous few days that it seemed important to re-establish their parameters so that they could get back to the open and honest exchanges they had always enjoyed.

“Monday was tough, as you know. We had some ugly moments on that phone call.”

“Yes, we did,” he agreed.

“And before we go any further, I want you to know how sorry I am about that ‘my daughters’ comment. I should never have said that, Jamie. That comment did not reflect how I feel in my heart. It’s so important to me that you know that.” She looked directly into his eyes, and her thumb made gentle circles in the palm of his hand. “In the almost three months that we’ve been together, you have been a wonderful father-figure to Beth and Ella. You’ve brought them joy, you’ve guided them, protected them, comforted them, had serious discussions with them, laughed with them, cooked with them … you moved things around to support them at their showcase when I couldn't be there. You’ve included them in every aspect of our lives and made them so much a part of _us_. Like I told Frank, you dropped everything … _everything_ … to rush back home the moment you heard about the accident. The urgency or convenience did not factor into your decision. You came back to be with them and to be with me, and that is what family does. When you held me in the early hours of this morning and we cried together … that was so deep and so real, and so unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Your pain for what the girls are going through is raw and heartfelt. What we have together, and what we have with the girls ... it’s so rare, Jamie. And it took Ella and Beth to remind us of that - in several different ways.”

Jamie swallowed hard and took a sip of his coffee.

“I’ve forgiven you for that comment already. I forgave you right away.” He raised her hand to his lips, turned it over gently and kissed her wrist. “We both said things we didn’t mean, and I ask your forgiveness for saying some harsh things too. My heart fractures a wee bit more every time I think of how I accused you of being responsible for all the difficulties we’ve been going through. That doesn’t reflect what’s in my heart either. It doesn’t even reflect the reality. We both know that the difficulties were kick-started by things related to my movie career. I want you to know that I’ve been working on letting that guilt and self-blame go. Ye’ve asked me repeatedly to do that, and I agree that it was dragging me down and clouding my thoughts and words.” 

“Our last few conversations came from a place of anger and stress - both of us were going through that stress, for different reasons.”

Jamie nodded, and she held his hand more firmly as she looked at him earnestly. “I’ve done so much thinking since Sunday night. So much soul-searching.” 

He smiled gently. “So have I. More thinking than sleeping. You too, right?”

“Yes,” she smiled. “We both have to catch up on lost sleep. Sleeping in your arms for those few hours was so healing.”

“I’m guessing we’ll be doing that again tonight, my love,” he smiled.

Phil brought their food and a complimentary basket of bakery goodies. “This is a little treat from the owners,” he pointed out. “When I mentioned that the box of scones was for the nurses, they wanted to show you their appreciation. Their son is a third year student in TCU’s nursing program.”

Claire asked him to convey their thanks, and Jamie looked at her quizzically.

“TCU?”

“Texas Christian University. Great nursing program.”

They tucked into their food with gusto, groaning in pleasure at the sheer delight of eating a well-prepared meal.

“So good!” Claire held out a forkful of her omelette for Jamie to try, and he nodded appreciatively. He returned the favor, and her eyes widened in approval as she chewed.

“Ooooh - better than yesterday’s Benedict. The ham is smokier and more flavorful.”

“Tell me more about yesterday’s breakfast - we were in the middle of that when the food arrived.”

“On Monday I got an unexpected email invitation to join President Hernandez for breakfast. She is president of the university, and the buck stops with her on pretty much everything UW related - even some Fulton matters, ultimately.”

Jamie’s brows shot up. “A breakfast invitation from her completely out of the blue? That was obviously your Benedict yesterday. What did she want to talk about?”

“I haven’t had a lot of time to go over our conversation in my head. When I got back to the office, I was there for less than a half hour when I got the call from Deacon about the girls.”

She focused on her food for a few bites, then looked up at Jamie. “She apologized for my treatment by the Trustees, which I greatly appreciated. She also praised me for the work I’ve done at Fulton, and she mentioned she’s been looking at my MS Comms proposal.”

He raised an eyebrow and nodded thoughtfully. “Your MS Comms, huh? Can she reactivate that?”

“The UW President and Board of Regents have the final say on new degrees, but it would have to be approved by Fulton’s Board of Trustees before it even gets to them. I have a feeling Joe might have abracadabra’d the files onto her desk.”

“So you think an offer from Fulton might be forthcoming - one that involves the MS Comms? Once the Board is reconstituted, of course.”

“I don’t know. But there’s something else, Jamie …” she trailed off and set her fork down. Looking directly into his eyes, she said seriously, “There’s something I need to tell you.”

His heart beat a little harder in his chest as he wondered if this was about her decision. 

“I turned Haas down. I emailed Dean Hoffman early yesterday morning, before I even left home, and let her know that it wasn’t the right choice for me.”

Jamie’s fork fell to the floor with a loud clang that reverberated around their table, and Phil rushed over with a clean one.

“Claire!” he whispered as he reached out to hold her hand. “But you haven’t heard if Fulton is offering you something good yet! And ye've no idea what the revamped board looks like.” 

“Jamie, like I told you, I did so much thinking. There is a lot I still need to tell you about Monday and a discussion I had with the girls on the patio that evening. It all fits into my decision-making process, but it’s a long story.”

“I have all the time in the world to listen. Eat up and tell me between bites.”

Claire gave him a detailed account of her Zoom call with Admissions and her discussion with Beth and Ella about women in far-flung areas of the world who were deprived of basic and advanced education. She described the twins’ shocked reactions, and their immediate request for permission to start a fund-raising drive, and how that rocked her to her very core.

“I know that anxiety tends to make us a little brain-foggy, but when the girls suggested raising funds to cover scholarships for all seventeen girls, I hadn’t even thought about tapping into the massive donation that Melissa secured from women business owners. So after they went to bed, Melissa and I spoke a little more about it.”

“What was Mel’s take on it?”

“When she started working on finding new Trustees, I asked her to set up a meeting so I can go in and address them. They need to hear what I have to say. I feel like my voice is stronger than any minutes they will read about Wolverton and his shenanigans.”

“Agree one hundred percent. I hope you get that opportunity.”

“I will,” she smiled, “Melissa is setting up a meeting for me to address the revamped board in the next week or two. In addition to telling them my story, I will let them know about the marginalized women seeking a Fulton degree, and I will ask them to vote on approving funding from the $348 million that my supporters have committed.”

“Christ, Claire. You amaze me more every day. So all of this played into your decision to reject Haas?” 

“Partly. It made me realize that I was about to give up more than I needed to in search of a professorship that I would eventually get at Fulton anyway. It opened my eyes to the fact that it didn’t have to be career vs. family vs. everything else. I just needed to find a better solution to strike a balance.”

“A balance between how you saw your career unfolding, how you saw your family life, and how you saw yourself making a difference in a community that needs help?”

“Yes. I mean, sure, how awesome would it be for my ego if I was the youngest person awarded a professorship in Fulton’s history, but that was my professional vanity getting in the way. Far more significant was the idea of making a real difference in the lives of women who really need the help. And most important of all was my family. The life we’re building together with the girls, and our plans for our future are infinitely more important to me, Jamie.”

He nodded thoughtfully, holding her gaze for a moment, and mulled over her words during his next couple of bites.

“You mentioned that the Haas offer felt so validating after your confidence took a battering at the hands of the Trustees. Will you feel the same recognition and appreciation staying on at Fulton if the MS Comms doesn’t come about?” 

“Merely being offered a position at Haas is self-validating for me. My priorities have shifted a lot. I want to do more than help just seventeen women. Malala Yousafzai almost died for this cause. I feel a deep need to shine a light on it in my own small way, and help as many women as I can. And after my breakfast with Hernandez yesterday, I’m even more convinced that staying at Fulton is the right choice. I feel like I’ll get a lot of support for this … this idea that I’m incubating.”

Jamie set down his fork and pushed his empty plate away. Claire did the same, and he reached out both hands to hold hers.

“God, I love you more each day, Claire. In the midst of all your own anxiety and stress, you’re desperately seeking ways to help those who are deprived of finding their own fulfillment through a basic right to education.”

“I can’t not help, Jamie. I wish you could see their beautiful thank you emails to me and Admissions. These women appreciate every interaction, every dollar, every kind word. It made me re-evaluate so much in myself. I am so lucky that I’m in a position to be able to bring about change. And I know that on a global scale, my help will seem insignificant, but for these seventeen women, and the ones that come after them, it will change the course of their lives. And possibly their communities too.”

He raised her hands and kissed one, and then the other.

“Nothing you do is insignificant, Claire. It takes just one person to make this sort of change, and the potential effects are limitless. I see you getting a lot of personal fulfillment in the drive to help these women and others in the same predicament, and I want to find ways to help too. Not just by supporting you in spirit, but by finding real ways to help."

"You would do that? You'd support this cause with me?"

"Of course I would. Your passion for this cause is contagious, and it's something I can really get behind. But I can’t help being concerned about the professional side - your career dreams. You’re so accomplished and you have so much that you still want to do in both the MBA and with the MS Comms, and it worries me a little that you might eventually start to feel like you’re suppressing your professional aspirations. I thought a lot about how we could make Haas work realistically for our family. Right down to selling the new house and moving to California to join you after the girls are at college. I had every intention of sharing all my ideas with you at the stone patio conversation that we had planned for tomorrow night.”

“My decision was about a lot more than philanthropy, Jamie. The discussion with the girls on Monday made me think about how many deep discussions we have with them about love, life, family, their future. And those discussions happen throughout the week. Ella’s comment about not wanting a Zoom mom - painful as it was - made me think hard about that. With me home on the weekend only, I would miss out on so many of our special weeknight chats when they fill me in on their day, their friends, their grades, what’s going on in their world, or the world at large. And while I know that for many families, working away from home is an absolute necessity or a career preference, I feel lucky enough that it’s a choice for me. And I chose the option that would fulfill me personally. The career fulfillment will come. I have no doubt about that. This decision … this choice is the one I want. It’s the life I want for us, Jamie. It’s the life I want for us and our girls and our babies.”

“I know you’ve thought about this deeply, but it could not have been an easy decision, Claire.”

“Easy decision? No. Right decision? Absolutely. Melissa urged me to work through all the pros and cons and issues methodically on paper, and I did that. It’s all in the study on a yellow legal pad, and you can look at it any time. I have nothing to hide. It took me several hours on Tuesday night, but it brought me so much clarity.”

“Tuesday night was my thinking night too. Our souls are so connected, Claire, that sometimes it’s eerie.”

She smiled. “Eerie, but in the most beautiful way. Want to know what else I did while I was sitting in the study?”

“Sure.”

“I dug out all those quotes you sent me with the glads when you were in L.A. for that first week. And I reread them all. And the waterworks started …”

He sat back in his chair, a little startled, and then leaned in close again. “I don’t know why I’m so surprised by that. On Tuesday night, I needed reassurance too, and I scrolled through some of our earlier texts to each other, all the way until I found the quotes from you.”

“You did not!” she exclaimed.

“Swear to God! And it made me feel so much better and gave me hope that our Friday conversation would be a good one. And our Friday conversation has turned into Thursday breakfast, and it’s filled with revelations and surprises, but it has been a very good conversation.”

They smiled at each other across the table.

“Jamie, I’d like to wait for the right moment to tell the girls about Haas. They are emotionally stretched right now, and need to work through so much anxiety and trauma from the accident. How would you feel about us getting them professional help?”

“You mean a therapist or psychologist? I think that’s a great idea, Claire. Vicki’s had so much experience treating youngsters who have gone through trauma. She might have some useful advice, or a referral to someone, perhaps.”

“Exactly what I was thinking. We’ll talk to her tonight.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

They headed back to the hospital with the box of scones for the nurses, and a smaller box of their complimentary baked treats in case the girls wanted a scone later. As they headed into the girls’ room, Jamie’s phone buzzed. It was Tara returning his call.

“Claire, I’m going to take this in the family lounge.”

She nodded and continued into the girls' room, where Ella had drifted off to sleep, and Beth was moments away from joining her.

“Tara, thank you so much for calling back.”

“Jamie! My God! I am so sorry to hear about the accident. How are the girls? And Claire?”

Jamie updated her and answered all her questions. Then he paused awkwardly for a moment before continuing.

“Tara, I am so sorry to bring this on you now. But I have to ...”

“How can I help, Jamie?”

“I don’t have my laptop, so I have no way to access my contracts and other paperwork. When you have some time, can you and my legal team look into the penalty clauses around terminating my involvement in Superman?”


	57. Chapter 57

* * *

  
There was a prolonged silence as he waited for her to respond.

“Tara? Tara, please don’t be alarmed - I’m not about to do anything reckless. I’m merely exploring options to find ways to lessen time away from my family. Especially now, when they will need me around more. I plan to talk to Luke Beyer first. He’s very much a family man, and I think he will take a compassionate approach to this, but ultimately Superman is big business, and he will put the interests of DC/Panther first. I need to cover all my bases legally, so I want to know what the implications are in terms of penalties before I even start that conversation with him. That’s the reason I need to see the contracts.”

“I completely understand, and I know that will be a difficult conversation for you to have with him. Can I ask why you’re even willing to consider termination? It’s such a drastic step! Superman shooting will be over by November. If you need a week off now to be with your family, I’m sure they can figure something out.” 

“That won’t be enough. The next six weeks will be critical at home. My girls will be recovering emotionally and mentally, as well as physically, and I need to support them and Claire through that. If I have to pay the penalties, I’ll do it. And I’ll take care of you too, Tara. I’ll prioritize whatever payments are due to you.”

“I know you’ll meet all your obligations, Jamie. I don’t doubt that for a second. Holy crap! You caught me by surprise here. Okay … let me think for a minute.” 

There was a momentary silence before she continued. “This kind of thing occurs in the industry from time to time - stuff happens and all of a sudden a lead has to be replaced for whatever reason. Is it a big deal? Of course it is! Studios have to scramble to figure out all the many moving parts. But it’s not the end of the world. I’m thinking more about you personally, Jamie. Superman is supposed to be your big farewell to the movie industry.”

She was also thinking about the impact of such an extreme move on his Oscar hopes. 

“Three months ago, that would have been a big issue for me, but the shock of the girls’ accident, and the stressful events that Claire has been dealing with have been eye-openers for me. I’ve been re-evaluating a lot of things in my life. It’s not just the girls’ recovery over the next six weeks, I have a feeling that something big is brewing for Claire, career-wise. If my suspicions are correct, she will be really busy - long hours, more stress, maybe some travel. Her career is on an upward trajectory. Mine is coming to a close, by personal choice. I need to be here for her and for our girls. That’s more important to me than going out with a bang.” 

“Will you let me think about some possible work-arounds before you talk to Luke? A deferred shooting schedule maybe, consolidating all your scenes, increased use of your stunt double - or even a body double in some scenes. There are other potential solutions to reduce your time away from home. I’ll do a bit of research and see if other productions have run into this type of thing, and what answers they came up with. No one is indispensable in this industry, but I feel like DC/Panther will want to work something out.” 

“Of course, Tara. I hate going back on my word, and those contracts are my word. DC/Panther has been phenomenal with me from the get-go. They have bent over backwards to accommodate me professionally and personally, so of course I would prefer to find a way to work this out. But right now, Claire and the girls supersede everything. If you think of anything, please call me right away.” 

“I’ll call you this weekend with details about those clauses. In the meanwhile, please give Claire and the girls my very best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie returned to join Claire in the girls’ room, Tara’s words about potential solutions racing a mile a minute in his head. He was about to sink into the sofa next to Claire, when Katia entered the room and looked pointedly at the sleeping girls and then at Jamie and Claire. 

The twins had drifted off soon after Katia and the nurse assistants had tended to their needs. They had removed Ella’s IV and catheter, and helped both girls freshen up in the bathroom. After they were done with their nursing duties, they had helped the girls back into their beds. Beth and Ella were soon lulled back to sleep by the soft tones of the nursing team quietly speaking with each other as they went about their work, cleaning and sanitizing the medical equipment and area around their patients. Katia had been satisfied with what she’d observed during the dressing change and was delighted that they had both fallen sound asleep so quickly.

“Patients do their best healing when they’re in a deep sleep,” she whispered to Claire and Jamie, “so I like to let them sleep as much as possible.”

“Okay,” Claire whispered back, “Jamie and I will go and sit in the family lounge until they’re awake.”

Jamie pulled Claire to her feet, and they headed to the refreshment corner in the family lounge to brew themselves a cup of tea. While the teabags steeped, Jamie mulled over his conversation with Tara.

“So deep in thought, my love. What’s on your mind?” 

“That was Tara on the phone earlier. I … uh … I asked her to pull up my contracts and review my penalty clauses.” 

Claire’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened in shock. “What? No! Why?” 

“I haven’t done anything rash, Claire. I’m merely looking at my options. I want to be around to help with the girls’ recovery.” 

They discarded their teabags and leaned back against the counter to continue their conversation. 

“I know you do, but their recovery is only a six week timeline. Are you seriously considering quitting Superman?” She sounded horrified.

“That would be the very worst case scenario. It’s going to be an intense six weeks, Claire. But beyond the recovery, I have a feeling there are changes ahead for you at Fulton. It’s no coincidence that Hernandez happens to have your MS Comms on her desk and then invites you to breakfast. She wanted to get to know you better - personally as well as professionally. If you are given the green light to roll out the degree, you’re going to be busy as heck, and I want to be around to help with the girls.” 

“I can’t even think about the MS Comms right now - I’m in shock, Jamie! Superman? I don’t want you to back out of that! The girls will be devastated too. They went with you to the big reveal, and they’re so proud and excited about your role.” 

“Claire, I-” 

“What about your Oscar nom? Won’t the Academy frown on this?” She turned and leaned her hip against the counter, searching his face for any hesitation. 

“I’m just explor-”

“Oh God! I know the girls will be upset over this. They are so excited for the Superman premiers, even though they’re a long way off.”

“Claire, let me-”

“What about the Comic Cons you spoke about? Me in my Catwoman suit? I was kinda looking forward to that.” 

“Oh, you’re going there, are you?” he replied with a naughty glint in his eyes. “I still want to see you in that costume.” He reached for her wrist and pulled her close against his body, cupping her butt in his hands. “I’m just reviewing my contractual obligations, Claire. I’m merely looking for ways to reduce my time away from you and the girls. My hope is that it won’t come to a messy end for me and Superman, but I need to know what I’m in for - just in case DC/Panther decide they want to replace me rather than work with me to find ways to figure this out. That’s why I asked Tara and my legal team to review my contractual obligations and penalties.”

She nodded somewhat sadly. “Superman finishes shooting in November. After that you’ll be around a whole lot more.”

“That’s three long months, and I’ll be gone through the week for most of that time. I don’t want this to add to your worries and stress right now, Claire. I just wanted to be forthcoming about what Tara and I spoke about. None of this is set in stone. I’m only putting my feelers out.” 

She rested her head on his shoulder. “You promise you’ll consider whatever other ideas Tara suggests?”

“Of course. But I think the big answers will come when I speak to Luke. He’s a father too. Both times I’ve messed with the schedule, he was right on it, helping me. First, when I came to the cheer showcase, and then flying out here last night. He gets it, and I think if anyone can come up with some solutions, it’ll be Luke. It will all depend on how those solutions will work for Panther, and the costs involved in adjusting the shooting schedule.”

“When are you talking to him?” 

“Tara’s calling me this weekend with a run-down on the penalty clauses. Once I know more, I’ll talk to Luke.” 

“Okay. This is such a huge step, Jamie. It caught me off-guard, but I want you to know that I appreciate you so much. That you would even consider such a huge move for the sake of our family …” she trailed off and shook her head slightly, still processing the shocking news. 

“Let’s not worry about all this for now, Claire. Once I get a sense of Luke’s reaction, we’ll have a better idea of how this might all unfold.” 

She nodded, and they drained their tea, tossing their styrofoam cups before moving towards the seating area.

The sofas in the family lounge were larger and more comfortable than the utilitarian two-seater in the corner of the girls’ room, and Jamie selected the largest sofa, sinking into it with a sigh. He patted the seat next to him and looked up, “Come lie here, mo chridhe. I need to feel you close to me.” 

She stretched out on the sofa with her head in his lap, and he slid his hand under her tee to rest on the soft, warm skin of her waist. His thumb caressed her gently. 

Claire tried to settle her thoughts, but the idea of Jamie quitting Superman was upsetting, to say the least. She couldn’t fault him for wanting to stand by her side in the coming months - and beyond. And she couldn't get his words about Luke out of her head. “He’s a father _too_.” His commitment to her and the girls was absolute and unconditional, and he saw himself as her partner in every way. Nonetheless, her heart ached when she thought of what a difficult decision it must have been to make that call to Tara in the first place. Claire would have to put her trust in her for this one. Tara had a lot to lose if Jamie pulled out of Superman. The woman was a Hollywood legend, famous for her dogged pursuit of contracts for her clients, mainly in crime thrillers and action movies. Unauthorized Contact was a whole new level altogether, combining war-time intelligence, action, and political intrigue in a film that was widely expected to enjoy enormous critical acclaim and box-office success. Jamie was looking likely to become Tara’s first ever Best Actor nomination, and turning his back on Superman would derail any chance of that. Claire knew there was no way Tara would be okay with that. If anyone could find a way to figure out how Jamie could spend less time on set and more time at home, it was Tara Lewis.

Claire sighed deeply and shifted her focus from her thoughts of Superman to Jamie’s comforting hand on her bare skin.

Jamie’s thoughts had moved to their conversation over breakfast and in particular on how Claire’s eyes had sparkled when she spoke about her passion project - the seventeen women seeking a Fulton degree. 

“Claire, tell me more about the women from Africa,” he invited gently. “Tell me everything you can without violating confidentiality.” 

“The only confidential information is their test scores and what they plan to apply for. Everything else they shared is common to women in this position, and easily accessible on the internet,” she told him. He listened intently as she shared the difficulties the women had suffered in their years-long efforts to educate themselves. The unreliable laptops … the CDs that contained a lot of their work, but were not accessible on newer computers with USB ports … internet site passwords they shared with each other to save money on memberships … the bribes and under-the-table payments their parents had to make for reliable satellite WiFi … outdated textbooks they found in donation boxes from around the world. 

“They read everything they can get their hands on, Jamie. Textbooks on veterinary anatomy, The Canterbury Tales - even recipe books from England. One of them told me she makes a great Yorkshire pudding.”

He smiled at that, and then turned serious. 

“It’s hard to believe this is still happening in the 21st Century. I want to help in any way I can, Claire. When our girls are over the worst, maybe you can share some of your ideas with me, and I can try and figure out where I’d be most helpful.” 

She looked up at him and smiled, “I’d love for you to help me in this, Jamie. The more minds and ideas we can put into it, the better.” 

Raising her hand to his face, she stroked his day-old beard and pouted playfully. “No more shaving until you really have to! I need the scruff back.”

“Oh, yeah?” he chuckled, “Where do you need it, exactly?”

“You know damn well, you cheeky bugger. You know all the places, and you torment me with it all the time.”

“I do … and I’m not sorry! I do it just to feel those wee hips of yours-”

“I was going to say ‘get a room’, but I guess you have. Am I intruding?” The voice from the door had them both jumping to their feet. 

“Mel!” Claire exclaimed in excitement as she rushed over to hug her friend. Melissa had a roller bag in one hand and two gift bags overflowing with tissue paper in the other. She set them down quickly to return Claire’s embrace. 

Jamie wasn’t far behind, and he pulled Melissa into a bear hug. “Thank you so much for everything yesterday, Mel. I don’t know what we would have done without you here over the past few weeks.”

“I wish I could do more, Jamie. I’m so glad you made it to be here with Claire during the night,” she smiled warmly. “Can I see the girls?”

She picked up the two gift bags and left the roller bag in the lounge with Jamie while Claire walked her to the girls’ room.

“They’re probably still asleep, but you can take a peek. Katia says they will probably sleep a lot today. Ella’s pain meds make her drowsy, and of course Beth needs as much rest as she can get.”

Melissa saw them for just long enough to plant a gentle kiss on the sleeping girls’ cheeks and leave a care package on the nightstand for each of them. 

Returning to the family lounge with Claire, she opened the roller bag and removed the girls’ robes, blankets and slippers. “Everything else you asked for is in there,” she pointed at the bag, “plus some extra stuff to sleep in tonight. Why don’t you guys go get showered and I’ll wait here for you.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Several other families were using the bathrooms in the resource center on the 8th floor, and Jamie and Claire showered and dressed promptly to give the cleaning crew access to the facilities in between users. Claire dried her hair while Jamie pored over the Seattle Times in the reading room. His face-mask afforded him some anonymity and he enjoyed the uninterrupted time to catch up on local and national news. He picked out a few magazines - a selection he thought they might all like, including Seventeen, Sports Illustrated, Girls’ Life, Time, and National Geographic.

A half hour after leaving the fifth floor, Claire and Jamie took the elevator back down. Melissa had packed dark grey LuluLemon sweatpants and a soft tee for Claire, and jeans and a navy crew neck shirt for Jamie.

“Feeling better?” Jamie asked, pulling her close. He slid his face-mask down, tugged gently at hers, and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

“Yes, so much better. Amazing what a difference a hot shower makes.” 

“You smell so good,” he said, nuzzling her hair, and kissing her again, “But your lips taste of hospital toothpaste.”

She swatted his bicep, “Really? And in what way is hospital toothpaste different to regular toothpaste?”

“Not sure,” he replied, smacking his lips with a glint in his eye. “Give me another taste so I can figure it out.”

She leaned in close, but the elevator doors opened before their lips could touch. They smiled and shrugged.

“To be continued … at a more appropriate time,” Jamie murmured in her ear, picking up the roller bag, and taking her hand as they turned towards the Level 1 critical care area. 

The family lounge was empty, and they found Melissa sitting in the recliner between the girls. They had their ‘Nonna blankets’ at the foot of their beds, and the contents of Melissa’s care packages were strewn across the bed covers. The three of them were deep in conversation, and the girls’ eyes lit up when they saw Claire and Jamie.

“We just awoke from a nap. You guys look shiny and clean,” Ella remarked.

“Look at all the stuff Melissa brought us,” Beth said excitedly, pointing at a selection of travel-size personal grooming items like lip-balm, deodorant, shower gel, and body spray. “And some makeup and Swedish Fish and Hi-Chews of course.”

“Oh, Mel, that is so perfect!” Claire smiled gratefully. “Thank you. And thanks for packing the perfect choices for Jamie and me.”

“No problem - it’s the least I can do.”

“They’re coming to get me for the CT scan in about a half hour,” Beth announced.

“And then we’re ordering lunch soon after that,” Ella added.

“Mom, will you come with me to the CT scan?”

“Of course sweetheart. I’ll have to stay in a waiting area while they go through the scanning process, but I’ll walk there with you, and I’ll be right outside waiting for you.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Melissa stayed for twenty minutes longer than the allowed visiting time, leaving reluctantly when Katia came in to update her tablet. 

“Okay, I’m about to get in trouble for staying too long,” Melissa declared, as she picked up her purse and kissed each of the girls on the cheek. “Please let me know if you need anything. I'll come running - you know that.”

After Beth’s CT scan and the girls' lunch, Katia suggested a short walk through the hallways and back.

“Now that you’re more mobile, Ella, I’d like you both to get moving a little more. C’mon, I’ll walk with you. Face-masks on, please.” 

They walked a few loops through the hallways, encountering a few other patients along the way. Katia kept a careful eye on them, and was pleased to note no dizziness or stability issues with Beth.

Back in their room, Katia insisted on some down time for the girls again. Normally around this time, many of her patients would want to access Netflix or Hulu and watch TV shows or a movie, but Beth’s concussion protocol precluded that.

“You can read some of those magazines, but no electronics for either of you. Beth, you can read for 20 minutes max. If your eyes start to hurt, or you get a headache, you should put the magazine away and just lie quietly with your eyes closed. Call me on the buzzer, and I’ll come and lower your bed if that happens.”

While the girls read for a little while, Jamie and Claire sat on the uncomfortable little sofa in the corner of their room and alternated between reading and checking texts and emails.

The afternoon ticked slowly by, punctuated by Katia’s check-ins and the occasional buzz from either Jamie’s or Claire’s phone. By 4:00 p.m., the girls had nodded off again. 

“Hmmh! Luke’s rearranged the shooting schedule for the next two weeks - without me even asking,” Jamie whispered, looking at his emails. “They’re shooting Maggie Q-only scenes in that time - the ones I’m not in, or the ones that involve her and other characters only. He’s giving me that time off to spend here at home. I knew he’d be working on making sure I could be with my family.”

“That’s incredibly kind of him,” Claire whispered back. “That must have taken some doing.”

“Oh yeah, there are a lot of things to consider when you change a production schedule like that. They’re being very accommodating. That’s why I’m hopeful that Luke will try to work with me to find ways to spend less time away from you and the girls. He thinks like a Dad when it really counts.” 

She lay her head on his shoulder as he continued to scroll through his emails. 

“What’s that about a driving course?” she asked quietly, looking at his screen. “Sorry - I’m being nosy.”

“I’ve been researching some advanced and defensive driving courses for the girls. Obviously we can only do that once Ella’s hand is healed, but I think it might be a good idea to sign them up for one. We could do it with them. It involves skid training, amongst other things. It teaches drivers how to manage over- and under-steers, get out of a skid safely, anticipate risks while driving - all of that. What do you think?”

“I think you are amazing and wonderful and thoughtful, and I don’t even know how to thank you.”

“I can think of a few ideas …”

She smiled at him and shook her head. “Bloody hopeless Scot! Kiss me.”

He took her face gently in his hands and pressed a row of feather-light kisses from her forehead to the tip of her nose. He paused there, and they breathed each other in for a moment before he found her lips and kissed her with infinite tenderness.

“I’ve missed this,” he murmured. “I’ve missed _you_.” 

There was a tap on the door, and the neurologist entered awkwardly.

They jumped to their feet and the neurologist took a few more steps into the girls’ room.

“I wanted to let you know about the CT scan we just completed,” he said quietly, taking in the sleeping girls. “It was very promising. The contusion is stable - no bleeding, no spreading. And there are no signs of intracranial pressure. Beth’s doing great overall.”

“That’s wonderful news! Is there any chance they might come home tomorrow?” Claire asked eagerly.

“The on-call neuro and Ella’s ortho will stop by tonight between 8:00 and 9:00 and make that determination. I’m optimistic about it, assuming she has another good night, and I’m adding that as a recommendation in my notes.”

“Okay. Thank you for everything, doctor. We’ll wait for the results of tonight’s consultations.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Vicki arrived a little early for her night shift and headed straight to the girls’ room, where she was greeted like an old friend.

“How’s my favorite family?” she asked, smiling happily at them. Ella was sitting at Beth’s bedside, relaying her texts and message from their friends. “Ella, you are doing exactly the right thing! Beth, good job staying off your phone and allowing Ella to help. Okay … I’m just stopping by to say hi for now. Once I’ve conferred with Katia and read all the reports and orders, I’ll be back to spend a little time with you and find out all about your day.”

Claire stood up and followed Vicki out the door.

“Vicki,” she said in hushed tones, “Jamie and I know that you’ve worked with a vast number of teens who’ve experienced a range of traumas and accidents. You’ve been a wealth of knowledge for us already and we would love to chat with you about finding a therapist to help the girls with their emotional response to the accident.”

“I was going to bring that up with you tonight,” Vicki replied. “Why don’t the two of you head over to the family lounge in a little bit - say ten minutes - and I’ll join you there.”

Claire nodded and returned to the sofa in the girls’ room. She extended a hand to Jamie and pulled him to his feet, mouthing “Family lounge … Vicki.”

Jamie nodded, but before they could take another step, Deacon pushed the door open and walked in hesitantly.

The girls looked up and greeted him excitedly. Ella got back into her own bed to make room for Deacon to sit next to Beth, and Jamie took the opportunity to greet him warmly.

“Hey, Deacon!” Jamie walked over to shake his hand. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you did to help out yesterday.”

“I wish I could have done more,” he said.

Jamie patted him firmly on the shoulder, and nodded his head towards the girls. “Go on and sit with the girls. Beth’s been looking forward to your visit. Both of them have, actually.”

Deacon gave Claire a quick hug and walked towards the beds. Beth had set aside her magazine and she smiled shyly at him as he approached her.

“Bethie,” he said softly, and she reached a hand out to him. “Can I hug you? I’ll be super careful.”

“Sure.”

Cautiously avoiding the part of her head with the laceration, he leaned in and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Beth reached her arms up around him, and they hugged for a quiet moment. Ella studiously avoided looking at them and picked up her magazine.

“Jamie and I are going to sit in the family lounge for a little while to take care of some stuff. We’ll be back in a bit.”

“Sounds good, Mom,” Ella said, nose still buried in her magazine. Deacon and Beth were too absorbed in each other to notice. He was holding her hand in both of his and leaning in as they spoke softly to each other for a moment. Claire hesitated, and then Deacon moved to sit in the recliner between the beds and started chatting amiably with both girls, avoiding the subject of the accident and telling them all about the progress on the stables. 

Satisfied that Ella wouldn’t be feeling like the third wheel, Claire took Jamie’s hand and they walked to the lounge.

Vicki joined them a few minutes later. “I’m so glad you’re being proactive about this,” she said. “So often, we tend to focus entirely on the physical recovery, and once the body has healed, we’re scrambling to catch up on the emotional fallout. It’s important that Ella and Beth get some professional help to process a very complex mix of emotions. There will be lingering trauma, guilt, shame, fear …they can’t work through all of that on their own. I know just the person to help out. We have a psychologist on our trauma team, Maddox Abrams, who is outstanding with teens and traumatic events. I’ll get hold of him and see if he can stop by in the morning and spend some time with the girls.”

“Sounds excellent to us. Thank you, Vicki.” 

“Have you two eaten anything since breakfast? I know you didn’t get lunch with the girls, and you didn’t order dinner either. I’m holding you hostage here until you give me a dinner order. I just stopped by and took the girls’ order and they asked if I could get something for Beth’s boyfriend too. What a sweetie he is. I said yes, of course. We have a bunch of meal vouchers at the nurses' station, so it's no big deal.”

“Aww, thank you, Vicki. He is a sweetie. Deacon is a wonderful young man all round.”

“I need you to order dinner before I leave this room. There’s a menu on the bulletin board here, or if you want a recommendation, Thursday night is chicken pot pie night. Great comfort food, and very hearty. It comes with two sides - pick from mash, peas, or baby carrots.”

“We’ll go with your recommendation - the chicken pot pie sounds wonderful. Mash and peas for me. Jamie?”

“Make that two.”

“I’ll rush this through. It’ll be around twenty minutes before it’s delivered.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Deacon left soon after dinner, and both girls were noticeably more spirited after his visit.

Jamie and Claire sank into the recliner, simultaneously releasing a long sigh.

Jamie chuckled at their joint reaction. “That’s an end-of-the-day sigh if I ever heard one,” he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

“Yah - did you guys plan that?” Ella teased. 

“It’s been quite a day, girls,” Claire began, “And it’s only 7:30 p.m. How are you feeling now that the last visitor has left, and most of the doctor visits are over for the day? Just one more for both of you - neuro at 8:30 and ortho at 9:00.”

“I’m looking forward to getting that out of the way. I’m so glad the doctors won’t need to wake me up in the middle of the night.”

“We’ll all get a better night’s sleep, I think,” Claire pointed out. “Although Ella was well and truly out last night after the anesthetic.”

“Yeah - I don’t remember any of Vicki’s check-ins. How are you guys doing?” Ella asked, looking closely at their faces as they replied.

“A lot better knowing that you’re both doing well,” Jamie said.

“Today was definitely better than yesterday,” Claire agreed, slipping her hand into Jamie’s.

“Girls … your father called.”

Beth and Ella sneaked each other a look and a quick one at Jamie before turning to Claire.

“What … what did he say?” Ella asked hesitantly. “Is he mad about the car?”

“He asked how you were doing. I’ve been keeping Kelly informed every step of the way, and she’s been sending the messages on to your father. Did you girls know he was in England? You’ve been keeping up with your weekly FaceTimes, right?”

“Yeah, but when we FaceTimed two weeks ago, he didn’t answer, so we texted Kelly,” Beth explained.

“She told us he’s been in England helping Grandma sell her house, so we texted him and asked if he wanted us to start FaceTiming again when he gets back to Boston. He said that would be best, because of the time difference and all,” Ella shrugged.

“Why doesn’t he bring Grandma over to live near them in Boston? It sounds like she’s all alone in England.”

“Well, you know she’s been struggling with some dementia and mental health issues for a few years, girls. Kelly told me earlier in the summer that it was getting worse, and that your father was starting to look into some memory care facilities for her.”

“That’s so sad mom,” Beth’s face fell. “Will we ever see her again? I’ve only met her four times in my whole entire life.”

“I know, sweetheart. She’s very fond of you girls. I always tried to keep her up to date on what was happening in your lives by sending her photos and videos of you as you were growing up. If you like, I can speak to your father about visiting her next summer.”

“No, we can talk to him about it. We’ll do it next time we FaceTime him,” Beth replied.

“Mom, is he mad about the car?”

“Well … he knows that we get a lot of rain, and that accidents happen. I don’t want you to worry about the car. Melissa spoke to Colton this evening and got hold of the reporting officer on the scene. She has a copy of the accident report and has been in touch with the insurance company on my behalf. They’ll probably start investigating tomorrow or Monday, and I’ll take over from there. It will all be taken care of. I want you to focus on your recovery, not the car. Cars are replaceable ...” she trailed off, and Jamie pressed her hand gently.

“Okay,” Ella nodded, her expression sombre and pensive.

Jamie’s thumb traced gently comforting circles on the back of Claire’s hand. The appointment with Maddox Abrams was going to be a welcome mental health intervention the next morning.

“I spoke to Astaire earlier, while you were napping,” Jamie said, changing the subject clumsily.

“Wait, really? What did he say? Is he in trouble?” Ella asked worriedly.

“We’re good, no hard feelings between us. Luke had a stern chat with Astaire. Ava was one week into her 90-day probation with Panther Entertainment, and she should not have been left unsupervised all day. If she messes up again during her probationary period, she’ll be fired. In the meanwhile they’ve assigned her to work on Stage B as a gopher. She’ll get some extra training and supervision.”

“I don’t think it’s going to end well for Ava, to be honest,” Beth remarked. “I’m so glad you aren’t mad at Astaire anymore, though. He seems so good at his job, and this was just one mistake.” Beth’s eyes revealed her concern for Astaire.

“I’m not mad, leannan, in fact I praised him for being thoughtful and proactive about the things he did for me today - without me even asking him. He's Fedexing my laptop to me along with a few other things, he cancelled meetings with accent coaches and personal trainers, he went to check on things at my apartment. He’s a good lad and we’re okay.”

“We haven’t Snapped him yet, Beth,” Ella looked at Jamie and Claire and wrinkled her nose, “We’re kind of slacking here. A bunch of our friends asked if they could FaceTime, just for a minute. We haven’t done that yet because we wanted to check with you first.”

“Almost everyone we’ve spoken to has asked to FaceTime you too,” Claire said, a worried frown beginning to creep across her brow. “A few minutes here and a few minutes there will quickly add up to much more screen time than is safe for Beth.”

The girls looked disappointed. ‘We promised our friends, and I hate to let them down,” Ella protested.

“I have an idea,” Jamie said. “Why don’t we make a short video of the two of you together - thirty seconds max. You can smile and let everyone know how you’re doing, thank them for their love and concern, and wave happily. Then we can send it to all the many people who are worrying about you. Maybe we can ask them to send videos back, and you can watch those a few at a time.”

“I love that idea, Jamie! What do you girls think?”

They looked at each other and thought about it for a while.

“I mean, I’m not exactly video-ready,” Ella grimaced. “I haven’t even brushed my hair.”

“Well, it amounts to the same thing as those FaceTimes you wanted to be on,” Claire pointed out. “I can help you jazz up your hair a little ..." 

“Nah - you know what? We were just in an accident, and it’s okay to look like this. Let’s make the video.” Ella looked at Beth, “How do you feel about it, Beth?”

“I say we go for it.”

While Jamie recorded them, the girls hammed it up in a light-hearted video thanking everyone for their love and good wishes. They pointed out their injuries and assured their friends that they were recovering well. Claire had asked them to include a sober reminder to their friends that they should slow down in the rain, and that being a few minutes late was better than putting themselves and others in danger. They wrapped up by crediting their outstanding medical team, singling out Vicki and Katia as joint GOATS in the nursing world. They waved cheerily at the end and called out “Love all of you guys! Hope to see you soon.”

Claire and the girls reviewed the video and declared it perfect.

“Ok, now the real work begins,” Jamie said. “We need to send it to everyone who sent their good wishes or asked to FaceTime you.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The last visits from the girls’ doctors that evening brought overwhelmingly happy news. They were approved for discharge the following day, and Vicki explained the process.

“Normally we like to discharge before noon, but the hospital as a whole is swamped with admissions in the Covid sections. Every morning brings a wave of new patients. And even though we are not in one of the Covid buildings, admissions and discharges are all handled centrally. So in order not to overload our teams, we delay non-Covid discharges until around lunchtime.”

“So this is our last night with you, Vicki?” Beth asked sadly.

“It is, honey. I’m going to miss you tomorrow night for sure.”

“I’m excited to get back to my own bed,” Ella said, “but I’ll be so sad to say goodbye to you.”

“I’ll wake you up before I leave and we can say goodbye then, okay?”

Vicki was just as sad to bid farewell to Beth and Ella. This sweet family had crept into her heart, and it would be hard to say goodbye.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie awoke first. Claire was asleep in his arms, and he carefully adjusted the blanket over her. Vicki must have covered them during one of her check-ins. He glanced at the digital clock on the wall. 5:03 a.m.

His phone was on the nightstand between the girls, but he daren’t reach for it, in case he disturbed Claire. She had been exhausted by the time the girls fell asleep and as soon as their eyes were shut, she slipped into her lounge pants and sank tiredly into the recliner. Jamie had quickly changed into his sweats so that he could lie beside her and let her sleep in his arms. Minutes after nestling her soft, yielding body into his solid, comforting warmth, she had started to drift off to sleep and hadn’t stirred since.

He kissed the top of her head, and let her fragrant curls tickle his nose. Her hair had a slightly different scent, thanks to the lemon-argan shampoo in the dispenser on the 8th floor. He looked at the girls, and both were also asleep. They looked peaceful and content, and Jamie closed his eyes again, a satisfied smile teasing his lips. He was right where he was supposed to be and it felt good. 

Claire stirred a little, and he kissed the top of her head again. Vicki would be in soon to do her final check-in, and she would say goodbye to them at that time.

“Good morning, my love,” Claire whispered, tilting her head back to look at him.

He dropped a kiss on the bridge of her nose.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered back. “Don’t move, this is my favorite thing in the world - waking up with you in my arms.”

She smiled sleepily, “I hope you haven’t got all sorts of cramps from me sleeping on you. You’re probably sticky and sweaty from having me on you all night.”

“I’ll take your sticky and sweaty any time if it means I get to hold you like this.” He dropped another kiss on her nose, and she stretched and yawned. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” she reached up and stroked his jawline with the back of her fingers, smiling in approval at the progress his stubble was making. “We should probably get up. Vicki will be in soon.”

Vicki appeared a few minutes later, and they had a quiet chat with her in the corner of the room. 

“I try not to wake my patients when they’re resting, but I’m going to do a final update in the tablet, and I’ll wake them up briefly to say goodbye.”

“Yes, you must. Please!” Claire insisted. “They’ll be crushed if they don’t have an opportunity to thank you.”

Vicki awoke the girls gently, and Claire and Jamie helped to raise the head of their beds. To her surprise, Vicki found herself blinking away tears as she said goodbye to the girls. Saying goodbye to patients was something she had become used to over the years. She had trained herself to avoid becoming too emotionally involved, but her training failed her on a few occasions, and this was one of them.

“I’ll never forget you girls. You are among the sweetest, most respectful young women I’ve had the pleasure of looking after. I’m going to miss you so much.”

Beth’s chin wobbled slightly, and within seconds her tears overflowed and ran hotly down her cheeks.

“Th … thank you so much for everything, Vicki. Can we come and visit you here? I want to bake you some cookies to take home to your kids.”

“While Covid is going on, they won’t let you come upstairs to see me, but you can call up and I’ll meet you downstairs. I’ll give your mom my number and she can check to make sure I’m on duty before you come.”

Ella pressed her lips together in an attempt to stifle her own emotions, but after a few seconds, she too succumbed, and her tears flowed freely.

“Vicki, I … thank you. Just … thank you,” she sobbed, as her pent-up feelings surfaced and spilled over.

Vicki took one of the girls’ hands in each of hers and smiled through her unshed tears. “You are an amazing family. Please follow all of the doctors’ instructions so you can recover fully. It’s been a joy and an honor to take care of you.” A single tear rolled down her face, and she grabbed a tissue to wipe it away.

Claire and Jamie walked her to the door, and looked at her for a moment - unsure how to even begin to thank her. They each held one of Vicki’s hands.

“Next time we see you, I hope we’re past the pandemic, so we can hug you and thank you all over again.” Claire’s tear-filled eyes conveyed all the appreciation she wanted to express. “You have gone far beyond what your professional duties required.”

Vicki shook her head. “You are the most amazing and loving family I’ve looked after in a very long time. You two have an incredible connection, and I’m so pleased you were able to work through … whatever brought you so much pain when I first met you. What an amazing example you are setting for your girls.”

Jamie swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you enough, Vicki. You saw us at our worst-”

“No. I saw you at your best.”

They pressed Vicki’s hands gently and released her. Tears had welled in her eyes again, and, unable to say anymore, she turned and walked quietly out of the room.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

With the girls’ discharge confirmed for just after lunch, things progressed quickly throughout the morning.

Katia was as cheerfully efficient as she’d been the previous day, and she sat on the recliner chair laughing and chatting with the girls as she added some final updates to her tablet. She carefully went over their care plan and discharge papers, insisting that Claire and Jamie pull up the tub chairs from the corner and listen attentively. 

“I’m giving you all these instructions to take home so you can refer to them as needed, but I like to go over all of it carefully, in case you have any immediate questions.”

They all nodded soberly and paid close attention to the information outlined in the paperwork. 

“Breakfast is on the way up, and after that, one of our trauma team is coming to see you. Maddox. He’s literally the coolest guy you’ve ever seen. He was in a band with Macklemore when they were teens.”

“Nuh-uh!” Ella exclaimed.

“For real,” Katia confirmed. “He’s a bit younger than Macklemore, but such an awesome drummer that they allowed him to play for them for a few years. They're still good friends, and Macklemore gets him Seahawks tickets whenever he does a half-time show for them.”

“I can’t wait to meet him!” Beth smiled, wide-eyed with excitement.

Maddox turned out to be a riot! He had the girls giggling and laughing from the moment he walked in. He was in his early-thirties, and was dressed Seattle hippie-style in a white tunic shirt and brightly-colored striped pants. His hair was in dreadlocks, pulled back into a ponytail, and he wore red leather winklepickers - sockless, of course. 

He walked in the room just as Ella was taking a selfie to Snap to her cheer friends. 

Maddox froze and gasped dramatically. “Look at you! Flexing all that high-tech medical stuff for your friends. Here - let me get a shot of both of you to send out. No charge.” 

Beth and Ella giggled helplessly, and Claire and Jamie laughed along with them as Maddox captured a few shots of Ella and Beth goofing around for their friends. 

He returned Ella’s phone and introduced himself to the girls, then walked back to greet Jamie and Claire.

“You guys are welcome to stay here while we chat,” he said quietly. “It’s my experience that teens are more forthcoming if their parents aren’t around. They’ll feel a need to protect you guys from the trauma they went through. It’s totally your choice. If you opt to stay out of the room, I’ll come find you in the lounge in about 45 minutes and brief you. Katia will be in here the whole time.”

Jamie looked at Claire, and she nodded slightly.

“I think we’ll go wait for you in the lounge,” Jamie replied.

“Yes, we’d prefer that they open up completely and start working through their trauma without feeling inhibited by our presence,” Claire added.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

While Claire and Jamie settled in the lounge to wait for Maddox, she called Melissa to let her know there was no need to bring a change of clothes. She had shared the good news about the discharge the previous evening, but their morning was turning out to be really busy. The girls’ dressings still needed to be changed, a physical therapist was coming in to see Ella about her hand, and Claire needed to complete the discharge paperwork. 

“It seems a waste of your time to go dig out clothes for us. We’ll shower when we get home. I’d prefer to be in my own bathroom anyway. I’m dying for a long, hot shower without worrying that I’m holding up the next person.”

“Okay. Let Armando know that it’s turned out to be a busy morning. He was planning on stopping by the hospital this morning too.”

“I already texted him. He’s going to come hang out with us at home tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. I’m working on campus with Joe today, so when you’re ready for me to pick you up, just give me about 20 minutes notice. I have five Trustee candidates committed now, just so you know.”

“That’s fantastic, Mel. I can’t wait to meet them and learn more.”

“Yep - Hernandez and the BoR need to approve them, but you’ll likely meet them sometime next week. Hey … uh … Anton invited me on a private dinner cruise tonight. Just me and him on his boat, which he keeps at a marina on Lake Washington.”

“Mmmmhmmm …” Claire responded.

“Yeah - you can drop that sass right now,” Melissa admonished lightly. “I’m sure he wants to update me on-”

“Who are you kidding? No one talks business on a private dinner cruise for two on Lake Washington. On a Friday night!”

Jamie chuckled slightly, and winked at her.

“We’ll be spending the night on the boat at his brother’s house. Anton says Milo and Suki have a lovely home right on the water, complete with a private dock. They’re still in Arizona, so we’ll have the place to ourselves. ”

“Yes they have a stunning home on the lake. Sounds like a fun night, Mel. You deserve a great night out.”

“Claire ... if you need me around to help with the girls, I can ask Anton for a rain check.”

“Don’t you dare! Lauren from up the road - grey house with the hydrangeas? She texted me last night, right after we got the news that the girls were being discharged, and she’s bringing us a meal at around 6:00 tonight. She’s always so thoughtful that way.”

“Okay. You’re sure?”

“Yes! Jamie and I will be just fine - we don’t even have to worry about dinner! I think it will be an early night for everyone. The girls will be dying to sleep in their own beds. And Jamie and I still have a lot of lost sleep to catch up on.”

Jamie chuckled again and raised a brow, but kept his eyes on his phone.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Maddox walked into the family lounge, all smiles and high energy.

“Claire, Jamie! You guys are doing a fine job of raising two fantastic, grounded young women!” 

“ _All_ the credit goes to Claire, Maddox. She is the most outstanding mother.”

Claire slipped her hand into Jamie’s. “In the short time Jamie has been part of their lives, he has brought so much stability and love into the girls’ lives - into all of our lives. He gets a lot of credit too.”

“Teamwork, you guys! Teamwork makes the dream work!” He groaned at his own cliché.

They smiled gamely and Claire asked, “Maddox, how did your session go? How are our girls doing with the shock and trauma?”

“They’re exhibiting the typical reactions of teens who have gone through a traumatic accident. There’s fear and worry. Anxiety about getting back behind the wheel and driving. Ella feels a lot of guilt because she was driving. Beth feels bad because she doesn’t want Ella to bear all that guilt. They both have some anxiety over how you two are doing with this, too. And Ella is worried about her father being really angry and taking it out on you, Claire.”

Claire pressed her lips together and Jamie’s jaw muscles rippled.

“That’s a lot for them to process, isn’t it?” Claire asked worriedly.

“It is,” Maddox said gently. “Going forward, they might experience more anxiety … nightmares are a possibility, and there will be ongoing memories of the accident itself. Beth was unconscious, but she worries about Ella’s recollections of the accident. Ella was awake throughout. Having a car cut around you is pretty horrific. It’s loud and noisy, the first responders are pulling and pushing, the car is shaking, people are shouting around them - it’s a terrifying thing in itself.” Maddox painted a frightening picture of some of the horror that Ella had been through. Claire’s hand tensed in Jamie’s and he covered it with his other hand, holding it gently but firmly in both of his. 

“How can we best support them through this?” Jamie asked. “We’re considering a defensive driving course, but I’m concerned that it might re-traumatize them. Claire and I would both do the course with them.”

“I think that’s a great idea. It would give them the confidence that they can deal with unexpected situations while driving. It’s really important that you encourage Beth and Ella to talk about it - don’t avoid the subject. Let them give you all the detail they want. It might not come out all at once, but give them some time and they’ll let it all out eventually. Get them back to daily routines as quickly as possible - and of course that’s a mess right now with Covid. Nothing is routine any more.”

They listened attentively and nodded. Maddox reached into his folder and rifled through a stack of business cards. He pulled one out and handed it to Claire.

“This is the card of an awesome therapist in Issaquah. That’s not too far from you, right? Like me, she works with a lot of teen trauma. I highly recommend a consultation with her as soon as you can schedule it. She’ll outline a plan for you guys. I’m guessing a session every two weeks initially. With a few months of therapy to help them work through this, I’m confident they’ll recover well - emotionally and physically. They have a loving, supportive family environment, and that’s critical.”

Claire briefly shared that she had been weighing up a commuting job that caused the girls a lot of stress and concern. “I declined the job, but haven’t told them yet. I’ve been wondering if they are too overloaded with emotions to handle it right now.”

Maddox listened and nodded thoughtfully. “I think they will welcome and handle that good news just fine. You should consider sharing it with them over the weekend, once they’ve settled back into the familiarity and comfort of their home environment.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was well past lunch time when Katia and the orderlies helped Ella and Beth into their wheelchairs and pushed them to the elevators. It had been a busy morning at the hospital. A surge in Covid cases caused a backlog in the system and resulted in a delay in discharge paperwork.

Jamie, Claire, and Melissa followed the girls, carrying all their belongings. They paused for a moment at the elevators and said a heartfelt and appreciative goodbye to Katia, who fought back her own emotions too.

“No more tears, you guys! I still have to get through the rest of my day!”

The twins smiled bravely, and held back their tears for Katia’s sake.

“You were so much fun, Katia! Thanks for playing Heads Up with us this morning while we waited for the paperwork.”

“And for taking such good care of us,” Beth added.

“You girls were dream patients. I’m going to miss you. Follow all those instructions I read to you, because, as much as I love you guys, I don’t necessarily want you back in here for infection treatment.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Melissa had switched the Model S for Claire’s SUV in the Fulton parking lot. It had been there since the morning of the accident, and its roomier interior accommodated the five of them more comfortably. She parked on the driveway so that the girls wouldn’t have to walk past the empty garage stall that normally housed their Tesla. Claire kept a careful eye on Beth for any signs of dizziness as they walked up the steps and past the front door.

“Whoa,” Beth gasped as she stopped in her tracks in the kitchen.

“Oh. My. God.” Ella froze and stared around her.

The kitchen was a profusion of color and fragrance as balloon bouquets fought for space with vibrant flower arrangements and overflowing gift bags.

“Yep - I’ve been bringing in deliveries from the front porch since yesterday,” Melissa smiled.

“Where are they all from?”

“The big colorful flower arrangement in the middle is from Jamie - it arrived just before I left to pick you up. The rest are from all your friends, I’m guessing,” Melissa replied. “They all have cards, so you can read the messages later.”

“Thank you, Jamie,” they said in unison. “Your flowers are beautiful.”

“Just wanted you to have something pretty and colorful to come home to. I guess everyone had the same idea,” he laughed.

“This is so amazing!” Ella snapped some pictures. “We’re gonna have sooooo many thank you cards to write, Beth.”

“I know! We should get them all done this weekend.”

“I’m going to head upstairs to shower and get ready for my dinner date,” Melissa announced. “I’ll see you all a little later.”

Ella turned to Claire, “Mom, I really need a long shower too, and I want to wash my hair. Can you help me waterproof my hand, please?”

“Of course. But as far as your hair goes, Armando is coming over tomorrow and he offered to bring his portable basin so he can shampoo and deep condition both of you. The basin will give him better control - especially with Beth’s injury. A little pampering for you girls. Do you think you can wait one more night for the hair?”

“Sure,” Beth agreed. “How awesome is Armando to do that! It will be so much easier to avoid my dressing in his basin. In the meanwhile, can we both take a shower with waterproofed dressings? I’ll be really careful, Mom.”

Jamie smiled wryly at Claire. There were so many little things the girls needed help with, and they were just starting to scratch the surface. “While you help Ella and Beth, I’m going to call Murtagh so we can figure out some things with Julio’s interview at the winery this weekend."

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

By 9:00 that evening, Jamie, Claire and the girls had eaten their fill of Lauren’s delicious enchilada casserole and blonde brownies. They were all outside on the covered patio, sipping chamomile tea. Ella and Beth were stretched out on the sofas looking quite worn out. Beth had drifted off to sleep a few times and awoke with a slight start each time. Ella scrolled through messages and replied to as many as she could. Her energy was flagging and she set her phone down and closed her eyes.

Claire curled up against Jamie, her head resting against his arm and her nails tracing lazy patterns up and down his arm. She felt his bicep twitch against her cheek when she touched the ultra sensitive skin in the crook of his elbow.

“I’m going to get Beth and Ella upstairs in a minute so I can help with pajamas,” she said quietly. “They’ll get the hang of doing all this for themselves in a few days, but for now they need my help avoiding their injuries.”

“Aye, they do. I’ll say goodnight now, and while you’re helping them, I’ll take a long, hot shower.”

“Okay. As soon as they’re in bed, I’m going to come back down and make a list of all the flowers and gifts they’ve received so they can send thank you cards. I need to do that before all the cards get detached. We’ll never remember who sent what. Will you come down and let me know when you’re done in the shower?”

“Mm-hmm,” he leaned over and kissed her before getting up and planting a kiss on each girl’s head.

“Goodnight, my leannans. I hope you have a restful night. You promise you'll call out for us if you need anything?”

“We promise. G’night, Jamie.”

“Thanks, Jamie. Goodnight.” 

Jamie paused briefly in the kitchen on his way to the bedroom. He leaned over the kitchen island and pulled out two crimson roses from the flower arrangement he’d ordered for Claire and the girls. 

Once upstairs, he stripped off and stepped into the steaming shower. Selecting the strongest pressure setting, he stood under the shower head and allowed the hot water to pound his body. It ran in rivulets over the honed ridges and hollows of his back and chest and arms, and down the long, lean muscles of his legs. He closed his eyes and inhaled the purifying, steamy air of the shower, allowing the water to rain over his body and take with it the tension of the previous three days. He allowed himself the indulgent luxury of standing there for a long five minutes before vigorously lathering up and scrubbing himself all over with the YSL gel whose scent drove Claire to distraction. He dried off and pulled on a black T-shirt and clean black sweats. 

The two crimson roses on the bathroom counter propelled him into action for the next fifteen minutes. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire was just two balloon bouquets and a gift bag away from completing the list of gifts and flowers when Jamie appeared. She looked up from her notepad on the kitchen counter and smiled at the sight of his hastily towel-dried hair.

“Your hair’s still damp, my love.”

Ruffling his hair with one hand, he smiled back. “It’s almost dry. How did it go with the girls? Were they able to settle easily?” 

“Yes, they were. They’re two little homebodies, our sweet girls, aren't they? Love nothing more than being home with us. I need to get Beth some pajamas that button up in front, rather than pull over her head. And something suitable for Ella too - her hand doesn't fit through any of her pajama armholes. We eventually gave up on pajama tops and settled on camis for both of them. Apart from that, they were really happy to be back home. Ella insisted on sleeping with Beth in case she needs something during the night.”

“Ahhh! Those girls kill me. I love their closeness!” Jamie smiled. “I’m equally worried about Ella and the possible nightmares that Maddox mentioned, so I’m pleased to hear they’re together tonight,” he remarked. 

"I mentioned that to Ella and asked if she wanted me to sleep with her. She was trying so hard not to hurt my feelings, but I realized very quickly that they really need to be together tonight. Probably the next few nights, actually. They've been through something horrific together, and they will work through it together when they start seeing the therapist. We'll support them in whatever way they need us, but I think right now, they each need to know that the other is okay. Their 'twin connection' is pretty remarkable, and they protect each other without even realizing it."

"Yes, they do. I've seen that on various occasions. I hope they get the rest they need. How many times do you think Katia told us that they do their best healing while asleep?" he chuckled. 

“A dozen maybe," she giggled. "We lucked out, though, didn’t we? The girls had the best care we could have hoped for. Katia's right about their need for sleep, my love, and I really do think they'll get a restful night. I left their door ajar so we’ll hear them if they holler for us. But Beth could barely keep her eyes open on the patio. Ella took her pain meds just before getting into bed, and they make her super drowsy. They’re going to have a good, uninterrupted sleep tonight. No beeping machines, no middle-of-the-night chart or tablet updates, just the peace and quiet they’re used to at home.”

He nodded and walked up behind her, peering over her shoulder at the list of gifts she had compiled.

“You just about done?” he asked, his fingertips trailing up and down her arms, as he nuzzled the back of her neck and brushed his lips over the goosebumps that arose instantly in response to his touch. 

“Just these few left,” she said, allowing her body to relax into his. “Mmmm. You smell so good, and I’m suddenly feeling really gross. It’s been a long day, and I’m desperate for a shower too.”

Jamie wrapped his arms around her and kissed the outer edge of her ear.

“You’re making it impossible for me to focus on my list,” she smiled, and pressed back against him a little. 

His lips traced the contours of her ear, sending ripples of pleasure all the way down her spine.

A slow smile spread across her lips. “You were up there a long time - did you leave me any hot water?” she teased.

“I did,” he murmured, lips still feathering her ear. “In fact, I ran you a bath.” He moved his mouth along the edge of her ear towards her ear lobe, his tongue teasing her with little licks and his lips nibbling delicately on her soft skin.

“You did?” she sighed. The list in front of her faded into insignificance as she focused on the warmth that had started between her legs.

“Ohhhh,” she forced herself to breathe as his lips moved down the side of her neck, the sensation of his stubble on her sensitive skin disassembling most of the coherent thoughts in her head. “I … I can’t think of a more perfect way to end this week than a soak in the tub,” she whispered.

“You can take all the time you need in the bath. It'll help you get a good night's sleep too,” he murmured just behind her ear, the deep timbre of his voice going straight to her core, igniting sensations that had been repressed by stress and shock and anxiety. A good night's sleep for herself was suddenly not as high on her list of priorities.

She turned around slowly to face him.

“Claire …” he leaned in and kissed her with achingly soft sweetness and she pressed herself against him, returning his kiss with equal tenderness. She sucked in his bottom lip and held it gently between her teeth before releasing it and dropping tiny kisses where her teeth had been. Rolling her hips into his, she felt the beginnings of his arousal against her and the heat between her legs intensified.

Her kiss and the instinctive response of her hips were the confirmation he needed that she too was seeking the intimacy and release of a physical re-connection. But he needed to be sure.

"Claire, we don't need to-"

She touched her fingers to his lips, gently silencing his words, if not his thoughts. 

"Yes, we do. I need you, Jamie. I need all of you tonight. Your heart, your soul ... and I really, really need your body."

He pulled her tighter against him, and pressed his lips to her temple for a long silent moment. The quiet, peaceful bath-time and solitude he had planned for her might unfold somewhat differently to how he had imagined it, but he would allow her needs to guide him. Tonight would be all about what comforted her and met her needs. All of them.

“Come with me,” he said quietly. “Let’s go find our perfect way to end this tough week.”

He led Claire upstairs, his pinky finger hooked with hers. He realized that tonight would be about so much more than make-up sex. Indeed, both he and Claire felt deeply satisfied with where they were emotionally. Their raw and honest conversations at the hospital and over breakfast had reconnected their souls and restored their balance. They had slowly settled back into their sweet flirtatiousness, and he yearned for her with an intense hunger that had been suppressed in response to the emotional trauma of the week.

Now, he was entirely focused on making this a special night for Claire. Reuniting intimately would be a cathartic release as the last vestiges of tension dissipated - along with their inhibitions - in their physical responses to each other. 

Quietly nudging the door open, he led her into their bedroom and leaned against the door, gently pushing it shut with his body. He reached behind his back to engage the lock and a frisson of excitement rippled through her, as it always did when he locked their door. She knew it would result in hours of mutual pleasure, and she needed him and this night of rediscovery more than she had allowed herself to think about.

The delicate fragrance drifting through the open double doors of the bathroom and the subtle flickering of lights hinted at a candle-lit scene, and she was excited to see what Jamie had done with the bathroom. She smiled slowly at him, and he took her hand and led her towards the bathroom entrance, where she stopped and gasped.

“Jamie …” she whispered, “Jamie, this is … this is …”

“Claire,” he said softly, stealing away her next words with his kiss, “there's no need to say anything. I want you to let me take care of everything tonight. Will you let me do that?”

“Yes,” she whispered, looking around her bathroom in disbelief and amazement. The full length windows surrounding the tub revealed an almost-full moon, and the majestic trees on their new property were silhouetted against the moonlight. Jamie had placed candles carefully and strategically around the tub and on the counter, where the mirror reflected their light and added an ethereal quality to the ambience in the room. The gently flickering candles threw undulating shadows and watery reflections on the walls and ceiling. The tub had been filled with hot water and was subtly fragranced with her favorite oils - a soothing combination of bergamot and vanilla. In the soft candlelight, they could see steam wafting gently from the surface of the tub, and a sprinkling of deep red rose petals floated lazily on the water, adding their scent to the heady mix. A stack of her fluffiest towels waited for her on the counter. Jamie released her hand and picked up two of the towels, spreading them on the bed before returning to her side.

"Slight change of plan," he smiled in response to her quizzical look. He took both of her hands in his and looked into her eyes, "I had planned on you enjoying a little solitude and taking a quiet bath to unwind and de-compress for a while. But … the needs you described to me downstairs ... Claire ... I would very much like to bathe you tonight. I would like to take care of every inch of your body and help wash away the stresses of your week."

The intimacy and sensuality of having him bathe her was infinitely appealing, and a slow smile of anticipation spread across her lips, "I would love that, Jamie."

He started to lead her towards the tub, but stopped halfway to kiss her, holding her face gently between his hands, as his tongue explored the soft, wet warmth of her mouth. She clasped his back and held on tightly as his kiss deepened and she returned it, matching his fervor with her own.

Pulling away, he slid his hands under her tee and gently tugged it up over her head, tossing it aside and focusing his attention and his hands on the soft warmth of her waist. His hands drifted up to cup her breasts over the lace of her bra, and he thumbed gentle circles around her hardening nipples.

“Jamie …” she whispered, but he shook his head, and pulled her close against him with one hand on the small of her back. He raised his other hand to her face and ran a thumb slowly over her mouth. He dragged her lower lip gently with his thumb, and his own lips parted as he gazed at her mouth.

“Jesus, Claire, I’ve been wanting to kiss you all day. I will never, ever get enough of your kisses.”

She silenced him with a deep, hungry kiss - her tongue exploring, probing, pulling back, pushing in again; meeting his tongue with soft tentative licks, and then with fierce sucking intensity. 

She broke their kiss and rested her forehead on his cheek, breathing deeply and holding him more tightly. He eased away gently and reached behind her back, unfastening her bra, and sliding the straps slowly off her shoulders and down her arms. He watched as the lace cups slipped down and finally revealed her breasts.

He groaned slightly as he lowered his mouth to her nipple and circled it slowly with his tongue before sucking it firmly into his mouth and then releasing it - wet and hard and aching for more. He nuzzled his scruff against the soft milky skin between her breasts, and she made a tiny sound that had him smiling against her skin. She breathed harder as her hands moved to his shoulders. Her hips pushed firmly against him, his hardness straining against his sweatpants, pushing into the softness of her belly.

His large, warm hands slid over her waist, skimming her skin and arousing her more with each movement. Hooking his thumbs under the waistband of her thong and sweatpants, he pushed the fabric down her legs all the way to her feet. He got down onto his knees to help her step out of them, pausing for a moment to revel in the intoxicating scent of her arousal. His eyes were level with her mound, and he pressed his face into the neat V of her Brazilian patch, breathing her in for a moment. Then he lifted his head and gently fingered the thin, pale scar just above her mound. He feathered two kisses on the delicate pink line, and she buried her hands in his hair and closed her eyes momentarily. It took her right back to the first time they had showered together - when he had first noticed her scar. The significance of those two kisses, then and now, made her heart ache with love for this man who had so quickly become her safety and her solace. Her present and her future. Her everything. 

He pushed her sweatpants away from her feet and caressed the skin on the inside of her ankle. He dragged his fingertips slowly up the inside of her leg, past her knee, and stopped at mid-thigh. She held her breath and willed him to keep moving and touch her where she wanted him desperately. His hand continued its sensory path up her leg and his fingers caressed the soft, creamy skin of her inner thigh. She released her breath in a long sigh. 

“Jamie … please don’t torture me. I need you … I need you so much tonight.” 

“I know, babe, I do too. I need you and want you more than ever,” he whispered, looking at her with an intensity that made her breath hitch in her throat. Drawing himself back up to his feet, he locked eyes on her parted lips. His hand moved slowly up between her thighs, cupping her gently as she gripped his upper arms hard, fingernails sinking into his flesh.

He closed his eyes briefly as his fingers sank into the drenching wetness between her legs. He dragged his fingers painstakingly slowly through her swollen folds, and paused at her clit, where he hovered for a second before gently moving in slow circles over her aching nub.

A little moan escaped her lips, and he smiled gently, “I’m going to take you all the way, Claire, as many times as ye want me to. But I need to bathe you before the water cools too much. Let me know how the water feels.”

He scooped her up effortlessly and stepped closer to the bathtub, where he slowly lowered her into the still steaming water, searching her face for a reaction that indicated that the water was too hot or too cold.

She nodded a silent okay, and he knelt down beside the tub. He reached for a hair-clip from the soap-dish and clumsily gathered up her curls to keep them out of the oil-infused water. She reached up to help him, exposing her breasts above the water line. His eyes dropped to the soft swell of her flesh, and he cupped a breast as she clipped her hair out of the way, his thumb circling her nipple.

“You don’t need to do a thing, Claire. Just sit back and relax, I’m taking care of all your needs tonight.”

“You spoil me so much, Jamie,” she placed a loving hand on his cheek and he turned his face slightly to kiss her palm. 

“I wish ye’d let me spoil you more, my love. I want to love you and adore you and pamper you forever,” his eyes bore into hers and she caressed his cheek.

“Only if you let me spoil you back,” she said softly.

“I will, Claire. But tonight … tonight is for you. Let me love you tonight.” 

She nodded and leaned in to kiss him, the gentle sweetness of her touch conveying everything that her heart wanted him to know. 

He reached for her sea sponge, soaked it in the bathwater, and gently dabbed it on her face. She leaned her head against the back of the tub, closed her eyes, and allowed him to wipe her face. She hadn’t worn makeup that day, but those few gentle strokes with the sponge made her feel infinitely more refreshed.

Reaching for her bath gel, he poured a small amount into the sponge and worked up a lather. He sponged her neck and shoulders and collarbones.

She squirmed slightly as his gentle touch on her collarbone area electrified her nerve endings. He trailed his fingers lightly across the ridges and hollows.

“I love this part of you, Claire. I love every part of you, but these wee soft and hard spaces around your collarbones drive me crazy.”

Her eyes were still closed, and a slow smile crept across her face.

“I know you do. And I love how much attention you give those ‘wee spaces’. It drives me crazy too, you know.” 

“Lean forward, mo chridhe, so I can wash your back.”

He lathered and scrubbed her back and rinsed it off gently, dropping a trail of kisses along her shoulder, and then gently guiding her to rest her head against the tub again.

He washed her arms and underarms and hands, sponging and rinsing each finger individually, before kissing each fingertip and releasing her hand.

Shunning the sponge for a moment, he poured some gel into the palm of his hand and rubbed his hands together before washing her breasts with gentle kneading motions. He circled her nipples with his thumbs and tweaked and pinched them lightly.

She opened one eye and regarded him lazily. “Are you washing my boobs or playing with them, Fraser?”

“Both. I’m a multitasking master. I thought you knew that about me. Do you wish to lodge a formal complaint?”

“Hmmph. No, I don’t. Carry on.” She settled back and closed her eyes again.

He reached for the sea sponge and swept it across her, down past her belly button. She giggled and flinched as the movement of the sponge touched the most ticklish parts of her belly.

“Careful there, my beloved, you’re revealing new areas for me to tickle with my ‘scruff”, as you call it.”

“Don’t even think about it,” she warned. 

He moved towards the other end of the tub and lifted her foot out of the water.

She opened both eyes in surprise. “Uhhhh … did you forget something?”

He smiled wickedly at her, “You mean your honeypot? I always leave the best for last. I thought you knew that about me!”

She smiled indulgently and closed her eyes again. “I learn something new about you every day, my love.”

He lathered her toes, struggling to keep hold of her uncontrollably ticklish feet, which she twitched and jerked away from him amid a peal of giggles.

“I knew your feet were ticklish, but this is crazy! How do you cope at a pedicure?” He asked in astonishment.

“I get desensitized after a few minutes - you just need to keep working at it.”

“Okay, I’ll start by kissing your toes.”

He kissed the tip of each toe, nibbling on the soft fleshy pads of a couple of them along the way.

“Fraser …” she warned, her foot twitching slightly, “you’re in the danger zone there.”

“I’m sorry, my love,” he laughed. “It’s just too much fun to see you squirm. You have delicious toes, you know? And very pretty feet … which I love to see in your sexy heels. Around my neck, occasionally.”

“You and your shoe fetish! It’s a good thing I’ve got a thing for shoes too. I got a new pair of Valentinos last week. If you’re extra good this weekend, you might get to see them in your peripheral vision before Monday.”

“I’ll be extra good, Claire. I promise,” he winked at her.

He lathered the lower part of her legs, running his hands over her smooth wet skin, made even softer by the oils he had added to the tub. He watched in fascination as the water droplets beaded on her shin and rolled across her creamy skin, trickling back into the tub. 

Continuing around to the back of her legs, he massaged her calf muscles, working her firm flesh gently with his fingers.

“Have I told ye lately how much I love these sexy legs of yours?”

“You have not.”

“Very remiss of me. Is this all from yoga, or are you still running?” he asked as he cupped her calf muscles in his large hands and squeezed gently.

“Yoga, mostly. I haven't been running as much as I should. Maybe with you home for the next few weeks …?”

“I love running with you. We’ll get you back on track.” 

He lathered and scrubbed and rinsed … past her knees, until he had bathed every inch of her lithe, toned legs, stopping when the sponge reached her thighs.

“And now for another of my favorites ..." He waggled his brows and lathered up the sponge as he moved back towards the center of the tub. “I’m coming for that fine arse of yours,” he smiled gleefully.

“Don’t make a meal of it,” she warned, “there are other parts that need your attention.” 

“I’m coming for them too.”

He slid one hand under her butt and she shifted slightly to allow him to reach all the way under her. He gently squeezed and massaged her yielding flesh, releasing a series of exaggerated groans as his hands kneaded gently beneath her. 

She fixed him with her most imperious glare. “I’d like to lodge that formal complaint now,” she declared, looking at him seriously.

“About what?” he exclaimed in mock indignation.

“Your fraudulent bloody claims! Nothing about what you’re doing to my arse remotely resembles cleaning.”

“I find I do a much better job when the arse is at eye level. If you’d care to stand up-”

“Not gonna happen. Kiss me … and then carry on.”

He leaned forward to kiss her eagerly and she responded with delicious abandon. 

Pulling away reluctantly, he removed the sponge from the tub and squeezed it in one hand, eyes fixed on hers as the water drained out of it. Their light-hearted banter came to a halt, and she bit down on her lower lip.

Her eyes didn’t move from his, as he leaned forward to kiss her again - deeply and thoroughly. She returned his kiss with unbridled passion. Pulling away, he touched her mouth lightly with his fingers and trailed them gently down her neck, past the hollows of her collarbone, and past the gentle swell of her breast. He felt her abdominal muscles flutter beneath his fingers as they continued downward and stopped at her mound. He paused for a moment and she kept her eyes on him, her breathing ragged in anticipation. He pushed her thighs apart a little more, and trailed his fingertips across the outer edges of her folds. The bathwater had washed away the slickness that found its way to her upper thighs earlier, but he knew how responsive she was, and he slid his middle finger into her, finding all the wetness he needed. He pushed two fingers deep into her, and she gasped as she stretched to accommodate them. 

She clenched around his fingers, and he moved them inside her, seeking the spot that would have her crying out in pleasure. Stroking deep inside her, gently initially, and then with increasing pressure, he watched her response, as her breathing became shallower and faster. Her hips moved against his hand as she sought more pressure, and she pressed her thighs together, locking his hand in place. One hand gripped his arm and the other held on tight to the side of the tub. She was panting and gasping now, and her fingers dug into the firm flesh of his bicep.

“Jamie …” she cried out, “Jamie I nee-”

“No, babe! I want to watch you …”

His fingers worked their magic on her G-spot, and her breathing became more erratic and shallow as she came closer and closer to peaking. Jamie leaned over and flicked his tongue lightly over a pebbled pink nipple, and then sucked hard as she cried out in ecstasy. The sensation of his sucking went straight from her nipple to her core, intensifying her arousal. The combination of his fingers deep inside her and his mouth on her breast pushed her past the point of no return. 

“Oh God … Jamie…” He lifted his head and watched her face intently. Her body trembled as he brought her to a shattering climax. Her core pulsed around his fingers, thighs quivering as she gave herself entirely to the pleasures that he awakened with his hands. Her climax surged through her in waves - all inhibitions evaporating as she panted and whimpered through her release. Her body finally stilled, and she took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before releasing it slowly. 

Leaning forward, she held onto his arm with both hands and rested her forehead on his bicep. The intensity of her orgasm had left her trembling and breathless, and he tipped her head back gently to kiss her. 

“I need you inside me Jamie. I need you to hold me and make love to me.”

His now painfully hard erection strained against his sweatpants, and he needed no further encouragement. He rose to his feet. 

“I’m going to carry you to our bed, Claire. Just relax your body completely.”

He reached into the tub and scooped her out. Water dripped off her body, trickling off her silken skin, dripping melodically back into the tub with a series of little splashes.

He carried her, still dripping, out of the bathroom and lay her gently on one of the towels on their bed. Grabbing the other towel, he patted her dry as she carefully removed the clip, freeing her curls. He took the clip from her and tossed it aside, along with the towels. Then he straddled her and bent over to kiss her hungrily, his tongue plundering the warm depths of her eagerly responsive mouth. 

She grabbed the hem of his soaked T-shirt and drew it upwards. 

“I want to feel your body,” she breathed.

He reached behind his head and pulled his shirt off in one quick move, then bent down again to resume kissing her. She ran her hands slowly down his back, fingertips exploring the ridges and firm, rippling muscles that were even more pronounced after a few weeks of his increased work-out schedule in L.A. Her hands made slow progress down his back, as he nuzzled and kissed the most sensitive zones around her neck, making her buck her hips upward. Her hands reached his glutes and she grabbed handfuls of his firm flesh as her hips reacted instinctively to his attentions. 

Grabbing fistfuls of fabric, she tugged down a few inches, releasing his straining erection from the confines of his sweatpants. He pushed them down the rest of the way and kicked them off impatiently before picking up where he'd left off. His tongue explored the soft hollow at the base of her neck and left a lingering trail of wetness all the way to her nipple. He gently kneaded one breast while he licked and nipped and sucked the other. She rolled her hips slowly and deliberately, pushing up hard against his cock.

"Jesus, Claire, you know what those hips do to me ..."

"Mmhmmm," she moaned, breathless and gasping as he took her nipple between his teeth. She slipped a hand between their bodies and reached down to cup his balls, gently rolling her palm over them, feeling them taut and firm under her skin. 

“Claire …” he moaned, his expression tortured and rapturous all at once.

Her fingers closed gently around his hard cock and she moved her fist up his length. Reaching the tip, her fingertips explored his most sensitive parts, and every inch of him ached with the need to drive himself into her with unrestrained passion. Her fingertip touched the tip of his cock, and he groaned loudly and grabbed her hand in his. He locked his fingers with hers and held her hand firmly down on the bed, away from his throbbing length. His yearning was so strong, his desire for her so carnal, that any more of her delicate touches would drive him past the tipping point. 

His other hand was on her breasts, her belly, her thighs, between her legs - urgent and frenzied. He kissed and nibbled and licked his way back to her neck and collarbones and shoulders, nuzzling her with his jawline and driving her to the edge again. He focused on the areas that drove her wild with desire. His free hand made its way to her swollen folds and he dragged his fingers through the slickness. Her other hand reached for him, and he withdrew his fingers, wet with her juices, and held that hand down on the bed too.

He raised his head and looked at her arms splayed across the bed, both hands locked in his and pressed firmly into the bed. Searching her face, he asked, “You okay with me holding your hands down like this?”

“Yes … _yes_! Don’t stop, Jamie!”

He captured her mouth, and kissed her frenziedly. He needed her so badly, and he ached for his own release, but this was her night and he was determined to hold back. He kissed his way down her neck and breasts again, his stubble leaving a sizzling path of heat and desire, made even more titillating by her willingness to allow her hands to be imprisoned in his. He nuzzled his scruff against the areas of her belly that she had inadvertently revealed as sensitive tickle zones while in the bathtub. She arched her back, and her hips pushed up against him. He lifted his head and looked at her, and with gazes still locked and her lips parted, he lowered his head and moved between her legs. He ran his tongue along the sensitive hollow between her folds, lapping up the juices that had collected there afresh. His tongue found her swollen clit, and he lavished his attention on it, still holding her hands in his. His tongue flicked and teased, making her whimper again. He pushed his mouth into her and nibbled and licked until he felt her hands pushing back against his. 

He released her hands and she grabbed his curls, as he gently held down her rolling hips and flattened his tongue against her clit. He slowed the tempo of his movements and it was exactly what she needed, as wave after wave of renewed bliss brought her to her gasping, trembling fulfillment. 

“Jamie …”

He had already anticipated her need - it was the same as his at that moment - and he guided his cock to her entrance. He hovered there for a second, torturing both Claire and himself, and then immersed himself in her - deep and hard and fierce. He paused deep inside her, and reveled in the feeling of her core around his length - tight and warm and wet. She released a moan of pleasure from deep within her as he filled her. In that moment of complete emotional and physical joining, everything else faded from her consciousness. She clutched his back and held him tightly to her, wanting every part of their bodies to reconnect as completely as their souls had done. She locked eyes with him and he with her, and there was no need for words. Each knew what the other was feeling and thinking. The depth of emotion between them - the union of heart and soul and body - transcended the pain and the angry words and the nights of worry and torment. 

She pulled him close, and moved her hips in a slow circle, silently communicating her need for the physicality of his body and the satisfaction that she would get from watching him reach his peak. Her core tightened around him and her fists clutched at the bedding as she rocked her hips up harder into his body. She needed him desperately. She wanted him with a ferocity and passion that made her want to beg. 

“Jamie … please” she whispered.

He pulled back and she gasped in anticipation of the deeper penetration she knew was coming. He pushed himself into her again. And again. Each thrust was harder and deeper, reaching places inside her that had her panting softly and rhythmically. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer still. Her walls clenched around his length, and he thought he might spill himself right then, but he fought for control and continued plunging hard into her. She held onto his back again, nails raking almost painfully and heightening his pleasure. He groaned from somewhere deep within his belly as he got closer and closer to his peak. His eyes were locked on hers, and he ached to release himself, but he wanted to take her with him. They had reconnected on so many levels in the past few days, and he wanted their ultimate climax tonight to be a complete union and a mutual release. He slid a hand under her butt, squeezing it tightly as he moved his body up a few inches. He knew her body and needs so well by now and he watched her face and let her breathing guide his tempo. Their adjusted positions and his driving thrusts hit her already swollen and sensitive clit again and again. Their eyes were locked on each other. Reading each other's faces intently, Jamie knew Claire was getting close, and she knew he was moments away. She pushed up to receive his final thrusts, grinding herself hard against him, seeking the pressure she needed to bring her the release she ached for. He gave it to her, and more, grinding back harder - wanting to bring her to her peak one more time.

She cried out as she started to climax, and her body shuddered and shook as surges of bliss pulsed through her. He held back as her core contracted rhythmically around him and when he could hold it no longer, he sank into her, releasing a guttural moan, and spilling himself in gushing, erratic bursts. They abandoned themselves to each other, each lost in their own pleasure, but acutely aware of the other’s physical reactions and satisfaction too. Almost spent, he pushed hard one more time and stayed deep inside her. She held onto him, moaning and panting softly as her core pulsed tightly around his length, keeping him inside her, drawing every last drop into her body, until his honed, tense body sank into the welcoming softness of hers.

Time seemed to have frozen around them as they started to come down from their intense climax together. His face was buried in the curls that had fallen around her shoulders, his breathing shallow and ragged as he lay quietly nestled into her. Her panting had slowed and her breathing started to regulate as she lay under his comforting weight, caressing his back lightly. She felt his muscles tense as he got ready to move his body off her. 

“No,” she said, tightening her arms around his broad back. “No, I want you to stay right here. Stay inside me. Stay on top of me. I need this.”

He turned his head and kissed her neck. 

“I love you so much, Claire,” he murmured against her skin. He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “I love being home with you. I love you for loving me and letting me love you. I love you for making me a part of you and your life and your family.” 

"Our family,” she whispered.  **  
**

He feathered delicate kisses over her lips and nose and eyes. 

“I’m going to get up in a minute and open the door a wee bit so we can hear the girls if they call for us during the night.”

She smiled and caressed his face tenderly, “I’ll check on the girls when you get up. Thank you, my love. Thank you for always thinking of everything.” 

When their breathing had settled and their bodies had recovered from the intense highs, Jamie gently rolled off her and climbed out of bed. Claire stepped into the bathroom, while he slipped into the closet to pull on pajama bottoms and a robe. 

He waited for her in the bedroom and she emerged minutes later in silky pajama pants and a cami. 

She took his hand. “Come with me,” she said softly.

He nodded and they padded silently to Beth’s room. Claire pushed the door open, and Jamie hesitated. Sensing that he wanted to wait until she indicated that it was okay for him to join her, she released his hand, pressed a quick kiss on his lips and walked over to the bed. The nightlight cast enough light for her to see that both girls were sound asleep, Ella’s arm draped protectively over her sister. Claire eased Ella’s arm under the blankets and pulled the covers up to their shoulders. Jamie waited at the door until Claire nodded, then he stepped quietly into the room. She held her hand out to him and drew him towards her. 

“She’s holding Beth,” he whispered, his face revealing his emotional response even in the dim light.

“She did that all the time when they were babies. They shared a crib right up until they were toddlers.”

He pressed his lips to her temple and held her silently, allowing her to momentarily lose herself in fleeting memories of the twins as babies.

She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed softly. 

“Quick goodnight kiss and we can go back to bed,” she whispered.

They both pressed a gentle kiss on each girl’s forehead. Neither stirred, and they quietly stepped out of Beth’s room, leaving the door ajar. 

They left their bedroom door slightly open too, and Claire drew back the bed covers, pulling them over herself and Jamie as they climbed back into bed. He held her tightly against him as they lay face to face and chest to chest. 

She touched his jawline gently, and brushed her fingertips over his lips. 

"I love you, Jamie. I love you for everything you are to me … and to Ella and Beth.”

She kissed him softly on the lips and he slid his hand to the small of her back and drew her closer still.

Their legs maneuvered themselves into their familiar tangle and they draped their arms over each other’s bodies. Wrapped in the comfort of their emotional and physical reunion, they drifted into a serene and healing sleep.

  
  
  


* * *

*** See first few comments for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	58. Chapter 58

* * *

The muffled sounds behind the bathroom doors roused Claire from her sleep. She reached out a hand, but she’d already guessed she wouldn’t find Jamie there. Propping herself up on her elbow, she peered blearily at the time on the clock radio.

5:03 a.m.

She sank back into bed and yawned. The bathroom door opened and Jamie emerged, and in the dim light she could see that he was dressed in his workout gear, holding the bathroom waste-bin in one hand and his running shoes in the other. 

A smile spread across his lips the moment he realized she was awake. 

“Good morning, beautiful.”

He walked over to the bed, and set the bin and shoes on the floor before leaning over and placing a hand on either side of her face. He lowered his face to hers and rubbed her nose gently with his, then moved slowly down to kiss her on the lips. 

“Good morning, my love. What are you up to?” She smiled lazily, winding her arms around his neck.

“Just cleaning up from last night - the candles and petals and stuff.”

“I could have done that. You created such a dreamy, magical space for me last night, and I would gladly have cleaned up.”

“It’s done. Took me less than 5 minutes. I thought you might want to sneak into bed with the girls while I go for my run. Why don’t you go get a couple more hours of sleep with them? I’ll work out downstairs after my run, and then I’ll get breakfast started.”

He kissed her again and she smiled sleepily at him.

“I think I’ll do that - I’ll take a quick shower and I’ll snuggle with the girls for a bit. Jamie … thank you for setting up the bathroom so beautifully for me. That was incredibly special. Last night was wonderful.” She caressed his jaw and chin with her fingertips. 

“I love you so much,” she whispered.

“And I love you. Thank you for letting me pamper you a little. I hope you weren’t disappointed that you didn’t have the chance to soak in the tub alone for a couple of uninterrupted hours.”

“You’re kidding, right? Wallow in a tub on my own versus having my Jamie bathe every part of me. No contest!”

He chuckled against her lips. “I was going to say the pleasure was all mine, but …”

She gave him a knowing smile. “My turn next. I’m not the great creative romantic that you are, so I’ll need time to think of something good. Just know that you’re going to have to let me take care of all your needs too.”

“You take care of more of my needs than you even realize,” he said softly, kissing her again. “C’mon, I’ll help you up. Will ye take a quick peek and tell me how the girls are doing before you get in the shower? Then I’ll set off on my run.”

He helped her out of bed and held her in his arms for a moment, dropping sweet kisses on her shoulder, before releasing her to go check on the girls. Picking up his shoes, he moved to the bench at the end of the bed and sat down to pull them on and tighten the laces.

Moments later, Claire reappeared. “They’re still asleep. They moved around a little during the night of course, but everything looks quiet and peaceful, and they’ll probably sleep for a few more hours.”

Jamie nodded with a satisfied smile. “Thank you. I’ll see you a little later.” He kissed her forehead.

“Enjoy your run. Love you.”

“Love you too, babe.”

He grabbed the waste bin and headed out the door.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

Tara Lewis’ night had been somewhat restless. She awoke a little before 5:00 a.m. and took her coffee out to the pool. In the soft pre-dawn light of what would probably be another sweltering L.A. day, she stretched out on a lounger and sipped the scalding black liquid. She had reviewed Jamie’s contracts with his legal team, and wanted to go over the most important points with him later that morning, if she could get him on a Zoom call. Although the penalty clauses for withdrawing from Superman for personal reasons were onerous, ultimately, it was doable. 

The reputational fall-out, however, would be enormously problematic. It wasn’t a question of him being blacklisted - that had become irrelevant, given that he was at the tail-end of his career. But there were enough Academy voters who would frown on an actor abandoning a movie of this magnitude; and they would no doubt express their disapproval by withholding their votes, putting Jamie’s Oscar nomination in a precarious position.

She took another sip of her coffee, and eased her head back on the headrest, closing her eyes and focusing on the bitter aftertaste of the dark roast. Since her call with Jamie on Thursday, she had spent hours making discreet phone calls to her most trusted and respected directors and producers. They had given her enough advice and information to convince her that there was light at the end of this particular tunnel. 

When she distilled all their advice and opinions down to the essence, she knew with absolute certainty that the key to a good resolution on this whole issue would be Luke Beyer. As Jamie had pointed out, Luke was a compassionate man who was very family-focused. His kids were his world, and his attitude was a rarity in the egocentric, competitive, and self-serving movie industry. But the behemoth that was the Superman franchise wielded power and wealth far beyond personal considerations, and she and Jamie would need to approach any conversation with Luke from a business angle.

Before anything else, she needed to Zoom with Jamie.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire stood at the foot of Beth’s queen size bed, pondering her options for sneaking in without disturbing the girls. She wanted to try and get at least another hour or two of sleep while her post-shower warmth lingered. Ella had shifted closer to the edge of the bed, and Claire could probably squeeze herself into the gap between the girls without too much fuss. She sat on the end of the bed and scooted backwards up the length of the mattress, working her way between the girls. It was the exact reverse of what she’d had to do when she awoke with the girls in her bed on Wednesday morning. She took a deep breath, forcing away the distressing Wednesday morning thoughts that hovered, and quickly wriggled her way under the covers, silently thanking her yoga sessions for her flexibility. Beth stirred a little and turned her face slightly towards Claire. She froze for an instant, but Beth continued sleeping and she exhaled and relaxed into the bed.

As she lay there listening to the sounds of her girls’ slow, rhythmic breathing, her thoughts floated from the things on their to-do list this weekend … to how wonderful it was to have everyone home and safe … to getting back to her and Jamie’s night-time conversations.

Within minutes her breathing slowed to the twins’ rhythm, her thoughts started to fade, and her eyelids became heavier and heavier. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ella awoke first. The tantalizing smell of bacon on the griddle had drifted up the stairs and there was no way she could sleep through that. Ella was the acknowledged bacon guru in the family, and her mouth was already watering as she pictured rasher after rasher of perfectly crisped bacon.

She opened her eyes and the soft cream and blush colors of the room were an instant reminder that she was in Beth's room. She reached for her phone on the nightstand and tilted it towards her.

8:11 a.m.

Her tummy growled loudly in a Pavlovian response to the bacon, and she giggled at the rumbling sound, turning her head to see if it had roused Beth too. She got a faceful of Claire’s curls instead.

“Mom?” she whispered in surprise. 

Claire’s eyes shot open and she sat up quickly, eyes scrunched as she adjusted to the bright sunlight pouring in through Beth’s windows.

“Ella! You okay, sweetheart?” she whispered.

“I’m fine, Mom,” she replied in a loud whisper. “I didn’t expect to find you in bed with us. When did you come in?”

“A little after 5:00 this morning. I hope that’s okay - I love snuggling between you two.”

“You guys can stop whispering. I’m awake.”

“Well, good morning to both my sweethearts!” Claire giggled, and lay back down so that the girls could snuggle against her.

“Jamie’s obviously making us bacon,” Ella announced, unnecessarily. “Oh my God, I’m suddenly suuuuper hungry! Should we go and help him?”

“It smells soooo good! We can offer to help and sneak a few bites when he’s not looking,” Beth suggested, only half joking.

Claire chuckled and gave Ella a gentle nudge. “Ella, please grab your phone and text Jamie to let him know we’re awake and we’ll be down to help in a few minutes.”

Ella tapped out her message and waited for his reply, which came in seconds later.

“He says no one’s allowed in the kitchen. He’s treating us this morning.”

“Awww,” Beth sighed. “He’s always so good to us, Mom!”

“He loves you girls so much, and he loves to spoil us all with thoughtful little things - like making us breakfast so we can have a lie-in together.”

“Wait,” Ella interjected, looking at her phone, “he said he’s bringing us chai lattes in a few minutes. I’ll get our robes.” 

She pulled her robe on and handed Beth's to her.

“At least I can get this darn sleeve over my hand! When will I get the smaller dressing that the ortho mentioned?”

“You both have follow-up visits next Friday. I bet they’ll adjust the dressing at that time,” Claire reassured her.

Jamie tapped on the door and waited.

“Come on in,” Claire called out, and he carried in a small tray with three steaming mugs.

“Good morning!” he greeted them cheerfully, setting the mugs down on the nightstand. His hair was slightly damp from his shower, and he was dressed in jeans and a Seahawks T-shirt. 

“How are my three favorite girls this morning?”

“Thank you so much for our lattes! We’re doing great, thanks. I don’t know about Ella, but I had a great sleep.”

“Yeah, I did too,” Ella chimed in. “It was kinda fun to wake up with Mom.”

“I bet it was, my leannans. I spent some time chatting with Jenny and Murtagh earlier, and getting them all caught up on your progress. They send love and good wishes.”

“Awww. Can we FaceTime with them this weekend?” Beth asked. “I’m supposed to start with about 15 minutes of screen time and build slowly from there.

“Of course we can. I need to get back downstairs, how do you all want your eggs?”

“Sunny-side up, please,” Ella replied. “Beth likes hers over-easy.” 

Beth nodded in agreement.

“I’ll do sunny-side up too, please,” Claire said. “I’ll come down and help. Can you pull me out, please? I’m wedged in here.” She extended her hand to him, getting ready to ease herself out of the bed.

He took her hand, but instead of helping her out, he leaned over and kissed it. “Absolutely not. You can come down after you’ve had your chai,” Jamie replied. “I need another ten minutes.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jamie had set up a breakfast buffet on the covered patio and they all helped themselves to his simple but tasty English and American breakfast basics of eggs, bacon, breakfast sausages, hash browns and baked beans.

Jamie and Claire waited for the girls to plate up ahead of them. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he checked it quickly, tapping out a quick response before leaning over to speak quietly near Claire’s ear. “Tara wants to Zoom with me at 11:00.”

She nodded, pursing her lips as she wondered what ideas Tara had come up with. 

As soon as they had all plated up, they sat at the patio table and Claire leaned over to kiss Jamie’s cheek.

“Thank you, my love, this looks amazing. Ella, pass me your plate, and I’ll cut that up for you!” 

Claire quickly cut up Ella's food into manageable portions and passed back her plate.

“Uuurrgh!” Ella groaned, as she tucked in hungrily. “I was starving. The second I smelled the bacon, my tummy started growling and I woke up right away.”

“My Mam used to cook us a big breakfast like this on the weekends. I remember waking up to the smell of bacon many times as a kid,” Jamie said wistfully.

“Does it make you sad when you think of that, or is it a happy memory?” Beth asked, concern written all over her face.

“Those are good memories, leannan. Many of my childhood memories are good ones. I suffered three devastating losses, as ye know, but my memories of growing up before I lost my parents and my brother are happy ones. That’s why family is so important to me now. I wasn’t sure if I would ever find that kind of happiness and fulfillment again. I’d almost given up on it.”

“What happened to make you realize you could find it again?” Ella asked.

“You guys happened. Your Mam and the two of you happened. The universe intervened - or fate - whatever you want to call it. In the middle of a global pandemic, I found myself in the home of a strong, intelligent woman, who captivated me and made me want to be my best self. She also happened to be an incredible mother to two smart, kind, sassy, loving teens.”

The girls smiled at his compliments.

“When did you know?” Ella seemed engrossed by Jamie’s unabashed and ardent declarations of love and loyalty to them as a family. Over the past year or so, she and Beth had increasingly pondered and analyzed their biological father’s detachment from them. And from her half-siblings to a lesser extent. In recent weeks, they had discussed it with each other more frequently. Jamie’s wholehearted commitment to them was in stark contrast, and it both intrigued and shocked them that a father could be so indifferent to his own children. Jamie's love and concern for them, and his mere presence in their day-to-day lives anchored her and Beth, and she was anxious for more details ... more reassurance. 

“The very first time I saw yer Mam and you girls on your FaceTime from Boston. That was a light-bulb moment for me. I saw all the love and laughter - and how much ye missed each other. I sensed an amazing bond between you, and it stayed with me long after that call ended. For those few weeks before you returned, your Mam looked forward to her FaceTime calls with you every evening. No matter what was going on in her day, she ensured that nothing got in the way of her calls with you. Her happiness after those few minutes of reconnecting with you daily across the miles was so heartwarming. Your chats lifted her spirits and I could sense her inner happiness and peace after every call."

Both girls listened intently, completely absorbed in Jamie's account of their first few encounters. Claire studied their reactions quietly.

"Of course, by that time, I had already fallen in love with your Mam. She owned my heart and soul within a matter of days, and I knew that I wanted her in my life forever. I hoped against hope that you girls would be willing to be a part of that life. But I worried that you might not want that, because your family bond was so strong and I feared that you wouldn't want anyone encroaching on it. And then slowly, slowly, I became part of those calls. For a minute or two, at first, and then for almost the entire call. And I started to look forward to those FaceTime calls as much as your Mam did. You never made me feel like an outsider, or like I was intruding on your family time. In fact you welcomed me into your family circle and made me feel like I belonged. And I wanted that more than I’ve wanted anything in my life.” 

Ella nodded slowly and Beth expelled a deep sigh.

“We knew from the minute we saw you on our FaceTimes that this ...” Beth drew a circle in the air with her fork, encompassing Jamie and Claire, “... we knew this was going to happen. You were so good to Mom. All the time. The way you looked at her and spoke to her was different to anything we’d seen. Right, Ella?”

“Mm-hmm! And Mom was blushy and giggly. Yah, it was a total no-brainer that you two would end up together."

“I hope you know how much we love you two together and we love that you’ve completed our family,” Beth looked at them both earnestly.

“We do, leannans. You show your Mam and me how much you love us in so many ways. This right here - sitting and eating with you girls and your Mam and listening to you talk about the simple pleasures of life - like the smell of bacon in the morning - these are the special family times that I cherish. And I know that you love them too - you seem to treasure our family time as much as I do.” 

“For real,” Ella agreed, pushing two rashers of bacon into her mouth. 

“Ella! Manners!” Claire looked at her reproachfully, and Jamie chuckled.

“My Mam used to say that to me all the time! My table manners were pretty dismal. Let’s eat up here so we can get on with our day. Katia wanted you to get some light exercise. How do you feel about taking a walk over to the house later to see what the stables are looking like? And all the other progress, of course.”

“Yeah - I want to see what they’ve worked on this week too.”

“Can Deacon meet us there? And hang out here afterwards?” Beth asked, looking expectantly from one to the other. Claire was in the middle of chewing a mouthful of hash browns, and she gave Jamie a quick nod.

“Sure, Beth,” he replied, falling easily back into his father-figure role, “as long as he’s respectful of the fact that you still need a lot of rest.”

“Okay,” Beth agreed, “I’ll remind him that I will need to take a decent nap this afternoon.” 

Claire insisted on cleaning up after breakfast, quickly loading the dishwasher while Jamie brewed a fresh round of lattes for them and herbal tea for the girls. The twins had moved to one of the sofas on the patio, and Ella was reading Beth’s texts and messages to her.

“Jamie, I think this is a good time to talk to Beth and Ella about Haas.” 

“I agree. We’ll join them out there and we can have a good talk over our lattes and tea.”

She nodded appreciatively. “I really want to sit out on one of the patios with you tonight so we can get back to our night-time conversations. I’ve missed that.”

“Consider it a date. I’ve missed it too.” He took her wrist and tugged her gently away from the dishwasher. “C’mere …” He leaned back against the counter and drew her into his embrace, hands resting lightly on her butt. She slid her hands around his back and held him tight.

“That was such a great breakfast and discussion, Jamie." She tipped her head back and looked up into his eyes. "I love that you shared your feelings so openly with us. I watched the girls carefully while you were talking. They see things so clearly - the painful reality of an absent and emotionally inaccessible father. And then there's you. Always there for them. Always supporting and loving them."

He kissed her temple and she continued.

"It was a tough week for the girls even before the accident. They felt like our family life, which they love _so_ much, was slipping away from them. They felt like _you_ might be slipping away from us. I can't imagine how awful and unsettling that must have been. Then they wake up after their horrific accident, and there you are at their side ... and at my side. And their father didn’t so much as call them! And you’re still here tending to their needs and supporting them in every way. They really needed that reassurance you gave them over breakfast. They need the stability you provide for them, and they love you for it. As do I - more than I can express.” 

“I need this too, Claire. I need the roots and the sense of belonging that you all provide for me. We all need and give each other different things, and I feel like we’re reaching a good balance and a good understanding of each other.”

She kissed him tenderly, holding him close. Resting her forehead on his, she exhaled a sigh of deep contentment.

“It feels like we’re getting back to our good place, Jamie. We still have a few things to figure out - this Superman situation, for one. But us, as a family, we’re getting back to where we were before all the Trustee drama. Maybe we’re even closer now. We’ve learned a lot about each other in the space of one stressful week. I feel like we learned some harsh lessons about communicating more openly and honestly. Are you feeling that too?”

“I am, my beloved. I feel like we’re even closer than before. You’re absolutely right - we learned some things about ourselves the hard way, but they were good lessons. There will be other things to work out in the coming weeks and months - but it’s mostly logistics. We're in a good place emotionally, Claire.”

He nuzzled her head gently. “Will ye join me in my Zoom with Tara this morning? I really need your support and input. Whatever way it goes, I'd like us to tackle it together."

“Of course, my love. You know you’ll have my support no matter what. I’m anxious to hear what she's been working on. It’s going to be a busy morning. Melissa should be home soon and Armando will be here a little before lunch. Should we order pizza? Keep it simple?”

“Sounds perfect. Just perfect.” He kissed her forehead, and started to hum Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’.

“Stoppit,” she giggled. “You’re such a goober!”

“A goober, huh?” His hands tightened on her butt and he pulled her closer.

“Mm-hmm … but you’re _my_ goober and I love you.” 

“ _Well I found a gi-i-irl_ … _beautiful and sweet .._.” he sang, teasing her with his badly off-key singing.

She shut him up with a fierce kiss, and when she pulled away, he released her arse and held her head gently, dropping a series of pecks and nibbles on her lips. 

“Ye’ve no strategy at all, Claire,” he teased, with a slight lift of his brow and his crooked little smile. “Now I know exactly what to do to get you to kiss me like you mean business. Those kisses of yours get me all-”

“Oh God,” she groaned, dropping her forehead onto his shoulder. “Does this mean you’ll be chasing me around the house singing at the top of your voice?”

“Mm-hmm. Something like that.”

“I guess I’ll just have to run faster than you.” She raised her head to look at him and gave him her sauciest smile. “And now that my hot and sexy running partner’s back in town, I’m going to get back on track with my running. You’re screwed, Fraser.”

“Is that a threat … or a promise?” he asked, quirking his brow suggestively. He kissed her one more time. “Either way, I’m cashing in on that later.”

Still grinning, they each grabbed two mugs and headed out to join the girls.

Ella was reading the last of Beth’s messages to her. Jamie and Claire placed the girls’ mugs on the table, and sank into the sofa opposite them. Claire curled her legs under her and Jamie shifted so that he could drape his arm around her.

Something about the way they sat down and looked at the girls made Ella study their faces intently. She gnawed on her lip - just like Claire did when she was stressed.

She turned to look at Beth, whose furrowed brow told her that she had also picked up on that ‘we need to talk’ vibe. She scooted closer to Beth and dropped a protective arm around her. This had to be about the commuting job. Now that they were out of the hospital and things were getting back to normal, it made sense that they would want to pick up where they had left off earlier in the week.

“Girls, we want to share some news. I know this has been very upsetting for you, so I’m going to come right out and let you know that I declined the job offer from Haas. I’m staying at Fulton. No commuting.”

There was a long, shocked silence as Claire's words hung in the space between them.

“Are you serious, Mom?” Beth whispered, eyes wide in surprise, disbelief, astonishment.

“Yes. I wouldn’t joke about this, girls.”

“Is it because of our accident?” Ella asked, her heart pounding hard in her chest, brows drawn together in distress. She glanced at Beth quickly. Had her driving choices injured both of them _and_ also altered the course of her Mom’s entire career? 

“No. I emailed the Dean at Haas Business School early on Wednesday morning. Probably before 6:00 a.m. You girls were asleep in my bed while I was working on that email.”

“Did Melissa finish finding the Trustees already?” Beth asked. “I thought you were waiting to see if the new board was going to be more woke and better informed about gender equality and all the other things we spoke about?” 

“Melissa’s found enough Trustees to enable the board to start voting on issues and decisions again. The Board of Regents will have to approve them first, and that will probably happen sometime next week.”

“Do you know who the new Trustees are? Have you met them?”

“No, Ella, not yet. It’s all highly confidential, but I have complete trust in Melissa and Dean Abernathy. They would never present candidates to the university’s president and the Board of Regents unless they were one hundred percent certain that they are the right people for the board right now. Fulton can’t risk another disastrous board situation.”

“So if it wasn’t our accident, and you don’t even know who’s on the board, what made you turn down the Berkeley job, Mom? Was it because we freaked out so badly last Sunday night?” Beth looked worried and upset, and Jamie and Claire wondered if Maddox had misread their readiness to deal with this added emotional stress.

Ella’s next words spilled out of her, unstoppable and heartfelt. 

“Because if it was, Mom, we both feel really bad about some of the things we said. And we haven't even had a chance to apologize, because we were supposed to have our little chat over dinner on Wednesday night. You said in the note you left us in the kitchen that you wanted to talk to us, and we figured that since you’d been crying on Tuesday night when we found you asleep in the study, that you were planning on telling us you wanted to accept the Berkeley job. And both of us felt bad that we said such brutal things, and we wanted to say sorry. I mean … I’m not gonna lie … we meant a lot of what we said, but we didn’t mean for it to come out the way it did. Mom … I feel especially bad about saying I didn’t want a FaceTime Mom. I’m so sorry.”

“Sweetheart, obviously I accept your apology, but I don't want you to dwell on that. I don’t want either of you to get stuck on the things you said. It was a very difficult conversation and I could have approached it better too.”

Jamie looked at Claire, his brow raised slightly in a silent question. _Asleep in the study?_ Some of the details Ella had mentioned were news to him, but of course, he and Claire hadn’t found the time to talk through everything in enough detail. She snuggled closer to him, and he tightened his arm around her shoulder.

“Jamie doesn’t know about some of the details you mentioned - and even I don’t know exactly how you got me to bed on Tuesday night. Maybe you can fill in those blanks, but before you do, let me answer your question about why I chose to turn down the Haas job.”

The girls relaxed back into the sofa while Claire explained how their Monday night discussion on the stone patio had impacted her so intensely. Their curiosity and deep concern for the women deprived of their education had made an indelible mark on her soul. She shared how it had been an epiphany for her - a realization that she would miss far too many of those impromptu weeknight conversations on matters both trivial and profound. 

The girls listened and nodded occasionally to express their understanding.

“I know I would have missed our nightly talks too, Mom. Are you sure you won’t regret it later?” Beth’s brow was deeply furrowed. “I mean, we both want you to reach your career goals, but we would have missed you so much if you had taken a job in California.”

“Oh, I’m still unashamedly ambitious, and I’m going to continue working towards a professorship at Fulton. It might take a little longer than I originally hoped, but that doesn’t matter to me. Monday night prompted me to completely reset my priorities. My decision is about family first, and there’s no way I’ll regret that. As a woman, I face a tougher time balancing all the aspects of my life, and there is a lot of pressure to prove that we can ‘have it all’. That means different things to different women, and to different families. I’m doing it my way. For me, _this_ is having it all. There doesn’t have to be a barrier between career and family and love. You shouldn’t have to pick just one ... or make unreasonable sacrifices to have it all. Pushing those barriers the heck out of the way and balancing all the aspects of my life is how I will measure my success. And that is always going to be a work in progress. We will always be balancing those things. And it's not only me - it's not only women who have to work on finding that equilibrium. Jamie has to work hard at it too. A lot of men do. And when Jamie and I have babies, there will be even more balancing, but we will work it out together. Our babies will be longed for and precious and loved, and they will add a whole new layer of joy to our family.”

She paused for a moment to allow the girls to mull over what she had said.

“Sweethearts, I have so many positives in my job here. I get to work on amazing projects with Seattle's top companies. It’s important to me that I have the opportunity to help shape young minds and help students chart their future, and my work with our corporates gives me so much momentum towards that goal.”

“You do such important work, Mom, and your students _love_ you!” Ella exclaimed. “When Katia spoke about her fiancée and how much she loved your class, I was like, super proud! Is that weird? For a kid to say she’s proud of her mom?”

“No, leannam, it’s not weird at all. You _should_ be proud of yer Mam. I certainly am. She is brilliant at what she does, and people recognize and appreciate her because of the work she’s done at some of the huge corporations around here. Not to mention the students who recognize her and come and say hi. She gets recognized more than I do. Remember our server at Columbia Winery?” he smiled at her, unable to suppress his pride. 

She fumbled for his hand near her shoulder and their fingers interlaced instinctively. He caressed his thumb across her palm, both smiling slightly as their minds flitted back to their unofficial first date - wine-tasting in Woodinville. 

“Your server was a former student? And she recognized you?” Beth asked. “How awesome is that!”

“She was actually a high-schooler during PILF, and her school’s Girl Up club tracked the whole ordeal and made T-shirts in support of me. She told me that I inspired her to do her Masters in Women's Studies.” 

“See, Mom? You were such a positive influence on young women. You still are."

"We're both super proud of you, Mom," Beth added.

"Can we go back to Tuesday night? What was that all about? When we found you in the study.” Ella looked at Claire curiously.

Claire explained, in considerable detail, the methodical and analytical process she had undertaken at Melissa’s urging. She spoke about her pages and pages of bullet points and how writing them out helped her think about each reason more deeply, and how emotionally draining the entire process was. 

“Those pages revealed so much. The pluses on the Fulton side far outweighed those on the Haas side. And the negatives associated with commuting were tough to write. I was thinking of you girls and the concerns you had raised on Sunday night. And I was thinking soooo much about Jamie and how all of this was hurting him too …” she trailed off and fought to keep her emotions from overwhelming her. 

Jamie released his hold on her briefly to reach for her mug. She took it from him gratefully, and he immediately draped a reassuring arm over her again. She took a steadying sip of her latte. 

“Your Mam and I allowed our stress to get in the way of how we usually communicate with each other and we both said things we didn't mean. While she was thinking about those things in her study, I was thinking about similar things in L.A. We were planning to talk about it as soon as I returned.”

Claire nodded, and continued. “Jamie explained it perfectly. I couldn't get past some of the awful things I said to him, and while I was in the study, I reached for the note cards that he had sent me with all those flowers while he was in L.A.”

“Yeah, we remember that. Beth and I hadn’t met Jamie yet, and we were super excited that he kept sending you flowers.”

“Uh-huh. And we totally knew that he had sent you mushy notes with the flowers.”

“Girls-”

“For real! You always read the note cards away from us - and with seriously schmoopy eyes,” Ella teased.

Claire and Jamie chuckled at that, and he nuzzled her ear for a moment before she continued. 

“Well, re-reading those notes opened the floodgates. I’d had little sleep since Sunday, my heart ached for what you and Jamie were going through, I was emotionally depleted … the next thing I remember was waking up with the two of you in my bed.”

“Yeah, it was pretty crazy for us! We got back from our movie night and all the lights were on. Beth suggested that we check outside to see if you were in the hot tub or on the patios, and you weren't. We checked the media room in case you were watching a movie. Then we went upstairs and checked in every room, and you weren’t in any of them. We were a little freaked out, to be honest. Beth suggested we start downstairs again and go through all the rooms.” 

“Yep, we found you pretty quickly after that. But it took us a while to wake you up, and you were really out of it, Mom. Pretty much sleep-walking like Delaney does at volleyball camp. Anyway, we got you upstairs and we felt so bad for you. We ... uh … we noticed that Jamie’s note cards were all over the desk in the study, so we thought maybe if we got into bed with you it might help you not miss him so much. You know … just knowing that we were there with you, and that we loved you, even though we were in the middle of a big situation that hadn’t been resolved yet.” 

Claire tightened her grip on Jamie’s hand, and he pressed back reassuringly. 

“You girls are so sweet and thoughtful, and I love you so much for doing what you did that night. When I awoke on Wednesday morning, my decision was already made. Finding you in my bed was a sign from the heavens, the universe … somewhere … that I had made the right decision.”

“I’m so happy you did all of that, Mom,” Ella was pensive for a moment before continuing. “I’m glad you went through it so carefully and weighed everything up the way you did.”

“I agree, Mom. Writing things out in my journal always helps me see things more clearly too.”

“We would have felt like we guilted you into rejecting Berkeley if you hadn’t made your final decision in such an organized way,” Ella added. “And even more so if you only declined it after our accident.”

A comfortable silence hung between them for a few minutes as the girls started to properly process what Claire had shared with them.

“Can we have a hug, Mom?” Beth asked in a small voice.

“Of course you can!” Claire slid off the sofa and tugged Jamie along with her. They all wrapped their arms around each other, carefully avoiding Ella’s bandaged hand and Beth’s head wound. For long moments, they clasped each other tightly. Almost a week earlier, the patio had been the site of so much distress and heartache. Now, it was a place of love and healing - and none of them wanted to break the soothing silence and calm that had settled over them.

“I see some very full hearts here.” A gentle voice drifted over from the patio door. “Is there any room for me in that group hug?”

All four heads turned to the patio door in a perfectly synchronized motion.

“Melissa!” The girls called out in unison.

“Always room for you, Mel,” Claire said. 

Melissa wrapped her arms around as many of them as she could, and after a moment the girls released themselves from the group hug, took Melissa by the hand, and led her to the sofa. 

Jamie checked the time. 

“Is it almost time for our Zoom?” Claire asked. He nodded and she walked over to the sofa.

“Girls, Jamie and I have an upcoming Zoom call in the study. I need Mel for a few minutes, and then she’ll head straight back out to you.”

Melissa allowed Claire to pull her to her feet and they disappeared into the kitchen, along with Jamie.

“Mel, how was your date?” Claire asked excitedly.

“Oh, it was wonderful,” she replied breezily. “A really good night. There’s a fairly big FedEx box on the porch, by the way. I saw it when I turned into the driveway. Anton dropped me off at the Fulton parking lot so I could bring the Model S home."

“Good call. Thanks for doing that Mel. I’ll go get the package off the porch.” Jamie headed towards the front door.

“We need to make time for girl talk,” Melissa whispered. 

Claire nodded as she heard the front door shut. “We have a lot to catch up on.”

“Yes, we do!” Melissa agreed. 

Jamie walked in and placed the FedEx box on the counter. “It’s from Astaire. My laptop and a few other things.”

“Oh, I bet it’s a relief to have all your files and documents easily accessible again,” Claire remarked before turning to Mel again. “Mel, before we go into the Zoom, I wanted to let you know that Jamie and I just dumped a massive amount of emotional stuff on the girls. We told them about Haas, and I emphasized how carefully and meticulously I made that decision. I don’t want them ever thinking that they pushed me into it. There was lots of talk about family and how much it means to all of us. But overall, it was positive and good. They probably need time to process all of it, so I wanted to ask you if you could do something distracting with them now while we’re Zooming. To give their feelings some breathing space.”

“Sure!” Melissa replied. “By the way, thanks for forwarding me your email to Haas and Hoffman’s response. I shared with Joe that you were no longer considering a move away from Fulton - it’s been on his mind too.”

Claire nodded gratefully.

“At some point this weekend, I want to hear more about your breakfast with Hernandez.”

“Sure. Jamie wants to know more about that too. We'll find time to do that soon."

Melissa nodded. "I’m going to head outside to join the girls. How about if I offer to paint their nails?”

“Oh, God, they’ll love that. Grab whatever you need from my bathroom. They should also get dressed - but they might need a little help from you with that, if you’re all willing. Armando will be here at 12’ish. Thanks, Mel.” 

“I’ve got this - go to your Zoom.”

  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
  
Tara started the Zoom call at precisely 11:00 a.m.

“Claire!” she gasped when she saw her on the screen with Jamie. “I’m so glad you're joining us. How are the girls doing? How are _you_ doing?”

“Oh, Tara! What a week. The girls are doing so much better. We’re home. Jamie’s home. They’re happy to be here and happy to be recovering well. Thank you for all your well wishes.”

“I can’t imagine the horror. I’m so sorry it happened. Jamie, how are you doing?”

“Hey Tara. I’m thrilled to be home with my girls. You, Tara?’

“Busy, but good. I’m sure you have a lot to do this weekend, so let me tell you what I’ve found out.”

Tara explained that while his contract included provisions for him to terminate his involvement, it would be neither cheap nor simple. She carefully and methodically explained the legal process and financial implications. Jamie reached for the yellow legal pad on the desk, and flipped rapidly through the pages of Claire’s pros and cons list to find a blank page for his notes. Something on her list made him pause, and he skimmed it quickly with the tiniest hint of a smile, before moving on to the next clean page. He pressed his lips together while he listened to Tara and made notes. 

“So that’s all the legal mumbo-jumbo, Jamie. At the end of the day. It’s your money and your call. The personal implications of this are far more dire and worrisome.”

She outlined what she saw as the potential damage to his reputation, and the fact that his Oscar nomination would be at risk because too many of the Academy’s voters would be angered by what they would interpret as Jamie’s blithe disregard for the integrity of the industry.

“The industry experts I spoke to also gave me some practical ideas and suggestions. Feasible ways to cut down on your travel time and keep you home more, without annihilating production schedules and budgets. I’ll share them with you in a day or two, but I need to research and fact-check some details first. I don’t want to get your hopes up until I know that these are practicable solutions. I promise to update you once I've done my homework.” 

Claire dropped her head and massaged small circles into her temples with her fingertips.

“Claire, I already know what Jamie’s views are and why he’s doing this, and God bless the man for loving you and your girls so much. But how do _you_ feel about it? I see that some of this might be stressful for you.”

“Well, I’m not going to lie, Tara. It is stressing me out. After all the angst and soul-searching that Jamie went through to decide between Bond and Superman, it breaks my heart that he might not even have Superman. I know exactly how excited he is about the role and the innovative new effects that the production team has planned for this movie. He _loves_ the science and the tech behind it all. And I also know how much it means to him to leave Hollywood on a high note, and it doesn’t get much higher than an Oscar nom and Superman. My heart aches for him, and I am still hoping to convince him that he doesn’t need to do this.”

“Oh you can forget about trying to convince him, Claire. I’ve never seen Jamie as determined as this. Of course, I’ve never seen him this smitten and committed, either.”

“I know I’m being bull-headed about it, but we’ve been through a lot in the past few months, and I really, really want and need to be around for Claire and the girls. What are the next steps, Tara?”

The look of steely resolve on Jamie’s face and the finality in his voice emphasized just how serious he was about this issue. 

“Next thing is to speak with Luke. Most of the trusted advisers I consulted over the past two days told me that while he is indeed a reasonable and kind man who puts his family above all else in his own life, he also prides himself on his career accomplishments and his professional reputation. He is very committed to Panther’s success, and he will not allow the Superman franchise to be compromised in any way. He definitely won’t want to jeopardize Panther’s partnership with DC Comics, so we have to tread carefully. I’m planning on starting that conversation with him on Tuesday or Wednesday. I need a little time to gather my thoughts and plan my approach. Once I’ve opened that door, you’ll be brought into the discussions, Jamie.”

“Okay. I’ll be ready,” Jamie declared. “I want to reiterate that quitting is the least desirable option - for me and Claire. A win for me would be if Panther agrees to work with me and give me the flexibility to balance my professional and personal commitments.”

She pursed her lips and nodded. “I’ll be in touch soon, Jamie. You two go enjoy your weekend, and send the girls my love.”

“Thanks Tara, we’ll do that,” Jamie replied."

The call ended and Jamie slipped a comforting arm around Claire. 

“You’re still pretty confident about Luke’s willingness to come at this from a father’s standpoint, once we get the business stuff out of the way?” she asked. 

Jamie’s hand was buried in the chestnut curls at the back of her head, and he was absently curling and uncurling a tendril around his forefinger. 

“Yes. He and two siblings were raised by his mother after his father died in a plane crash.”

“Ohhhh,” Claire gasped, “how awful.”

“Yes, it was devastating, no doubt. He grew up in Alaska. His dad was a pilot and owned a small charter company. He was delivering medical supplies to a remote village in near-blizzard conditions when his engine failed. Luke knows the challenges and difficulties his mother went through raising three kids on her own. He completely understands why I would want to be around more - that’s why he was quick to okay my request to be here for the girls’ cheer showcase. And if you had seen him immediately pulling rank on everyone to get me on a flight home on Wednesday night, I think you’d be reassured too. He’s very protective of his family and their time together. Astaire is the only one he trusts to ferry his kids around when his wife is busy volunteering at the homeless shelters.”

“Okay,” she sighed. “I have complete faith in your gut feel about Luke. If you’re feeling confident about how he'll react, then I feel better too.”

“Thank you for having faith in me, Claire.” His forefinger continued to work her curl absently. “It's not all gut-feel, though. I’ve also been weighing up the business side of this. I'm trying to look at it through a DC/Panther lens, based on my observations on how things are going in the Superman universe since the cast reveal. I’ve been tracking the fandom and watching Superman’s social media for a while. I've also asked Cal and Simon from my PR team to track _my_ social media with a specific focus on Superman tags and comments. I have some solid data to share. I’m not basing my entire approach on Luke’s reputation for being one of the good guys, and I certainly don’t see it devolving into a big conflict, but I will be fully prepared to approach it from a business perspective. As my agent, Tara will initiate and drive the discussions, but I’m ready to step in and take the wheel if necessary.” 

“You're a successful business exec as well as a talented actor, my love. Your ability to identify and harness opportunities, and the successes of both Lallybroch and the winery speak to your business acumen. I know you will have thought through every possible angle to make this work, and I want you to know how endlessly grateful I am. And how much I love you for being so … what did Tara say? So committed and smitten.”

They both chuckled over Tara’s comment.

“Are you still smitten, after almost three months?” She leaned over and pressed sweet, teasing kisses on his lips.

“Ye’re kidding me - my smittenness is just warming up! Is that even a word?”

“It is now,” she murmured as she continued to tease him with delicate little kisses.

He moved his hand through her curls to gently hold her head while he captured her teasing kisses and deepened them into a sensual exploration of the soft wet warmth of her mouth.

“I believe your smittenness is showing, Fraser, and I like it. I like it a lot.”

“I believe your smittenness is showing too, Dr. Beauchamp. I noticed an extra little highlighted point on your pros and cons list. On the Jamie page.”

“What? Which one?” she asked, reaching for the legal pad.

He reached it first, planting his large hand on it and effectively preventing her from grabbing it.

“Uh uh! We’ll get to that later,” he teased. “For now, why don’t I walk over to the house with the girls so you and Mel can get caught up on stuff?”

“Are you serious? That would be fantastic!”

“Of course. I know you’re dying to ask her about Anton, and she probably wants to update you on what's happening at Fulton - from her and Joe’s perspective.”

She grimaced guiltily, “Okay, you busted me. And you know me too darn well! I am _so_ dying to know how it went with Anton.”

  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Melissa was brushing a quick-dry top coat on Beth’s nails as Jamie and Claire stepped out onto the patio. Ella’s injured hand was completely wrapped in bandaging, but her right hand was done and she was waving it about in an effort to speed up the drying even more. 

“Done!” Melissa announced, screwing the top back on the tiny bottle of top-coat. “Try to avoid doing anything with your hands for 10 minutes,” she reminded Beth. “Ella, yours should be good in a few minutes.”

“Girls, when you can get your sneakers on without messing up your nails, we can walk over to the house,” Jamie suggested. “Your Mam and Melissa are staying behind to get caught up on other stuff.”

Melissa had helped the girls pull on shorts and tank tops, and she and Claire offered to help with their sneakers. Claire grabbed them each a pair of Nikes from the mudroom, and a few minutes later, the girls were heading across the driveway with Jamie. 

Deacon’s truck was parked at the edge of the property, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“He’ll be up at the campers,” Jamie said, studying the building site in the distance as they walked across the cleared area towards the stables.

As he neared the house site, Jamie was taken aback at the amount of progress that had been made in the space of just a week. Extensive excavation work had been completed on the foundation, and new building materials had been delivered. 

“Wow! This time last week, we were having our little ground-breaking ceremony, and look at how far they’ve come.” He pointed at the piles of new materials. “That must be for the footings. And I see a lot of rebar for the foundations too. It’s going to start to move a lot faster as soon as the foundation is done.”

“They’ve definitely done a lot since we were here last week,” Ella agreed, as she started walking the perimeter of the house’s footprint, surveying the excavated areas. 

“Casa Fraser-Beauchamp - or Beauchamp-Fraser - is well underway!” Beth grinned and did a little happy dance, fist-bumping Jamie before getting serious again. “Will Mom even keep ‘Beauchamp’ when-” 

She stopped short, suddenly embarrassed by her presumptuousness. Ella stopped mid-stride and looked at Beth with wide eyes, wincing at her faux pas. 

Beth blushed and searched Jamie’s face. He put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a little squeeze. It was his unspoken reassurance that he was not in the slightest bit fazed or annoyed by her comment, or the underlying innuendo that he hadn't yet made a move towards the ultimate commitment between him and Claire. 

He suppressed a tiny smile. Indeed, his plans in that regard were coming along quite nicely.

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	59. Chapter 59

* * *

Melissa and Claire sat on the sofa facing each other. Each stared at the other’s face in silence for a long moment before they both dissolved into laughter.

“You first,” Melissa giggled.

“Heck no! You are _definitely_ going first. How was your romantic dinner on the lake?”

“Beyond amazing! He hired a chef to cook a ridiculously indulgent meal with the finest wine pairings - some from The Grotto, by the way. While the chef did her thing below decks, we cruised around Lake Washington. He pointed out Bill Gates’ and Jeff Bezos’ mansions. You really can’t see much, as the lots are quite heavily wooded, and of course they are very security conscious. He also pointed out the Seahawks training grounds.”

“Yes - the VMAC. It’s an impressive facility. Tell me more … could you see Mount Rainier?”

“Yes! Magnificent, isn't it? We anchored fairly close to Milo and Suki’s property for dinner, and when that was done, we cruised across and tied the boat to their dock. The chef got off there and disappeared up the side yard - someone was picking her up from the driveway, I believe.”

“Mm-hmm, and then …”

Melissa looked somewhat flustered. “And then … we sat on the top deck of his boat and watched the sun go down. More wine, of course.”

“Uh-huh. What were the sleeping arrangements? Is there a decent cabin?”

“Well, there wasn’t a whole lot of sleeping, that’s all I’ll say about that. But I will tell you that the cabin itself was gorgeous. Very luxurious and soft and cosy. And so quiet. There’s something really soothing about being on the water with the boat bobbing gently over the waves.”

“I’m so happy it was a good night, Mel. What are the next steps?”

“We’re just enjoying each other’s company for now. I mean he’s pretty darn hot, and he has a lot of … stamina … shall we say? But he’s also a real gentleman, and charming, and intelligent, and so, so interesting.”

“I bet he uses most of those words to describe you. You seem like a good match in terms of temperament and intellect.”

“Don’t you dare try to marry me off after one steamy night,” Mel laughed. 

“I’m serious Mel! Not about marrying you off - but his job as Attorney General is pretty demanding, especially now, with so much going on politically. He probably doesn't get the chance to date much, and for him to suddenly find himself romancing someone like Melissa friggin’ Thornton must be quite the thrill! I’m not sure this will be as casual as you think it’ll be.”

“We’re both just enjoying where we are right now. A lot.” 

Mel turned serious and reached out to clasp her friend’s hand in hers. “Claire, I’m getting close to winding up what I came here for. My work at Fulton is almost done, and I’ll need to head back to Atlanta in a week or two.”

“Noooooo,” Claire groaned. “God, I am going to miss you so much! There is no way I can thank you enough for everything you’ve done. Not in this lifetime.”

“Stop. You know you would have done the same for me. Now tell me about your night.”

Claire blushed slightly. 

“That good, huh? C’mon, give me _something_ ,” Melissa coaxed.

“Okay - first he was so sweet about making sure that I was okay about … you know … getting intimate … with the girls still recovering, but I-” 

“You told him to bring it, I hope!”

“Didn’t use those words, but yeah … pretty much. It was a very, very good night. He ran me a romantic candlelit bath ... which was heavenly. And let's just say that the rest of the night was magical. We both needed it. This morning, he woke me up early to snuggle in bed with the girls while he worked out. Ella decided to sleep in Beth’s bed last night, so I got in between them for a couple of hours. And that was sweet and wonderful. And then he made us breakfast. And that was even more wonderful.”

“Hellooo-ooo!” 

Claire and Melissa looked up at the patio door, startled by the sing-song greeting. Armando had just stepped out of the kitchen, and was wrestling with his frisky and bigger-than-ever St. Bernard puppy. 

“'Mando!”

“Brandy!”

Claire and Melissa jumped to their feet and threw their arms around Armando.

“Ooof! You guys are like rugby players! Just tackle me, why dontcha?”

“Any time, 'Mando,” Claire teased, planting a loud kiss on his cheek.

“You two were sharing all the deets of last night, weren’t you? I know the look of sex talk when I see it. You need to spill that tea with me right now.”

Brandy was sniffing and snuffling around them, slobbering excitedly all over Claire’s bare feet, tail wagging wildly.

“Brandy,” she giggled, getting down to throw her arms around the oversized puppy. “Come and give me hugs, you drooly giant of a doggo.” She took the leash from Armando and tugged Brandy over to the sofa. “Come and sit, 'Mando.”

They sat on the sofas and Brandy clambered up onto Claire, trying to squeeze her enormous girth onto Claire's small lap. Claire stroked her massive head gently, and the puppy quickly settled down, scooting her body onto the sofa and resting her head in Claire’s lap, her eyes fixed on Claire’s.

“She remembers you, Claire.” The last time Armando had brought Brandy over was the night Claire learned she’d lost the professorship to Davidson, and the puppy’s presence had been a welcome and comforting distraction. 

“She does, doesn’t she?” Claire leaned in close to Brandy’s face and spoke in an animated puppy voice. “I’m okay, Brandy. I’m okay, girl. Things are much better than they were on that crazy night. It’s all good now.”

Brandy licked Claire’s chin and nuzzled her ear into Claire’s belly. 

“Okay, girlfriends! Time for that tea.” 

Armando peppered them with questions, some of which they glossed over, and others they answered with just enough detail to satisfy his curiosity.

“Mmmmmm, mmmmmm. At least two out of three of us pulled all-nighters! I was too wiped for any kind of action. Puppies are exhausting! Where are the twins, by the way? And Jamie?” Armando craned his neck, scanning the lower terraces in a futile search for them.

“They walked over to check on the progress at the house. Deacon’s probably there too. Mel and I stayed to get caught up on stuff. Haas, Fulton, the board - all the burning issues. Well - they _were_ burning issues, now they’re merely glowing a little.”

“Yes! Fuuuuuck! I almost dropped my phone when Mel told me you turned down Haas. I have to say I really think you made the right decision, Claire. For everyone involved.”

That launched a detailed discussion about her decision and her pros and cons list and the seventeen women. Mel and Armando listened carefully, interrupting occasionally with comments and questions, to which Claire responded with raw honesty. It was the first time Mel had heard all the details, and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief, satisfied that Claire was one hundred percent comfortable with where she was. 

Armando, who had been with Claire through so much of the drama of the previous few weeks, was also deeply thankful that Claire was in a much better place mentally and emotionally.

“Proud of you girl,” Armando said sincerely. “You’re charting your path to success your way, and you’re going to kill it. Fulton needs to come to the party with a professorship soon.”

“I don’t think that’s as far off as Claire thinks it is,” Melissa pointed out. 

“I’d love to help with that project, in any way I can. I have some fabulously wealthy clients who are always looking for causes. This is something so important. If we can help some of the women get an education, we will have done something good!”

“I’m going to start working on that in earnest really soon, ‘Mando. After I’ve met the new Trustees - I need to get that out of the way. Mel and I still need to work on our approach for that meeting.”

Brandy wriggled off the sofa and ambled over to Armando, plopping her large paw on his knee. 

“She needs to pee. Can I walk her over to the new house? I’m dying to see the girls. And I need to apologize to Jamie for sending him a snarky text on Wednesday,” he winced.

“Yeah - Jamie showed me your text. He gets it, don’t stress about it. It was a tough day for everyone. The girls are going to be super excited to see you and Brandy. Follow the path that the construction teams have cleared and look for two Airstream campers. Don’t be too long. Please remind them all, including Deacon, that I’m ordering pizza for lunch, and we can get on with the girls’ hair after that.”

Brandy tugged Armando all the way across the cleared area towards the humans whose scent she detected along the trail. 

Pausing occasionally for Brandy to sniff and investigate invisible, but apparently critically important issues on their path, Armando finally saw the Airstreams glinting in the distance. The twins were chatting with Deacon, but he couldn't see Jamie. Brandy stopped sniffing, and cocked her ears in the direction of Deacon and the twins. She gave an almighty tug, ripping her leash from Armando’s grip and bolting free. A startled Armando cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered out a warning. 

The teens turned towards the noise and squealed in excitement as they saw Brandy charging towards them, jowls flapping, drool flying everywhere, as her ears rhythmically slapped the side of her head. 

Deacon’s eyes grew wide in shock when he saw the sheer size of the ungainly puppy heading straight towards them. Everything wound down to slow motion around him, and he looked from Brandy to the girls in alarm. 

“Brandyyyyyyy! Brandy, stop!” Armando hollered at the top of his voice as he chased after her. She was too fast for him, and he came to a sharp halt and froze, bracing himself for the unavoidable impact. He clapped both hands over his face, leaving just a sliver of a gap through which he watched the unfolding drama, his heart in his throat. 

Brandy continued bounding towards them, with no intention of stopping until her 90 pound body slammed into one of the humans with all the momentum of a wrecking ball. Deacon was frozen with horror - Brandy’s human target was inevitably going to be Beth or Ella. Or both! 

“ _Deacooooon_!” Jamie shouted from the edge of the clearing, where he had crouched down to inspect the surface of the horse trail. He broke into a run, but he knew it was futile.

In a flash, Deacon jumped in front of the girls and bent down, arms spread wide to intercept Brandy, who barreled into his chest, knocking him onto his rear end and rocking him backwards.

Jamie slowed to a stop and his head and shoulders slumped in relief. He inhaled and exhaled a ragged breath. 

Ella and Beth cracked up laughing as Deacon eased himself slowly onto his back, groaning while Brandy slobbered all over his face. 

“Thanks, Deacon,” Beth tittered.

“Yeah, that was close!” Ella exclaimed.

The girls knelt down to pet Brandy, and Beth wiped away some of the slobber from Deacon’s face with her fingers, rubbing them dry on her shorts. 

“Deacon, meet Brandy,” she laughed.

Armando jogged up to them, slightly out of breath. The girls immediately got up and threw their arms around him. He held them close for a few moments and eventually pulled away.

“How are you doing?” he asked, looking earnestly at their faces. “I so badly wanted to come and spend time with you on Thursday, but they limited visitors, and Deacon and Mel took priority. I was there with them and your Mom all of Wednesday afternoon, but you girls were pretty out of it. You both doing okay?”

“Yes, we’re doing so much better. Thanks for bringing Brandy!”

“Not sure that was the wisest thing to do - she is super excited to see you, and could easily have knocked you over. Damn, that little terror is way stronger than I give her credit for!”

Armando fixed Brandy with a glare, and she hung her head in shame, backing her huge body closer to Deacon. He comforted her with a belly rub, and Armando leaned over and pulled him to his feet.

“Deacon, I’m sooooo glad you caught Brandy. Thank you! I’m so sorry. I didn't think she’d go as crazy as she did.”

“Why’s everyone freaking out? She wouldn't have hurt us,” Ella said, a little nonplussed by all the attention.

“Honey,” Armando began, “you two may be State Champion athletes, but you’re slightly built, and even your athleticism is no match for the sledgehammer that is Brandy when she is running at full throttle. And you’re recovering from pretty significant injuries.”

Brandy looked up, ears cocked at the sound of her name, then turned and sauntered towards Jamie, who was making his way over from the horse trail. He stopped to kneel down and greet Brandy. Taking the puppy’s large head in his hands, he rubbed and scratched her in greeting. Her entire body was shaking from the force of her wagging tail. Brandy slobbered all over his hands and he laughed at her sheer exuberance and joy at reuniting with him and the girls. 

“You’re a mess, Brandy,” he said, “but a lovable mess. And if you had knocked my girls over, ye'd have been in all sorts of trouble.”

He grabbed her leash and Armando walked over to join him. Jamie reached out and hugged Armando in their customary bro hug. 

“Armando, thank you so much for being there with Claire and the girls after the accident. I am so grateful to you and Mel and Deacon for supporting her through it when I had no idea it was all happening.”

“Jamie … I’m so sorry about my text. We had no-”

“No apology necessary. That came from your love for Claire and the girls. I could never resent that.”

Armando nodded his thanks. “I’m sorry about Brandy too. That was terrifying for a moment.”

“It was a little hair-raising, yes, but it’s all good now. She’s still just a puppy, albeit a gigantic one. Deacon did well, didn’t he? He seems to have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, thank God! C’mon, I’ll show you what’s going on here. Let’s start at the stables!”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

In the affluent Seattle suburb of Clyde Hill, about 5 miles east of the University of Washington, Mirella Hernandez poured herself a lunch-time glass of chardonnay to enjoy with the smoked salmon salad her husband had prepared minutes earlier. She sat at the large walnut-inlaid desk in her study and reached for her phone. 

“Good afternoon, Joe.” It was well outside of work hours, and this was not an official phone call, so she dispensed with the formalities. “I hope I’m not interrupting your lunch.”

“Good afternoon, Dr. Hernandez. Not at all - we just finished brunch about an hour ago.” Joe wasn't comfortable calling her by her first name. Despite the fact that this was not an official call, it clearly wasn't a social call either, so he dropped the ‘President’ and defaulted to ‘Doctor’. 

“I’m going to try to keep this short. Weekends are personal time, and I apologize for the intrusion. Thank you for keeping me updated on the situation with Dr. Beauchamp’s twins. Quite horrifying for her and Fraser, no doubt. And it came right on the heels of our really good conversation over breakfast.”

“Claire texted me yesterday afternoon to let me know they were back home and recovering. She’s ignoring my pleas and those of Davidson to take next week off, and is insisting on working from home while the girls are resting. She says she has too much to do for orientation.”

“Yes, that attitude aligns with her work ethic, doesn't it? I’m so relieved to hear that her twins are recovering well. I’d like to send them a little something. Do you know anything about the girls? Their hobbies? Interests?”

“I might have an idea or two. The department sent a chocolate and candy basket for the girls and flowers for Claire. Melissa Thornton knows them very well. I’ll have a word with her and I’ll get back to you ASAP.”

“I’d appreciate that very much - thank you. Joe, as I mentioned, Wednesday’s breakfast went exceptionally well. After my initial review of Dr. Beauchamp’s MS Comms degree, I distributed it to my Academic Council and instructed them to drop everything and focus solely on that this week. They basically take all new degree proposals, tear them apart, and then highlight any deficiencies or shortcomings. Dr. Beauchamp’s work was so thorough - right down to the Admissions projections and applicant profiles - that the Academic Council’s work was made much easier than usual. They put in many long hours, working well into the night for most of this week, going through it with a fine-toothed comb, and comparing it with similar degrees, both nationally and globally. They wrote a strong recommendation, which I received yesterday afternoon.”

“That’s great news!” Joe couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice.

"There’s more, Joe. After urgent consultation with the Board of Regents last night, I have unreservedly approved the Ms Comms. Signed and sealed. I had to act fast, because as you know, I am only authorized to act on behalf of Fulton’s board when they are below quorum, and that will change next week when the BoR approves the Trustees that Ms. Thornton has secured to date. You’ll have enough Trustees for a quorum by the end of the week.”

“I’m relieved to hear that, Dr. Hernandez,” Joe remarked. “The MS Comms approval was long overdue, and I appreciate that you attached so much urgency to it.”

“Joe, based on our previous discussions, and given that she will be heading up the new degree, I also approved a promotion for Dr. Beauchamp. She is being awarded a full professorship with immediate effect. I’ll have all the paperwork sent to you first thing on Monday morning. The new Board of Trustees will have to ratify her promotion and the decision to approve the MS Comms as soon as there is a quorum, but I can’t see that being a problem.” 

“It won’t be. And that is truly excellent news!”

“Dr. Beauchamp will report directly to you. I imagine that will leave some gaps in the MBA’s Business Communications department. I realize that the timing is not great - Professor Davidson is still learning the Fulton ropes. It’s within your area of authority to decide how to manage that.”

“I’ll give it some thought over the weekend.”

“I sound like an infomercial, Joe, but that’s still not all. I would like to see both you and Dr. Beauchamp in my office on Tuesday. I need to share this all with her in person. UW Media will be working on a press release and I’d like to review it with you. I realize it’s a big ask, considering the twins’ recovery and the fact that Dr. Beauchamp has the week off. You know I would never ask if it wasn’t time-sensitive.”

“Of course, Dr. Hernandez. I completely understand.”

“My office will send you both an official email with the details, but if I recall correctly, I have you down for 9:00 and Dr. Beauchamp at 9:30. You’ll be required at both meetings, Joe, and Dr. Beauchamp will be required only at the 9:30 meeting. I would appreciate it if you would drop a casual word in her ear about Tuesday, but please do so with the utmost discretion. Everything I’ve shared with you in this discussion is completely confidential. I’m being mindful that she may need a little extra notice, given that she’s juggling so many balls right now, which is why I thought it prudent for you to let her know this weekend.”

“Understood.”

As soon as the call ended, he rolled his head in a series of deep 360’s, stretching the stress-tightened tendons and relieving some of his tension. Then he buried his face in his hands and shook his head slightly. 

_About goddamn time! Jesus, what else did Claire need to do to prove her worth? Thank God for your EQ breakfasts, Hernandez. I remember mine all too well!_

It was hard not to get emotional when he pictured Claire receiving the news that she was finally getting her much deserved professorship - made even more significant by the fact that it was aligned to the work she had done on creating a new degree offering. It was almost unheard of at her age, and certainly a first for Fulton, and he was overwhelmed with a sense of pride in her, tinged with sadness that she’d had to suffer so much anguish before finally getting the long overdue professional recognition she deserved.

  
  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  


After lunch, Jamie and Deacon helped Armando set up his portable salon basin in the roomy main bathroom, while Claire waterproofed Beth’s dressing with one of the adhesive shower shields that Vicki had given her.

“Beth, I’m going to try and keep the adhesive strip margin as narrow as possible, because this will tug on your hair when we take it off. It’s really made for the body, not the head.”

“It’s okay mom, a few pulled strands are worth the pain for a clean head of hair!”

Claire looked at ‘Mando with worried eyes. Jamie and Deacon also looked concerned.

“You guys, I’ve got this. I’ve had a good number of clients with a range of head injuries over the years. I’ll avoid the dressing, and when we’re done washing as much as we can, I’ll use a little argan oil to dissolve the adhesive along the strips. It won’t hurt as much.”

“Okay,” Claire sighed.

“You two can head downstairs and get snuggly on the sofa,” he said, looking at Jamie and Claire. “Deacon, you make sure they keep it G-rated.”

The girls snorted with laughter as Deacon blushed and Jamie winked at Claire.

“Seriously, it’s going to take me a while,” Armando insisted, “I’m doing deep conditioning and a scalp massage for Ella, neck and shoulder massage for Beth.” 

“Have fun, girls. Thanks, ‘Mando,'' Claire blew them kisses as she, Jamie and Deacon walked out of the bathroom. 

“Okay, my honeys, let’s start with you, Beth, so you can go and join Deacon as soon as I'm done with you. Ella, you can stand right here by Beth and make sure that shower shield stays put. Beth, can we talk about that insane Deacon move? The one he pulled to protect you from Brandy. I mean … that was straight out of an action movie … he’s giving Jamie a run for his money.”

Deacon blushed even more deeply as he caught that comment on his way out of the bedroom. 

“Oooh - you’ll need to tell me what that was all about, Deacon,” Claire said. 

They re-joined Melissa, who was curled up on the sofa with Brandy snuggled against her. She had put away the leftover pizza and brought out some drinks that hinted at a lazy, chatty afternoon. There were four wine glasses, a bottle of sauvignon blanc in a wine cooler, and a selection of Italian sodas on the table. 

Melissa had one hand buried in Brandy’s soft fur while she tapped on her phone, an inscrutable smile on her face. Damn! Anton could get her all het up with just a few texts. They already had plans for Wednesday night, and as far as Melissa was concerned, it couldn't come soon enough.

She looked up and tapped out of her messages app. 

“Claire, your phone rang while you were upstairs.” She pointed her foot at Claire's phone on the patio table, and Claire tapped the screen. 

“Joe. I’ll call him back.” She stepped away from the patio to make the call. 

Brandy slid off the sofa with a thump and ambled over to Deacon.

“I think she’s forgiven me for intercepting her earlier,” he mused, playing with Brandy's soft ears. 

“She keeps pawing your knee,” Jamie pointed out. “I believe that means she needs to pee. Do you think you can manage with that little rascal, or do you want me to take her?”

“I’ll do it. I’ll take her down to the bottom of the yard,” Deacon said, getting up off the sofa and tugging Brandy with him.

“She’ll want to sniff every plant and flower along the way,” Jamie warned. 

“I’ll refill Brandy’s water bowl.” Melissa picked up the large bowl Armando had brought and disappeared around the corner in search of a faucet. She ended up at Claire’s overgrown herb patch, and stared at it in dismay. Setting the bowl down, she started to go through the herb garden, picking off flowers and buds and withered tendrils and leaves, muttering under her breath the whole time. 

Claire finished her brief call with Joe and settled back on the sofa.

“Melissa just nipped around the corner to fill Brandy’s water bowl. Not sure why she’s taking so long,” Jamie told her.

“Hmmh, I know exactly why,” Claire replied. “She’s found my herb patch, which is more like a herb jungle right now. She learned all about growing herbs when she did her gap year in France and she’s going to skewer me for not keeping mine properly pruned.”

Jamie smiled as she sat down and tucked herself into his body. He draped his arm around her, tracing slow circles on her upper arm with his fingertips while she sorted through her thoughts after her call with Joe.

“Joe said that President Hernandez wants to see me on Tuesday,” she said finally. “It’s confidential, so I’m only telling you for now.”

“Whoa! That sounds important. She _must_ know you’ve got the week off for family reasons, and she wouldn't be interrupting that unless it was for something pretty significant.”

“Mm-hmm.” Claire didn’t want to get her hopes up, but she couldn’t stop a brief ripple of excitement as she wondered about the meeting.

“I’m really keen to hear more about your breakfast with her.”

“I promise I’ll share it all with you this weekend.”

“I’m looking forward to that. Can we sit on the wicker chairs tonight? We haven't sat there for so long.”

“Yes,” she smiled softly. “We’ve had some of our best talks on that patio. And I love that it overlooks our new house.”

“I’ll walk over to the site with you tomorrow and we can check it out together. They’ve done a lot of work on the foundations.”

“How about we go for a run in the morning and then take a quick walk across to the site afterwards?”

“Great idea. You need to work on your running speed if you’re planning on dodging me and my singing.”

She giggled and nudged him lightly in the ribs. “That sounds like an awesome start to a good Sunday.”

“CLAIRE!” Melissa called across the patio.

“Uh oh! Here comes my herb jungle reprimand,” Claire wrinkled her nose at Jamie. “I’d better go over and take my punishment.”

He chuckled as she unfurled herself from the sofa and went to join Melissa.

“I’m already bracing myself for a scolding,” Claire said sheepishly.

“I have no words.” Melissa stood with her hands on her hips, eyeing Claire sternly. “Actually, I do. How have you let these herbs run amok like this? It’s a forest, basically. An ugly one. You need to groom and trim these herbs as carefully as you do your lady parts.”

“Leave my lady parts out of this - my modelling days took care of that with lots of laser treatment. I see you’ve been tidying up.” Claire glanced at the heap of dried out twigs, flowers and buds at Melissa’s feet. “Thanks for doing that. I will try to stay on top of it a little better.” 

“Mmm. Not sure I can trust you with this. I might show the girls what to do here and how to keep it all nicely pruned.”

“That would be a good thing, actually. They'd love to learn that from you.”

“You do have some awesome thyme and oregano, though. How about we make a pot roast for dinner tomorrow? I’m feeling a sudden need for an afternoon of cooking with my bestie and a glass of wine.” 

“Love that idea. Text me what you need, and I’ll order it online. We’ll pick it up from the grocery store in the morning. I’d like to invite Deacon and his uncles to join us. Beau and Colton have been so helpful and supportive. I’d also like to have a chat with them privately about keeping an eye on Deacon. He’s the one who was there with the girls through the worst of the accident’s aftermath, and he heard my reaction when he broke the news. I’m not seeing any worrying signs or anything, but I just wanted to give them a heads-up. The girls have their first therapy appointment on Monday afternoon, so I'm a little more focused on mental health right now - Deacon's too.”

They headed back to the patio, and Jamie poured them all a glass of wine.

Melissa picked up a second glass. “Just going to run this upstairs to Armando. I’ll be back shortly.”

Claire settled herself next to Jamie again, who was scrolling through his notifications. He set the phone down and dropped his arm around her, pulling her close again.

“How did that go? You survived the reprimand?” 

“Barely. She fired me as herb garden manager - in favor of the girls, no less. And managed to insult my lady parts in the process.”

“Ignore her. Your lady parts are impeccable, babe,” he murmured in her ear. “If you need confirmation of that, I’d be happy to conduct a thorough inspection and present you with a written report. Or an oral one … if you prefer.”

He leaned over to tongue her ear playfully, but his phone buzzed suddenly and he exhaled impatiently as he tapped the lock screen. It was a text from Luke. 

Claire's eyes moved from the screen to Jamie’s face and then back to the screen. 

His finger hovered over it for a moment, and then he finally opened it.

**Hope the girls are recovering well. Please send them my best wishes, and to Claire too. Hate to ask for some of your weekend time - can you Zoom tomorrow morning at around 10:30? I’m asking Tara to join us too.**

He looked at Claire, eyes narrowed as he did some quick thinking. Claire bit her lip and looked at him worriedly. He turned back to his phone and tapped his reply.

**_Sure - please send me the Zoom link. I’m looking forward to connecting with you. Thank you for the good wishes for my girls - much appreciated_**

“What do you think that’s about?” Claire’s brows were now drawn into a deep frown, and Jamie pressed his lips to her forehead reassuringly.

“Don’t look so worried, mo chridhe. I’m still confident that it will be okay. But it does throw a wrench in the works for our plans tonight. I’ll need to spend some time preparing for the meeting. I don’t know exactly what he wants to talk about, but I want to make some notes and do a little more research on important points that I’d like to raise with him. I’d like to go into the meeting feeling more prepared. I’m sorry, Claire, I know we were both looking forward to our patio time.”

“What kind of research do you need to do? Can I help?”

He raised a brow. ”You'd be willing to do that?” he asked. 

“Of course. We can take our laptops to the patio and work together.”

“What’s all this talk about working on the weekend?” Melissa reappeared just as Deacon was making his way back from an extended exploration of the terraces with Brandy. 

“Deacon, help yourself to a soda,” Claire offered. “I’m sure Beth won't be much longer. In fact, if you want to take a soda up to the girls, they’d probably love it.”

Deacon disappeared inside with his hands full of soda cans, and Brandy wandered over to slurp water from her bowl.

“Did I really hear you guys say you’re working tonight?” Melissa asked again.

“The VP of Production at Panther just asked Jamie to Zoom with him tomorrow morning. Jamie needs to prepare a little ahead of that and I offered to help.” Claire grimaced. “It’s the girls’ second night home and I feel awful that we’re going to have our noses buried in our laptops, but we’ll need … how long, Jamie? A few hours?”

“Claire, maybe I should just-”

“You guys!” Melissa interjected. “Is this the Superman thing you texted me about from the hospital, Claire? I know you’re worried about it, and you should definitely take the time to prepare thoroughly. Why don’t I take the girls to Bellevue for a little shopping and dinner. That’ll give you a good few hours to work on your meeting prep. What’s their favorite restaurant?” 

“Melissa,” Jamie began, “we already owe you-”

“Jamie, if you say one more word, I’ll give you the full Thornton treatment. Ask the Trustees how that worked out for them.” She gave him a teasing little wink, and then looked at Claire. “Girls’ favorite restaurant?”

“Mel … okay. I give up,” Claire sighed in surrender. There was no point arguing with Melissa on this. “Their favorite restaurant in Bellevue is Sugar Factory.”

“Oh, I love that! We have one in Atlanta. Do they need to shop for anything in particular?”

“They need navy sports bras from Nike or LuluLemon. The EMTs had to cut theirs after the accident, and they’ll need sports bras as soon as they get back to their practice schedule.”

“Won’t be a problem. I have a few things on my Nordstrom list, so it’ll be a fun outing for me and the girls. I know they need their rest, so we won't stay out too late.”

“Thank you, Melissa. You’re not easy to argue against, I’ll tell ye that much.”

“How are they doing upstairs, Mel?”

“Great! Beth’s done. 'Mando did a deep side part and the dressing is partially covered by her curls. She’ll feel better with it that way when we’re out this evening. I’ll go back upstairs and let the girls know that we’re heading out tonight,” Mel offered. “They should both rest this afternoon. Keep an eye on Brandy, she’s getting into your flowers over there.” 

Mel took her wine glass and headed indoors again, leaving Claire and Jamie to discuss their plans for the rest of the afternoon and evening. They had a lot to do to prepare for Jamie’s meeting with Luke. They turned to face each other, and Claire got straight to business.

“Okay. What do we need to research? Should we make a list and then divide and conquer?”

His arm rested casually on the back of the sofa and he reached for one of her ringlets and toyed with it.

“I need to call Tara. She mentioned that her industry contacts had shared some practical ideas, but she needed to research them more thoroughly. I want to take some of those off her list so she can focus on other areas for the meeting. As soon as I have a list from her, we’ll divvy it up. Sound okay?”

“Mm-hmm. Do you know what this reminds me of?”

“Tell me…”

“Our wine-tasting outing when we first met. We sat just like this in that little tasting room at La Ville. I asked you for a job as your research assistant, and here I am asking again. You totally rejected my application the first time.” She feigned a look of hurt and indignation.

“As I recall, I had legitimate concerns about these gorgeous curls of yours entangling themselves in my vineyards.”

“Legitimate concerns my arse! Your interview technique was highly questionable.”

“Hmmm. You raised a half-hearted objection, but I believe I countered effectively. And then we were rudely interrupted by our server at a most inconvenient point in the interview …”

His eyes dropped to her lips, and he moved in slowly, eyes fixed on her mouth. Her lips parted in invitation and she closed her eyes, a tiny tingle of anticipation making its way down her spine. He was now just inches from her mouth and closing in. They didn’t even hear Brandy scrabble her way across the patio. She launched herself between Claire and Jamie, leaving half of her body dangling awkwardly off the sofa. 

“Oh God,” Jamie groaned. “Ye’re fecking impossible, Brandy!” he growled playfully as he hoisted her solid weight onto the sofa. He looked at her with a stern face. “Who do you think you are? You almost bulldozed my girls earlier, and now you insert yerself in the middle of what was going to be the best make-out session of the day. What do you have to say for yourself, Brandy?”

She stared at him with soulful eyes, panting heavily with her tongue hanging out of her mouth.

“It’s okay, Brandy,” Claire said, stroking her ears, “he makes me pant and drool too.”

She gave Jamie a knowing look, and they both chuckled and petted the adoring puppy as she yawned loudly and wriggled her way into a more comfortable position, pushing them farther apart on the sofa.

Jamie stood up and helped Claire to her feet. Brandy’s eyes started to drift shut and they knew this would be a good time to leave her unsupervised while they attended to pressing matters.

“She’s going to crash right here on the sofa. I'll go call Tara and get the information we need.”

“Okay. I’ll check on the girls. What do you want to do for dinner? Everyone else is going out.”

“All this talk of herbs has got me hankering after that penne pesto you made for me the night we met. Is it too much trouble to make a batch of pesto?”

“Not at all. It’s literally the quickest and easiest dinner in the world, and I have all the ingredients.”

“I’ll give you a hand with it.”

He pulled her into his arms, and they stood there for a moment, swaying involuntarily as they always did when they held each other. 

“I take it I got the job?” She tipped her head up and smiled saucily. “Research assistant?”

“Yes. You'll be working under my very close supervision during your probationary period-”

She shut him up with a slow, deep kiss, sliding her hands into his back pockets and grabbing two healthy handfuls of his firm arse. She pulled his hips against hers. 

“Okay," he conceded, "the job’s yours. For life, if you want it.”

“I do," she said softly. "I definitely want it for life.”

He kissed her tenderly and they held each other for a moment longer. 

“I can’t wait for tonight,” she smiled. “I know we have a lot of work to do ahead of your meeting, but it’s been a while since we cooked together. And we still get our patio time.”

“I know, I’m looking forward to it too. Let’s meet back here. Maybe we can have a glass of wine with Armando and Melissa before they leave, and then we can get to work.”

Jamie spoke with Tara for around twenty minutes, making notes as she listed areas that he and Claire could research for the meeting with Luke. Jamie shared some of the information he had gathered on his own, and from Cal and Simon. She listed all of it in her notes. 

“Let’s Zoom at 9:00 tomorrow morning to ensure that we have all our ducks in a row.”

“Thanks, Tara. See you at 9:00.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The afternoon progressed lazily, and in relative peace and quiet. The girls napped on the sofas in the family room, while Deacon watched pre-season football on mute, gently holding Beth's hand in his. 

Meanwhile, the four adults sat on the patio and chatted over a glass of wine. Claire shared with them parts of the conversation she’d had with President Hernandez at Wednesday morning’s breakfast. 

They all agreed that it sounded like Claire did and said all the right things to impress Hernandez.

“That wasn’t my intention at all,” Claire insisted. “I went into that breakfast expecting her to issue a half-hearted apology. I wondered if she was worried about me considering legal options after the mess with the board, and schmoozing me over breakfast was her way to talk me down. Instead, what I found was a woman at the pinnacle of her own success, genuinely interested in my aspirations and ambitions. She drew me out of myself and had me talking about everything from the Trustees to the seventeen women from Africa. She was deeply interested in that, by the way. Most of all, she wanted to know about me - whatever I was willing to share. And she listened intently and with sincere interest.”

“I stand by what I said earlier, Claire,” Jamie insisted. “I know you impressed her. By now, she’s earmarked you for the next promotion, whenever that might be. You clearly carried yourself with grace and dignity. I’m so proud of you and completely in awe of your professional accomplishments.”

He kissed the back of her hand and turned it to kiss the inside of her wrist. Armando and Melissa glanced at each other with the hint of a smile.

As soon as Brandy awoke from her long nap, Armando set the empty wine glass down and stood up. 

“The end of her nap signals the start of the witching hour for this sweet puppy. And by witching hour, I mean four hours of boundless energy. I need to get home. Thanks for a great afternoon. Tell the sleeping beauties I said ‘adeus’. That’s Portuguese for goodbye. They want to touch up their balayage as soon as Beth’s laceration has healed.”

“So do I, 'Mando,” Claire fluffed her hair out a little. “Mine needs refreshing too. I’ll call you as soon as Beth gets the okay.”  
  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Melissa and the twins left for Bellevue just after 6:00 p.m. 

Armando had done a great job of helping them look and feel their best, and Claire helped them to pick out dresses that were easy to step into. Beth helped Ella with her makeup, and they were positively giddy with excitement at the prospect of dinner with Melissa at their favorite restaurant. 

Deacon had declined their invitation to join them. It was his Grandpa’s 83rd birthday, and the whole family was planning to Zoom from various parts of the country for a remote celebration. He and his uncles accepted Claire’s invitation to join them the following night for Melissa’s famous pot roast.

Jamie and Claire lined up all the pesto ingredients and got ready to work on their quick and easy dinner. The heady scent of freshly-picked basil wafted across the kitchen island as Claire stripped the leaves and added them to the food processor. Jamie lined up a playlist and the sensual strains of ‘I Want You Around’ by Snoh Aalegra drifted over them.

He took a bottle of The Grotto sauvignon blanc from the wine fridge and poured them each a glass. 

They chatted comfortably, getting caught up on bits and pieces of their lives that they hadn’t found time to talk about since Jamie’s return from L.A.

“The _Unauthorized Contact_ premiere is coming up at the end of the month. How would you feel about coming with me? Ella and Beth too. They’ll be almost fully recovered by then. It’s a red carpet event, so you would be photographed with me quite a lot. How would you feel about that?”

He peeled a few garlic cloves and waited for her response. 

She bit her lower lip. “What about Anja? Will she be there? Won't you need to do the usual co-stars pictures?”

“She’s barely into her rehab in Switzerland and there’s no way Millennium will risk having her at the event. Geillis Duncan probably has a series of press releases lined up to emphasize how awesome Millennium is, and how well they take care of their stars.” 

She nodded pensively. “Would you mind asking Geillis for more details on what they plan to do about Anja?”

Jamie tossed the garlic cloves in the food processor, washed his hands and moved to stand behind Claire as she grated some parmesan cheese. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close against his body. She had piled her hair up in a messy bun, giving him easy access to the back of her neck, which he honed in on immediately. Lavishing kisses and nibbles on her sensitive skin, he left a damp trail as he moved towards her ear.

“I’ll call Geillis on Monday,“ he promised. “We’ll only do this if you are one hundred percent comfortable with it.”

She nodded and leaned her head back against him. “Thank you. I really want to be there with you, Jamie. And the girls would be thrilled beyond words. But I need absolute assurance that Anja won’t be part of it. It would be a lot to deal with. For the girls too.”

“I completely understand. That would be a nightmare scenario for me too, trust me. I’ll get all the details on Monday.” He continued nibbling a path down the side of her neck. “It’s going to be an exclusive event, and in a nod to pandemic restrictions, it’s a formal dinner, kinda like the Golden Globes. So we would be socially distanced as much as possible. Probably the usual temp checks at the door for all attendees.”

“Mm-hmm. It sounds wonderful, Jamie!” Regardless of her concerns about Anja, there was no mistaking the genuine excitement in her voice. “It‘ll be my first big Hollywood event, and I just want it to be perfect for you. Oscar voters will be watching, so the last thing we want is a nasty surprise. Also, if you continue doing what you’re doing on my neck, I’m either going to cut myself or throw you down and-”

“I prefer the second option,” he murmured, dropping one last kiss before pulling back.

Stifling a giggle, she reached for a lemon - Nonna’s secret pesto ingredient - and cut a slice from it, setting it aside next to the olive oil.

Jamie slid his hands over hers, took the knife and lemon from her, and placed them on the mat. He turned her around to face him.

“The last thing I want is to expose you to any more risk and trauma, Claire. But even without Anja there, we’ll be dealing with a lot of paparazzi. You will be pictured with me on social media, gossip websites, magazines, and shows like Entertainment Tonight and TMZ. How do you feel about that? How would Fulton view that?”

“I’ll chat with Joe and see what he thinks. Maybe Mel too - just to get her opinion. I can’t see that it would be a problem, as long as there's no scandal attached to it.” 

“And you, personally, Claire? How would you feel about having our picture splashed all over the media - in all its forms?”

She studied his face for a moment, deep in thought. “I’m pretty okay with it, actually,” a slow smile spread across her lips, and she touched her finger to his mouth, drawing it slowly across his lower lip. “Trevor Noah already outed us in your interview, but I think it's time the world sees undeniable picture proof that you’re all mine - that you are officially off the market.”

“And have been since the day I met you.” He captured her fingertip in his mouth, and puckered instantly. He pulled back, chuckling, “You have very lemony fingers, babe. But yes, I agree. It’s a good time for us to pose together and remove all doubt. Cal and Simon will help us navigate the PR and media exposure side of things. I’m going to be so proud to walk the red carpet with you by my side.”

He smiled softly and kissed her thoroughly before pulling apart and moving back to his work area, where he measured out a cup of pine nuts and added them to the food processor.

“I’ll need to find a killer dress …”

“And shoes.”

“Yes, my love. And shoes,” she smiled and shook her head.

“I haven't forgotten about those Valentinos you mentioned last night.”

“I believe I said they would only be an option if you were extra good this weekend.”

“What … but …” he sputtered.

“We’re only halfway through the weekend,” she reminded him. “So far you’re getting an A+, but let’s see what tomorrow brings.”

He smiled and they continued to chat and tease as the penne approached al dente readiness and Claire added her final touches to the pesto.

  
  


They carried their steaming, fragrant plates outside and sat down to eat at the patio table. 

Claire sipped her wine and glanced at the label on the bottle. “I love this sauvignon blanc. Definitely my new favorite. What did Murtagh say, by the way? When you spoke with him this morning - what’s the latest at the winery?”

“Mmmmm, you make the best pesto, Claire. So good! Give me a sec." They ate several bites, and then he continued. "I spoke to Murtagh and Helen together, actually. Julio and Alma drove up this morning and they are spending the night and all of tomorrow there so they can experience as much of The Grotto as possible. I’ll need to get an update from Murtagh, but I’m very confident that Julio and Alma are making a good impression.” 

“I really hope so. This would be such a good thing - for them and for the winery.”

“Mm-hmm,” Jamie chewed a mouthful of food, and continued, “Helen and Murtagh are doing some amazing things at the winery. Fall plans and events are in full swing, and they have a whole series of pandemic-friendly events and ideas lined up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We should try to get up there in the next week or two.”

“What about the weekend of the 12th? It might be Mel’s last weekend with us, and I’d love to take her there. Beth and Ella would love it too.”

“That’s a great idea. I’ll let Murtagh know - he loves nothing better than organizing stuff for us.”

They laughed at the thought of Murtagh planning their entire weekend. 

“Murtagh is awesome! He’ll be so happy to see his ‘braw lasses’,” she put on her best Scottish accent, but Jamie grimaced his disapproval. 

“What?” she demanded indignantly, “I lived there for a few years, and I think my accent is passable! Seriously though, tell Murtagh not to go overboard. The girls can’t do much exciting stuff - certainly no wakeboarding. It’ll be a lot more low-key than our last weekend there. I’m excited for Melissa to explore it. Can we do some wine-tasting and spa treatments?”

“Of course, Claire. The Grotto is as much yours as it is mine. You can do whatever ye like. Text Murtagh and he’ll get it all arranged for us.”

  
  


After dinner, they gathered their laptops and notepads, and headed down to the small patio that overlooked their new property.

As they set their things down on the table and prepared to settle into the wicker chairs for some focused work time, Jamie shared the information he had gleaned from Tara. He told her of his ideas for completing his filming commitments in a way that would allow him to be a part of their family life every night. Claire gasped in surprise and flung herself at him, hugging him tightly and peppering kisses all over his face. When she finally stopped gushing over his sheer genius, they settled into their chairs and decided who should research what part. It made sense for Jamie to focus on the fandoms, social media and his overall impact as the new Superman; while Claire concentrated on two business areas that she code-named Project Rainier and Project PSTC. 

They worked solidly for well over two hours, sharing useful tidbits and occasionally comparing notes. Every half-hour or so, they stood and stretched and sneaked a quick kiss or a hug. An hour in, they re-caffeinated with an espresso and then forged ahead until they had covered all the areas that Tara and Jamie considered priority discussion points. 

At last, they shut their laptops, gathered their mugs and notepads, and headed back to the study to drop it all on the desk.

Melissa sent an audio message via text that they’d be home in a half hour. They had enjoyed a fabulous dinner and a successful shopping spree. Not only had the twins found the sports bras they needed, but Melissa had also found them pajamas that they could easily slip on and off without too much fuss. She mentioned that the girls seemed tired and were ready for another good night’s sleep.

  
  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  


By 6:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, Jamie and Claire had awoken and dressed in their running gear. Jamie went downstairs and grabbed their running shoes from the mudroom while Claire peeked in on the girls. 

The twins had slept in Ella’s room the previous night, and both were still in a deep sleep when Claire tiptoed to the bed to check on them. 

Satisfied that they’d had another good night, she joined Jamie on the front doorsteps, where they sat and pulled on their running shoes. 

“The girls are asleep, and all looks good up there.”

Jamie smiled in appreciation. She instinctively knew he wanted an update on Beth and Ella, and she gave it to him before he’d had the chance to ask.

They returned from a four mile run, exhausted but exhilarated, and took a short tour of the building progress while their bodies cooled down. The quickly advancing excavation work for the main house was exciting enough, but Claire was even more impressed with how close to completion the stables were. 

“How long before we can bring our horses over?” she asked.

“I’m going to guess about two weeks,” Jamie replied.

“Oohhhh! I can’t wait to get them all out here. Sugar, Spice, and Calypso. We need to get you a horse, Jamie.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that. I'll take some time to look into it in the next week or two. Do you need me to help with dinner prep today or would it be more helpful if the girls and I busied ourselves doing something else?”

“Well, Melissa’s in charge of dinner, so I’m just going to be her sous chef and let her manage things."

"That sounds like code for you need us all out of the way," he chuckled.

She shrugged, smiling as she responded, "Mel likes to have the run of the kitchen when she's cooking. Today might be a good day to hang out at the pool with the girls and Deacon ... we don’t have many beautiful days like this one left. I see some of the leaves are just starting to turn.”

They glanced at a nearby thicket, where a cluster of tall, leafy maple trees bore traces of the very beginnings of autumn.

“I might drive the girls across to Greta's while you and Melissa take over the kitchen. A little snuggle time with Sugar and Spice will be good for the soul. Deacon might want to come too. He’s a horse guy through and through, and is probably missing his stallion terribly. I'd also like to ask Greta for recommendations for a stable hand. We're going to need someone who has solid experience.”

She smiled and wrapped an arm tightly around his waist as they completed a circuit around the perimeter of the excavated area.

“You are the most thoughtful-”

He stole her words with a lingering kiss, and they headed home to start another busy day. 

  
  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
  


While Jamie started his Zoom call with Tara, Claire made a batch of creamy steel-cut oatmeal. She placed a stack of bowls and a handful of spoons on the kitchen island and set out blueberries, sliced strawberries and bananas, honey, and cinnamon sugar. 

It was just after 9:00, and she could sense movement upstairs. Melissa and the girls would be downstairs any minute.

Claire made up a bowl of oatmeal the way Jamie liked it and silently took it into the study, blowing Tara a kiss. Tara waved back with a warm smile, and Jamie squeezed her hand in thanks. Without breaking eye contact with Tara, and still completely focused on what she was saying, he brought Claire’s hand to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist before releasing it so she could return to the kitchen.

Melissa and the girls joined her within a few minutes of each other, and they gathered around the island to assemble their bowls of oatmeal.

“Mom, what are the plans for this morning and afternoon, before everyone arrives for dinner?” Beth asked, as she spooned blueberries into her bowl.

“Jamie’s on Zoom calls for most of the morning. I’m going to run out and pick up some groceries for dinner. Before I go, I’ll help you both waterproof your dressings so you can shower.”

“And after that, I’m going to teach you how to prune a herb garden,” Melissa inserted. “I need to believe that at least one of you managed to dodge your mom’s gardening gene. You’ve both inherited the best of your mom’s genes, but the gardening one? That’s the one you _don’t_ want, trust me.” 

The girls snorted. “Poor Mom,” Beth laughed. “Her glads are sad. Is that a figure of speech?”

“Paradox? Pun?” Ella suggested, “I dunno. But yeah, I’d love to learn how to look after those herbs.”

“Well you can’t do much worse than me, that’s for sure!” Claire laughed. “Mel and I will be preparing dinner for a big chunk of the afternoon. Jamie says he’ll take you girls and Deacon to visit Sugar and Spice-”

“Yassss! We miss them so much!”

“I know you do sweethearts. You can have some snuggles with them and then just take it easy for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe Deacon can give Calypso some love and attention while you're there. I'll get out there later this week.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Zoom meeting started promptly with warm, friendly greetings all around. Luke seemed genuinely pleased to see Jamie and Tara, which came as a relief, as neither was sure what the tone of the meeting would be.

“Jamie - good to see you! Astaire has been keeping me up to date on the girls’ progress. I’m very happy to hear that they're doing so well.”

“Thank you so much, Luke. And again - I can’t thank you enough for your help getting me home so quickly and for moving the schedule around so I can have some time back home. Astaire is still distraught by it all and he keeps in touch. A lot. Which is okay - he and the girls connected really well when they were out there for the cast reveal, and I really do appreciate his concern.”

Luke shook his head wryly. “Poor Astaire. I knew this would torture him. He’ll get over it.”

Having dispensed with the niceties, Luke wanted to get straight to business. 

“Thank you for giving up some weekend time. I want to start our discussion immediately so that we can all go and enjoy our Sunday with our families. The most important thing for me is that we all feel comfortable communicating openly. I’m not one for covert agendas. You’ve probably already learned I’m a straight shooter, and I’d like to keep that approach in this meeting too. There is nothing you can tell me that will shock me or make me lose my shit. I believe there’s a solution to every problem, it’s merely a matter of working it out together.”

“I’m good with that approach. Fits right in with my family and professional values,” Jamie agreed.

“As far as I’m concerned, the less bullshit the better,” Tara added.

“Okay, let’s get to it then. A good industry friend of mine mentioned that he spoke to you on Thursday, Tara, and that you were exploring options for reducing the amount of time that Jamie spends away from Seattle during shooting.”

“Yes,” Tara admitted. “I spoke to a fair number of people on Thursday and Friday to try and find some workable solutions.”

“And she did that at my bidding, Luke. I’m the one who pressed a reluctant Tara to investigate that for me.”

“Exactly what I thought and perfectly understandable given the circumstances. Jamie, you realize that we will likely wrap shooting on or slightly over schedule at the end of November or beginning of December, right? Even with a few minor delays here and there, that 12 weeks is pretty set in stone. There may be an additional week or two needed here and there through January and February - voiceovers, ADR, publicity stills and such - but the bulk of it will be done by November.”

“I realize that, and truly the last thing I want to do is inconvenience DC/Panther and the cast and crew. Here’s the deal, Luke. Claire has been through a very challenging time at work over the past couple of months. A large part of it was tied to me-”

“The Anja mess - yes, word about her behavior got around town fast. I imagine that was rough,” Luke said.

“Claire lost a promotion because of it, and before that, a huge project she was working on was all but tossed out. I’m giving you just the basics, so you know where I’m coming from.”

“Understood.”

“I have reason to believe that things might change for Claire as early as this week. By the end of the week, she may be in a position where her responsibilities and duties become exponentially more time-consuming and challenging. Add to that the fact that our girls are about to start their junior year of high school and will need a parent - or parent-figure - around a lot more, especially if they’re remote learning. I realized that if Claire and I are going to build a successful family life, I need to take on a lot more than I have been doing. It’s tough to do that when you’re gone all week and you spend your weekend time scrambling to get caught up on what you missed.”

“I had a pretty good sense that it was going to come down to sharing more family responsibilities, Jamie, and I can't fault you for that. I have some crazy work hours too as you know, and it kills me that Lynne takes on so much more than I do. Commuting the way you have to would make it an entirely unworkable situation.”

“We both lost our fathers at an early age, Luke, and you know as well as I do the impact that has on a family. Being here for my girls and for Claire is something I feel very strongly about - especially given their situation with their biological father.”

“Astaire mentioned something about that to me. When he spent cast reveal day with the girls, he asked them a casual question about their father and they said that he wasn’t very present in their lives outside of FaceTime and a couple of weeks in the summer. They told Astaire that you were more of a Dad to them. That stayed with me, Jamie. That kind of commitment and selflessness is unusual in our industry.”

“My father died twenty years ago next month. That’s twenty years I’ve lived without his guidance and love. My girls have never had a strong connection with their biological father. Beth and Ella haven’t had the closeness with him that I had with my dad for the 14 precious years that he was around. They had a father figure for a few years in Claire’s late husband, and it was a painful and difficult loss for them when he passed. I have a deep-seated need to bring that fatherly presence and love to their lives when they need it most.”

“I hear you on that and completely understand now where you’re coming from. I have so much respect for you and your attitude. Jamie, I really want to work with you to make that a reality, but as you know, there are a lot of stake-holders in this movie, and Superman is a colossus. So while I'm happy to plead your case, I will need to approach this from a business angle. My first instinct is to call a meeting with Ayesha, Yoonah, and DC’s Senior VP in charge of brand, marketing and direct-to-consumer matters. And Theo, of course - it’s important that we include the movie’s director in this if we need to make changes. I’ll need to do a bit of homework before I meet with them. They are numbers people - all of them. With the possible exception of Theo - he’s more logistics and end-product. But the others are going to want numbers, facts, figures, and solutions.”

“I believe we can help you there,” Tara offered. “Jamie and I spent some time researching and fact-gathering yesterday. We have some really good information to share and we believe there’s a workable solution.”

“Oh!” Luke was taken aback. “I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Tara Lewis would have preempted all my needs and questions,” he chuckled. “Give me a run-down on the information you have.”

“We’ll send you our notes and spreadsheets, but in a nutshell, here’s what we can share with you ...” 

Tara launched into a detailed account - with facts and figures and precedents - of how much Superman stood to benefit when, not if, Jamie was nominated for an Academy Award.

“You know as well as I do, Luke, that the nomination is a done deal. My insiders are saying that there is a lot of support for a win for Jamie. And we all know what having an Oscar winner does to the box office figures of subsequent films they headline.”

Luke nodded, unable to dispute any of what she had just said. 

“That will be especially appealing to your team when you consider the damage the pandemic has wrought on our industry. Production is down, release schedules are a mess, box office is non-existent, and studio profits have tumbled badly. It’s a cluster fuck of epic proportions. Jamie will bring the magic that DC/Panther needs right now.”

Luke made some notes, and looked at Jamie on his screen.

“Jamie, do you have anything to add?”

“I have a lot of stats and figures from my PR reps. Percentage growth in social media following the cast reveal - across all my platforms as well as the official Superman accounts. All those numbers spiked significantly. My PR team has also embedded a few of their staffers in the fandoms, and they’ve prepared a report that indicates that fan reaction to my getting the role was positive.”

“Overwhelmingly positive is what he means,” Tara inserted. “This is no time to be modest, Jamie.”

“Yeah, Yoonah shares those figures at every meeting. We know that Jamie has boosted numbers and our following in a big way. The DC Comics team has noticed a similar surge in their following. Keeping you in the role isn’t in question. My next step is to take the info you shared, and come up with some practical solutions to present to my team. How can we make this work for you, Jamie?”

“I propose we set up a second unit in Vancouver, and move all my scenes up there.” Jamie paused to allow Luke to take in his words, and then continued. “I have some particulars on that. Claire helped me research this part, actually. She came in blind of course, not knowing your budgets and whether this information would be useful. Nonetheless, here is some of what she found out.”

Luke continued scribbling as Jamie shared what Claire had found out about British Columbia’s Production Services Tax Credit, which she researched under her code-name, 'Project PSTC'. Jamie also outlined what Claire had gleaned about additional accommodations aimed at supporting filming in the province.

“Luke, you know this stuff better than I do, but looking through the information she found online, it’s evident that Panther would qualify for the tax credits if you were to consider moving some parts of the production to a studio in Vancouver. Combined with the lower local crew costs and the exchange rate, the financials could actually work out to be advantageous for Panther. Claire prepared a whole eligibility report that I’ll send you.”

“That would be fantastic, Jamie. Panther has filmed some smaller productions in Vancouver in the past, and I know they’ve got some world class facilities up there in what we like to call Hollywood North. I’m going to dive into what Claire prepared and use it as the basis of my discussion to suggest establishing a Vancouver offshoot as a feasible solution. Remember when we had lunch last Wednesday? I spoke about the consultant from Vancouver who was helping us with flying scenes… the tech genius. Well, we’re still waiting for our suppliers in Seoul and Shanghai to confirm that they can get that equipment to us in time. They’re supposed to be collaborating, but they seem to be locked in an aggressively competitive one-upmanship situation that is affecting procurement of what the consultant needs. I’m ready to fire their asses, to be honest. It’s been one delay after the other. Shooting in Vancouver would take that major headache out of the equation as they already have that equipment on site and ready to roll.”

“Well that would certainly prove handy. This might be helpful too - purely for anyone who is logistics-focused. Claire went back and forth via email with a seaplane company that normally does sightseeing tours over the San Juans. It's a small operation called Rainier Air. They’ve been hit hard by the pandemic and jumped at the chance of a three-month contract to keep one of their planes and several pilots on standby to fly me to Vancouver on weekday mornings and back in the evening. The flight is a little over an hour long, so I could leave early, do a full day's worth of shooting, and be back to help with dinner and enjoy evenings with my family."

“An hour! Most days, my commute to the studio is a helluva lot longer than that. Do you have all the facts and figures for that, Jamie?”

“Yes, it’s all in the spreadsheet. All the basic cost projections, compared with the savings made by not having to provide me with accommodation and a per diem for being on location, as per my contract. The issue I’m grappling with is Maggie Q. I hate to inconvenience her. She needs to be factored into the planning, and I don’t know how she would feel about shooting in Vancouver.” 

“I can’t see that being a problem, to be honest, Jamie. She shot most of _Nikita_ in Toronto. I went over to Stage E to say hi to her when she came in last Monday to meet with costume and wardrobe. She had just got back from her cabin in Whistler after a weekend of ziplining and bear-watching with friends.” He shook his head at the idea of one of his principals pursuing high-risk activities. “If we’re re-configuring the production schedule, I can condense most of her scenes into the latter part of November so she can make the most of early skiing season on the weekends. It’s probably not even a two-hour drive from Vancouver to Whistler and that would likely sweeten the deal for her.”

There was a brief silence as Luke added some notes to his page, and then looked up at the screen.

“Okay, Jamie and Tara, this is all great information that you’ve shared with me. Please send me everything you’ve prepared and I’ll spend some time working on my approach. I’ll call an urgent meeting on Wednesday afternoon, and I’ll get back to both of you right away. Your fact-finding has been hugely helpful. I have a good feeling about this, for you, for the bottom line, and for the movie itself. Go enjoy the rest of your weekend.” Luke clicked out of the Zoom with a satisfied grin.

“That went great!” Tara smiled at Jamie and gave him a thumbs up. 

“It’s out of our hands now,” Jamie replied solemnly. “All that’s left is to start making contingency plans in case they don’t go with that option. I want and need to be here, but for now I’m willing to compromise by spending my work day away from Claire and the girls, just like any working parent. But I won’t spend our nights apart. That’s not negotiable.”

They ended the call feeling a lot more positive than when they had started. 

Jamie sat back and expelled a long sigh. Claire’s talk with the girls over breakfast on Saturday was turning out to be quite prescient. The coming week would be a balancing act of career and family and love. Their schedule was packed with important meetings and appointments, and the decisions of others would be instrumental in shaping their foreseeable future. 

He had a lot of faith in Hernandez and Luke, but he knew that it would be a restless few days while they waited for definitive answers to some burning questions. 

Despite that, he couldn’t prevent a smile of anticipation from drawing him out of his musings. The time had come for him to unearth from its hiding place a certain small package that had its origins in New York. 

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	60. Chapter 60

* * *

Jamie emerged from the study and found Claire anxiously waiting for him to report back on the Zoom call. She had picked up her grocery order and busied herself putting everything away in the pantry and fridge, and now stood biting her lip as she waited for him to share his impressions of the meeting with Luke.

“Where is everyone?” he asked, loading his bowl in the dishwasher. 

“Mel is on a call with Marsali in Atlanta. We’ll start prepping for dinner as soon as she’s done. The girls are upstairs.”

“Thank you for the oatmeal. It was excellent.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her forehead. 

She nuzzled his scruff and inhaled the scent of his shower gel. “You always smell so good,” she breathed.

“Careful now, Sassenach. I might take you right here on the counter. And we’ve a house full of teenagers and BFFs.” 

Grinning, she took him by the hand and led him to the middle terrace. “Tell me everything, my love,” she urged, as they sank into the plush sofa, facing each other. 

“The call went very well. Tara seemed satisfied too.”

A sense of relief washed over her as he described in detail the most pertinent parts of the conversation, emphasizing how accommodating Luke had been. 

“They’re all meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss it, so we should know by that night. Luke’s very grateful for all the work you did. Panther is no stranger to working in Vancouver, but on much smaller productions. Your eligibility report on potential Superman tax credits will help him prepare for any questions or roadblocks the team throws at him. I’m so thankful for your work on that, Claire.”

“We made a good team, last night, didn't we?” she smiled, caressing his jaw.

“Aye, we did,” his hand reached for hers and he held her fingers in his hand, caressing each one individually. “Your work on the transportation solution was very useful too. They’re going to want those practical solutions to all of this. Luke seems pretty determined to effectively and successfully sell this idea to the rest of them.”

He pulled Claire closer, and they shifted on the sofa so that she could tuck her body into his and rest her head on his shoulder. 

“We need to watch another sunrise soon, mo chridhe, before it starts to get too cold.”

“Mm-hmm. And before the rainy season. September sunrises are beautiful.”

“It’ll be hard to top that first one. The colors of the sky were unbelievable.”

He pulled out his phone, tapped the pictures app and scrolled all the way back to their first sunrise in June.

He swiped through the pictures of the sunrise sky and stopped at their first selfie. Claire lifted her head from his shoulder to study it closely. 

“Look at us, my love. Only three days in and we already looked silly and smitten,” she giggled. 

“We do, don’t we? I remember thinking how incredible your eyes looked in that light. They reflected the sun’s rays … your skin too. It literally glowed in the early morning light. You always look beautiful to me, ye ken. Always. But on that morning, you looked like a … goddess. A dawn goddess.”

He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. 

“Aurora,” she said softly.

“Hmmm?”

“Aurora,” she repeated. “Roman Goddess of the Dawn.”

“Aurora,” he said softly, still staring at her, somewhat bemused. 

“You’re the one who said I looked like a dawn goddess ...” she shrugged.

“I did. And the goddess Aurora is the perfect choice. You’re a genius, Claire.” 

He spoke with such intensity that she smiled at his rambling silliness. 

“Which one am I, Jamie? A goddess or a genius?”

“Both. And so much more.” He closed in for a kiss, tantalizing her with his teasing tongue and a flurry of soft pecks and licks. 

She smiled against his lips, and said softly, “Show me more pictures of us.”

He swiped through the pictures on his phone ... the two of them exiting the limo at the Caledonian dinner, Fourth of July fireworks, pictures she had captured of the girls taking him down at their first basketball challenge, the twins holding their driver’s licenses, the romantic date night the twins had planned on the patio, the sweet family pictures at their winery weekend, the girls at the cheer showcase, and random selfies of them goofing around. 

“Wait - there’s a few that you haven't shared with me yet. Go back a bit and let me select them.”

He air-dropped her the favorites she selected, and she replaced her phone in her pocket with a contented sigh. Briefly reliving some of the moments captured in his pictures made her realize how much they had done together, as a couple and as a family, in a short space of time. It reminded her again of how much she needed and loved the completeness that Jamie brought to her life. 

They enjoyed a half hour of quiet togetherness, wrapped up in each other, talking softly about things both trivial and important. The fact that Jamie still hadn’t watched _A Star is Born_ and her insistence that they watch it together because she would be a weeping mess watching it - again. The general excitement amongst her colleagues - and many other constituencies - over Joe Biden’s selection of a female running mate. Whether Claire should be allowed to continue her horticultural homicidal tendencies and forge ahead with a herb garden at the new house. 

They heard the patio door open and close, and Ella and Beth strolled over to join them. The conversation turned to their excitement about the impending visit to Sugar and Spice, and even greater joy when Jamie told them it was a matter of a mere two weeks before their beloved horses would be stabled next door.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  


By the time Jamie returned from Greta’s place with Ella, Beth and Deacon in tow, all the major dinner prep work had been completed. The pot roast was simmering gently on the range, infusing the space with the mouth-watering aromas of fresh herbs, garlic and red wine. 

The teens headed straight outdoors to stretch out on the pool loungers and enjoy the afternoon sun. 

Jamie pulled out a stool and joined Claire and Melissa at the kitchen island.

Claire leaned over to kiss him. “How did it go at Greta’s?”

“Really well. The girls spent a lot of time grooming and snuggling with Sugar and Spice. Deacon hung out with Calypso. I could tell he was itching to grab a saddle and take him out on the trail.”

“We should ask Greta if he can do that sometime this week. Calypso needs the exercise, and I might be too busy.”

“Greta’s stable hands are doing a fine job of ensuring that all three of our horses are getting the exercise they need, but I bet Calypso would welcome a chance to get some more.”

“What did she say about a stable hand for us?”

“She gave me four options. The one that jumped out at me is Greta’s nephew. He’s at Bellevue College doing an Associate Degree in Math Education, but he currently works at her stables as a volunteer. She says he’s a little socially awkward, but really good with the horses, and he’d welcome a horse-related job that actually pays. The girls know him and they say he seems like a really nice guy, but he keeps to himself. We can arrange a meeting with him and get a better sense of whether he’s a good fit for the job and for us.”

“Yes, let's do that. If we end up hiring him, we can set up the little apartment in the roof space of the stables as a study area with WiFi so that he can do his remote studies while he’s not tending to the horses. I know Bellevue College recently announced that they are doing remote-learning for the first two quarters of the academic year. That might change of course, depending on how the pandemic progresses.”

Melissa got up to check the pot-roast and adjust the seasoning, releasing a fresh cloud of fragrant steam as she removed the lid of the large Le Creuset pot.

“God, that smells good. I’m hungry already!” Jamie stood up and dropped a kiss on Claire’s head. “I’m going to take my iPad down to the pool for a while. I need to get an update from Murtagh, and he wants to say hi to the lasses. I have to FaceTime Jenny too, and I know she’ll want to chat with the girls.”

“That reminds me, they need to call Nonna in the next day or two. She wants to speak directly with the girls. We’ll do that sometime today or tomorrow.”

“I’ll remind you,” Jamie offered. “You also promised to set up a Zoom or FaceTime so I can finally meet Lamb. Anything else you need me to do, mo chridhe?”

“Would you mind grabbing the list I made of the girls’ gifts and flowers, and the stack of thank you cards from the study? Maybe you can get the girls to start on their thank yous. Would you mind doing that, my love?”

“Great idea. I’m on it.” He disappeared into the study to gather what he needed to take down to the pool.

Jamie ... you’re being a very good boy today.” Claire quirked her eyebrow at him, and he winked back in acknowledgment as he stepped out onto the patio.

Melissa shot her a surprised look from across the kitchen, her head cocked slightly. 

“‘A very good boy’, Claire? Not like you to be so patronizing.”

“Inside joke,” Claire smiled enigmatically.

“Ah!” Mel gave her a tiny smirk. “Say no more.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
  


Jamie and the teens soaked up the late afternoon sun, and kept themselves out of Melissa’s way. After completing their FaceTime calls with Jenny and Murtagh, the girls started writing their thank you cards, half-listening as Jamie and Deacon had a robust discussion on the upcoming Seahawks season. Deacon was adamant that this would be Russell Wilson’s year to be named MVP. 

"He has to get it this year. The guy's a phenomenon! I watch his plays over and over again, and he has insane instincts. Plus, he's a really good guy. He visits kids at Seattle Children's every Tuesday with Ciara. They post awesome pictures on Instagram, and the kids are always so excited to see them. It's probably not happening this year because of the pandemic, but he's been doing it for as long as I can remember."

"I'm not disagreeing that he deserves it, Deacon. I just feel like Seahawks defense needs to be stronger overall so Wilson can do what he does best. We'll see what his stats look like mid-season."

Claire and Melissa worked on the finishing touches to the evening meal. Claire made her creamy garlic mashed potatoes, which she crisped to perfection under the broiler. Roasted parsnips and carrots were the perfect complement to the richness of the gravy, and a reserve Cabernet from Jamie’s collection rounded off an outstanding meal. 

Beau and Colton were particularly grateful for some good home cooking. Too exhausted to make the effort to cook a meal after long, hot days on site, they had relied on takeout and frozen meals for much of their time in Snoqualmie. Both men had seconds and Claire made a mental note to package up the leftovers for them to take home.

After dinner, Ella, Beth and Deacon made a beeline for the man cave to compete in a pinball playoff. Even with Beth and Ella teaming up due to the latter’s injured hand, they still managed to trounce Deacon. He got his revenge during a game of pool, and the teens moved to the family room to catch up on social media updates. Deacon kept track of Beth’s screen time and confiscated her phone as soon as she reached twenty minutes. 

“Sorry, Bethie,” he said gently, when she pouted playfully. “You can get a few extra minutes tomorrow.”

The adults gathered on the patio sofas and sipped the last of their Cabernet. Jamie and Claire took the opportunity to thank Colton and Beau for all their assistance immediately after the accident. Having the girls' belongings retrieved from the wrecked car was a huge help. And Colton's foresight in capturing pictures of the road conditions and requesting the responding officers' contact details had expedited the insurance claim.

“In case we haven't thanked you enough for all your help last week, we want you to know how very grateful we are to you - and Deacon - for all the support and practical help.” Claire smiled gratefully at the brothers. 

“We’re all happy we could lend a hand in some small way. Can’t imagine the horror for both of you,” Beau shook his head.

“How is Deacon doing with all of it?” Claire asked, sitting forward and lowering her voice a little. “It must have been very traumatic for him to watch the extraction. And then he had to listen to my very big reaction when he called to tell me. That was probably hard for him.”

“Colton and I are keeping a close eye on him. He didn’t sleep well those first two nights, but seems better now that the girls are home. His mom is driving over to spend a few days with us this week. She’ll know immediately if something’s a little off with him.”

“Ok,” Claire sighed in relief, “I feel better knowing that."

After Deacon and the Calhouns left, Beth and Ella joined the adults on the patio. They shared Melissa's sofa, leaving a snuggled up Jamie and Claire undisturbed.

“You girls doing okay?” Jamie asked, “It’s been a busy day.”

“We’re good. Just a little tired.”

Claire eyed them with concern. “I need to change your dressings, then you can go straight to sleep.”

“Okay,” Ella yawned. “What else is happening this week, Mom?”

“Tomorrow afternoon, you have your first appointment with the therapist that Maddox recommended. On Tuesday - and this is merely a suggestion from Coach Jen - if you’re feeling up to it, you can attend practice and watch from the bleachers. It’s a longer session because they're making some adjustments to the choreography since you can’t dance right now. There's a team lunch afterwards. Coach thought you might like to be there to watch practice and have lunch with your teammates. They miss you and are dying to see you.” 

“Yasss! I’m excited to do that.”

“I have to go to campus for a meeting on Tuesday morning, so I won’t be able to bring you there. I’m so sorry - I had planned to work from home for most of the week, but this one just came up.”

“It’s okay, Mom. Ashlee can pick us up.”

“I’d rather have Jamie drop you off and pick you up again.”

The girls nodded silently. Maddox had warned them that Claire and Jamie might be a little more protective and restrictive for a while.

“Don’t forget Friday's meeting with the new Trustees, Claire,” Melissa reminded her. Her eyes had narrowed slightly at Claire’s mention of a meeting on campus that ‘just came up’. She was supposed to have the week off, apart from Friday’s Trustee meeting, which was near impossible to reschedule.

“I haven't forgotten. Ella and Beth have follow-up visits with their doctors at 2:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon,” Claire pointed out. 

“Of course, Claire. The girls’ appointments come first. The Trustee meeting is at 11:00 a.m. You should be done with the meeting itself in plenty of time for the girls’ appointments. There’s a reception after the meeting to welcome the new Trustees, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to attend that.” 

“Mom!” Ella interjected, “the new Trustees are such a big deal to you. You _should_ attend the reception. It sounds important. Jamie can take us to the medical appointments.” 

“You’re right Ella, it is an important meeting. But Jamie and I both want to be there, because getting updates on your injury and Beth’s contusion and concussion are more important. This is precisely what I meant when I said we have to balance things in our work and family lives. We all have to make compromises occasionally, and on Friday, it's my turn to do that. If the timing works in our favor, I may be able to join the reception after your appointments, but I’m not missing them.” Claire spoke with an air of finality that brooked no further argument. 

Jamie stood up and stretched. “I think it’s bedtime for all of us,” he announced. “Melissa, you’re not touching a thing - you cooked, I’ll tidy up. Claire, while you change the girls’ dressings, I’ll lock up.”

Melissa breathed a sigh of exhaustion and relief. “Thank you Jamie. I have to be on campus early, so I’m going to head straight to bed.”

  
  


Claire carefully removed the girls’ dressings, and applied the antibiotic ointment that they’d been given at the hospital. Mindful of the infection control measures that Vicki had emphasized, she changed her latex gloves at least 4 times. Finally, she dressed their wounds with fresh bandages, taping them securely. Both wounds looked good to her untrained eye, and the puffy redness around Ella’s incisions had abated considerably. 

The girls decided that they were ready to sleep in their own rooms again. Claire kissed them goodnight and tossed their clothes in the washing machine on a two hour cycle. She would be delivering on her promise to Jamie, and the wash cycle would provide a low-volume, but reassuring sound buffer.

Claire entered the room and her eyes fell immediately on Jamie, who was standing next to the bed in his boxer briefs. He had his phone in one hand, and was setting the alarm for his morning run. He placed the phone on the nightstand, and clicked the bedside lamp one notch down in brightness. The softer light cast an ethereal glow over the bed and on Jamie’s near naked form. The contours and hollows of his sculpted body were subtly illuminated and Claire gazed at him admiringly, taking in the changes in his body since he had started working out with his personal trainers in L.A. His chest and biceps were markedly bigger and more defined, and his 8-pack was more chiseled than ever. His legs had also bulked up significantly, and the long, lean lines of his thigh muscles rippled as he turned to face her. 

Her eyes lingered on the bulge in his boxers and she bit her lower lip and shifted her gaze to his left hand. He held her Valentinos by the ankle straps, which were looped over his forefinger. She raised her eyes to meet his and he broke into his crooked smile.

“Lock the door ...”

The next few hours were passionate and frenetic. They were noisy and sweaty, and punctuated by his grunts and moans and her gasps and cries of pleasure. 

They took time to explore each other's bodies with urgently seeking hands and fingers, and with desperately sucking mouths, and with delicately teasing tongues. 

By the time he fastened her stilettos on her feet, they were ready to move to a different level of erotic bliss. For the second time in two days, Claire silently thanked her yoga sessions. Her body’s suppleness and flexibility thrilled Jamie. His initially exploratory and gentle nudging progressed to increasingly vigorous adjustments as her body accommodated his untameable needs. Together, they sought ever more uninhibited ways to find mutual pleasure. 

He pulled himself up and stood next to the bed. Grabbing her feet, he dragged her firmly to the edge of the bed. She rolled over onto her knees and supported herself on her elbows, bending way over in silent invitation.

He drove into her, deep and hard, wildly turned on by the sight of her glistening pink folds and by her firm arse bouncing off him with every thrust. "Christ, Claire," he breathed, fighting the ferocious urge to spill himself inside her.

Holding her hips firmly in his strong hands, he brought himself and Claire to the very edge of release, groaning in momentary disappointment when she pulled away. 

She flipped herself over, and used her stilettos to push the boundaries between his pleasure and his pain. Her heels left temporary indents deep in his chest, and he gasped as she pulled him back onto the bed, opening herself to him and enticing him to resume his thrusting. She wrapped her legs around him, pushing her heels hard on his lower back and arse and the back of his thighs, scraping his skin and marking him with the evidence of their unrelenting fervor.

When they climaxed, it was a powerful and shatteringly profound release that left them spent, but euphoric. 

They lay panting on the rumpled bedding, limbs flung feverishly across the bed and each other. The soft light revealed the light sheen of perspiration on their skin as they lay in silence, allowing their bodies to slowly return to their regular breathing rhythm and heartbeat. 

“Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!”

“You can say that again! How soundproof is this room?”

Claire giggled and untangled her legs from Jamie’s. “Well, the large study area is between us and the girls, so it’s pretty buffered. I also ran a load in the laundry for white noise.”

“I need to pay a visit to Mark and Michelle and make sure they take care of that in the new house.”

“That sounds awkward - I’ll let you handle it,” she grinned.

Jamie reached for her ankles and unbuckled her shoes, tossing them over the side of the bed. He locked each ticklish, twitching foot in his firm grip as he kissed and nibbled the little pads under each of her toes, making her tingle anew.

They finally rolled off the bed and took a warm shower, soaping and cleansing and holding each other's sudsy bodies, as the water rained down and rinsed them clean again. 

After remaking the impossibly disheveled bed, they rolled right back into each other’s arms, allowing a deep, satisfying sleep to overtake them within mere minutes.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

They awoke before 6:00 a.m. to a misty twilight and slightly cooler air. While Jamie went for a five mile run, Claire and Melissa streamed a yoga class in the man cave. After their workout, Claire grabbed two bottles of water from the mini fridge in the workout area and handed one to Melissa.

“Mel, Joe’s call on Saturday is supposedly a highly confidential matter and I have no idea what it’s about. Only that it’s a meeting with Hernandez, at her request. I’ve only shared with Jamie, but I want to let you know too. You’ve walked this long and bumpy journey with me, and you’ve held my hand through some tough times in the past few weeks. I wanted you to know - and I’m sorry I don't have more details than that.”

“Hmmmm,” Melissa looked at Claire, a slight frown creasing her brow. She took a long drink from her water bottle. “So it was requested by Hernandez, huh? Using Joe as an intermediary. I have a fairly good idea what it might be about, but that’s all I’m going to say for now. As an official consultant to Fulton, I’m still locked in with NDAs, so you know I can't go there.”

“I know, Mel. I totally get it. I guess we’ll know more tomorrow.”

“I’m going to be anxiously awaiting an update. We also need to work on our approach for Friday’s Trustee meeting. Let’s set aside most of Thursday for working on that. I’m spending Wednesday night with Anton. He’s in town on Wednesday and Thursday for briefings with the FBI’s Field Office in Seattle. I’ll Uber back here on Thursday morning and we can strategize and plan together.”

Claire was just stepping out of the shower when Jamie returned from his run. She wrapped a towel around herself, tucking it in above her breast, as he stripped off his sweat-drenched running gear and tossed it in the hamper. She gasped when she saw the scrapes on his back and buttocks. 

“Oh my God, Jamie,” she whispered, “did I do all that?”

He looked over his shoulder at his reflection in the mirror and took in the red tracks on his body. 

She reached out and ran her fingers over some of the marks on his lower back and butt.

“It’s okay, mo chridhe, I wanted you in heels and these will be gone in a matter of days. Good thing I’m not on set. Wardrobe would have a field day helping me into my costume and seeing all of this.” He chuckled at the thought of the rather proper Head of Costume and Wardrobe adjusting his costume and seeing his vivid red scrapes. 

He ran the shower for a few seconds to get it to his preferred temperature.

“It’s not the last time it’ll happen - I hope.” He winked at her and stepped into the shower. 

Minutes later he emerged and reached for a towel. 

“Wait, Jamie, let me smooth some Neosporin on some of those welts.” 

She had already uncapped the small tube, and he quickly toweled his lower back and butt, turning his back to her. She knelt down and applied a thin layer of ointment to the scrapes, smoothing gently until it had all been absorbed.

“It might heal faster if you kissed it better too.”

She snorted. “Incorrigible bloody Scot! You know I only offered so I could be up close and personal with this rather appealing arse of yours, right?” She grabbed a handful of his firm flesh and kneaded it, chortling mischievously.

“And you call me incorrigible! Oooh - don't stop! That makes my scrapes feel so much better.”

“Liar! My hand is nowhere near your scrapes.” She pressed a resounding kiss on each butt cheek and stood up, replacing the Neosporin in one of the drawers. 

“Thanks, babe,” he smiled, wrapping his towel low on his hips. 

They stood side by side at the bathroom counter, attending to their morning routine and relishing this seemingly insignificant moment of blissful domestic normalcy. 

“I love that I get to do this with you every day,” she smiled, squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush.

“Me too. Waking up with you and doing this kind of stuff together is the best way to start my day.” He dropped a quick kiss on her temple before reaching into his drawer for his beard trimmer. The dual buzz of her toothbrush and his beard trimmer filled the space as they readied themselves for the day ahead. 

“Uh uh,” she mumbled, shaking her head vehemently as she watched him in the mirror, a deep frown creasing her brow. “‘Ot ‘oo ‘uch!” She was almost unintelligible over the noise of her sonic toothbrush and a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

“It’s not too much,” he assured her, rinsing his face and splashing water around the sink to clear it of beard trimmings. 

Claire rinsed her mouth and patted her face dry. “I want to enjoy that scruff for as long as I can. As soon as you’re shooting, it’ll be gone again.”

He ran his fingers over his jaw. “It still feels good - not too prickly. Take that towel off and we can give it the titty test.”

“Dream on, Fraser,” she replied with a snort, dropping her towel and walking slowly into the closet, looking at him seductively over her shoulder. 

“You’re a skilled tease,” he said, as he reached for his toothbrush, eyeing her naked rear with a wicked smile. “Wait until I get my hands on that fine little arse of yours later.”

  
  
  


Melissa was in the kitchen waiting for her bagel to pop from the toaster when Jamie and Claire walked in. She had several large rollers in her hair.

“Hey guys,” she greeted with a sheepish shrug. “Yes, I know this looks rather fetching.” She gestured grandly at her hair. “I pulled some bagels from the freezer for you too.” 

She was dressed for a day at the office, in contrast to Jamie and Claire’s more casual work-from-home attire. Her fitted navy skirt and pale blue button-down shirt hugged the lines of her petite frame, and she was padding around barefoot.

“Love those blues together, Mel. What shoes are you wearing?”

“Probably my Michael Kors Kits with the blue flowers. The block heels are more comfy and I’m running around a lot today. Okay if I take the Model S?” Melissa asked. “Or will you need both cars? I can always Uber.”

“No, take the S,” Claire insisted. “We really only need my car to bring the girls to therapy this afternoon. We’re working remotely the rest of the time.” 

“Perfect. Thank you. I need to run upstairs and finish my hair and makeup. Will you grab my bagel for me please? Also, I forgot to pick up mascara at Nordstrom, and mine is clumpy and dry. Can I borrow yours?”

“Of course. I have two unopened tubes of Lancôme in the second drawer of my bathroom. Left hand side - still in boxes. Help yourself.”

Jamie toasted bagels for himself and Claire while she prepared three lattes. Muffled sounds from upstairs indicated that at least one of the girls was awake. 

“I’ll toast a couple of extra bagels for the girls. Do they like sweet or savory?” 

“Their favorite is cinnamon crunch,” Claire replied.

Melissa rejoined them a few minutes later, hair tumbling to her shoulders in big soft curls, and makeup perfectly applied.

“Thanks for the mascara. Cute new Valentinos,” she remarked dryly, reaching for her latte.

Jamie focused intently on spreading cream cheese on his bagel, while Claire mentally kicked herself for failing to grab the shoes that still lay where they had landed on the floor next to the bed. 

“Thanks,” she said lightly, and swiftly changed the subject. “You look great, Mel! What are you working on today? Do you have in-person meetings or all remote?”

“Both, actually. And Anton is meeting me for a quick coffee this afternoon, on his way back to Olympia. The rest of my day will be spent finalizing reports on the last few Trustees for Joe to present to Hernandez and the BoR.”

“Aaah! Afternoon coffee explains the gorgeous hair,” Claire teased. “I can't wait to meet the Trustees who have already confirmed. When do you think the board will be fully reconstituted?”

“My best guess is two weeks. I have one or two holdouts who are unsure about getting involved after learning about the nefarious board association Wolverton fostered with NexusIG. I have others I'm screening, so it’s not a big deal. Just a waiting game while people mull things over and make their decisions. What about you guys? What are you working on?” 

“I’m posting my student’s final grades for the online course - that’s the final step in wrapping it up. And I have a long list of things to finalize for orientation. Oh - and I’m dealing with the insurance claim for the girls’ car.”

“What about you, Jamie?” Melissa asked. 

“I’m meeting with Murtagh and Helen. Seems things went well with Julio and Alma, so we’re preparing an offer for both of them. After that, I have a meeting with Geillis. With the UC premiere date now set, I’m going to be doing a series of breakfast and late night show promos. The vast majority of them are remote, but I have a feeling Geillis will be negotiating hard to get some in-studio ones too. I need to get that information from her. And I’m also meeting with Mark and Michelle-”

“Our architects,” Claire inserted for Melissa's benefit.

“Yeah, Michelle is overall project manager for everything going on next door,” Jamie jerked his head towards the building site. “They’re working on a couple of smaller building projects at the winery too. That will probably be a long meeting.”

“Oh! Mel! Speaking of the winery … Jamie and I need to get up there to see how things are going. We thought that the weekend of the 12th would be a good time to go. We’d love for you to come with us. Anton is more than welcome to join you.”

Melissa nodded slowly. “I think that might work,” she said. “My tentative plan is to fly back to Atlanta the following Wednesday, so it would be a great way to wrap up an amazing visit with you guys. I’d have to check with Anton. His schedule is always insane, but even if he can’t make it, I’m looking forward to seeing this amazing new venture of yours.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The twins’ first therapy session went well. The first half hour included all four of them and the therapist. They kicked off with a little small talk to break the ice. She had graduated in the same year as Maddox, and they’d interned at Seattle Children’s Hospital, along with several other classmates. But that’s where their commonalities ended. While Maddox was all high-volume, high-energy, the aptly-named Serena was soothing and gentle, with a tranquil aura that instilled a sense of calm in her patients, and a willingness to open up to her.

Serena listened attentively and took occasional notes as they shared their feelings, fears and concerns. She excused Jamie and Claire for the last half hour and spent time with Ella and Beth, getting a clearer sense of where they were emotionally and mentally after their trauma. 

Jamie and Claire sat in the waiting room and used the time to update each other on their day. 

“Geillis confirmed that they have no intention of disrupting Anja’s rehab for any of the promotion events around the UC premiere. The Swiss facility has stringent regulations and won’t accept patients unless they commit to six months of uninterrupted treatment. She mentioned that she has two late night shows and three breakfast/daytime shows lined up for me so far. All of them remote. We’ll use the PR offices in Seattle that we used for The Graham Norton Show a few weeks back. Geillis is working on securing two live appearances, and will get back to me as soon as she’s made some progress.”

“Jamie … please don’t get all hard-arse about not doing the live appearances because they require travel. If you have to be in L.A. for a night or two, it’s okay. It’s important for your Oscar hopes.”

“I promise I won’t make a fuss.”

“I saw on the front door video app that a courier service delivered something you signed for. What was that?”

“Oh … aye. That was some stuff from Jenny. Some Lallybroch papers and things. I haven't had a chance to go through it yet.”

“It looked like you signed for several packages,” she pointed out.

“Jenny went through some old papers and family photographs and sent me some. Along with a few things from my Glasgow apartment. I’ll take a look through it all later.”

“What about the winery, what’s the latest there?” 

“We’re going ahead with building two larger cliff-side suites that are basically self-contained apartments,” he replied. 

“One for Murtagh, and one for Julio and Alma?”

“Yes. They’ll have fully-equipped kitchens. I asked Michelle to include all the bells and whistles in those. Three beds, three baths. Decent-sized patios overlooking the river.”

“That sounds fantastic, Jamie! I’m so pleased we’re offering quality accommodation to key members of the team who are willing to live on the property. Are Murtagh and Helen finally out, or still being coy?”

“I ribbed him so much that he finally gave up and talks about it openly now. It’s a little weird picturing him in a relationship after all this time. I’m sure he must have ex-girlfriends and maybe a lost love somewhere in his youth, but in all the time that he took care of me and Jenny, I don’t recall anyone special in his life. He dated casually in L.A. from time to time. Women love his rugged charm and his broad accent, but I don't think any of them went beyond the first few dates.”

“Ohhhh! It makes me so happy to hear that he seems to have found something special with Helen. Will you include me in some of the Zooms with Michelle? Murtagh’s taken care of you for so long and I want to make sure we take care of him. I want the winery home that we’re building for him to really feel like a home.”

“Of course. I’ll also pull up the plans and show you when we get home. How did your meetings go?”

“Really good too! I got the sweetest email from the leader of the group of seventeen women. She sent a screencap of them in a Zoom call - all waving and smiling. She was just keeping in touch. I can’t wait to get the funds to scholarship them. We can still do it in time for this academic year, since it will start with remote classes. Admissions has started processing that in anticipation of securing the funds. Melissa and I are spending most of Thursday planning our approach for Friday’s meeting.”

“I can’t wait to see this coming to life, Claire. And I’m ready to help in whatever way you think I can be useful.” 

“I know you are, my love, and I appreciate your support so much.” She lowered her face mask and his, and pressed a sweet, chaste kiss on his lips, before the receptionist even noticed. “I also made a half dozen calls about the insurance claim for the girls’ car. It’s in the system, and my broker said I can start looking for a replacement any time. We’re getting a little over $24,000 from insurance. I’m getting them another Model 3. If the accident had happened in a different car, things could have been so different. I’ll have to pay a lot more than we paid for the first one, so I’m not even consulting with Frank on this. I have a feeling his value system and mine will differ sharply on money versus the girls' safety. He’s still in England and hasn’t even spoken to the girls via FaceTime. Just a few text exchanges. I’m in touch with Kelly, but I'm not mentioning the insurance issue to her either. I can do without complications right now.” 

Jamie clenched his teeth, as he so often did when the subject of Frank arose. 

“Do you want me to take the girls to Tesla and see what they have on the lot? We can do that on Wednesday.”

“Oh, heck yes! Thank you! That would be so helpful.” 

Claire’s phone buzzed and she tapped the screen.

“Text from Milo,” she said.

**Hi Claire, Suki and I got back from AZ yesterday. Any chance we could stop by briefly tonight to see you and Jamie and the girls?  
**

**_Of course. What time are you thinking? We’re pretty open_ **

**Does 6 work?**

**Y _es, join us for a light dinner. We’ll order something yummy_ **

**Sounds wonderful, but don't go to any trouble on our account.**

**_Can't wait to see you - it's been way too long!_**

Serena walked the girls out to the waiting room and thanked them all for coming.

“I’d like to see the girls once a week for the first six weeks, and then we’ll move to every two weeks. They have the appointments saved on their phones. I’d also like to see the two of you in a couple of weeks. Everything the girls share with me is confidential, of course, but I would like to touch base with you at that time and get your impressions on how things are going after the trauma. And any other areas that are concerning you.”

  
  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
  
The Lukics came bearing gift bags filled with spa products for the girls, who were excited to see Uncle Milo and Aunt Suki after so long. They chattered away excitedly, sharing their news all the way back to the start of the summer, their time in Boston, and the many fun things they had done as a tight little family unit since Jamie had entered their lives. Suki smiled warmly at the contentment and happiness the girls exuded as they spoke. 

Claire had ordered a selection of popular items from her favorite Vietnamese restaurant and set everything out family-style on the patio, while Jamie and Milo chatted over a glass of wine. Milo wanted to know all about the winery and Jamie was eager to describe the innovative new directions in which his team was moving the business. 

Melissa arrived just in time for dinner, and was delighted to see Milo and Suki, whom she had met during previous visits to Seattle. She felt a touch of awkwardness, unsure whether they were aware that she and Anton knew each other. What would they think if they knew that mere hours earlier she had been drinking an espresso with Anton? And that the baby of the Lukic family had done an extremely effective job of describing some of the things he was planning on doing to her on Wednesday night. 

The other, even more awkward situation, was that she and Suki had to conceal their closer connection. Melissa had spoken with Suki extensively during the vetting process for her position as a Trustee. Hernandez had okayed her appointment, knowing that Claire and Suki placed a high value on ethical conduct and would not allow their personal relationship to affect their professional decisions. 

As soon as dinner was over, the girls went indoors to FaceTime with Nonna. It was getting late on the East Coast, and they wanted to chat with her before she went to bed. Claire excused herself so that she could say a quick hello.

After connecting and exchanging greetings, Nonna insisted that Claire tend to her guests. 

“Go, cara. Go and be with your guests. I want to talk to my babies, my ragazze. You can call me tomorrow. Ti amo, cara.”

“Ti amo, Nonna. We’ll chat tomorrow.”

Claire stepped onto the patio to rejoin her guests, but Milo was right outside the door waiting for her. He held his arm out to her, and she slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow.

“Walk with me a little, Claire,” he said with a gentle smile.

“I’d love to! Do you want me to show you our building progress next door before it gets too dark?” she asked excitedly.

“Yes, I’d love that,” he enthused.

She had a feeling Milo wanted to check on how she was doing emotionally - not only after the girls’ accident, but with all the career and Hollywood turmoil of the preceding weeks. 

Leaving Melissa, Jamie and Suki on the patio, Claire and Milo strolled over to the building site. Milo asked question after question and nodded sagely at all her responses. He seemed reassured that she and Jamie were in a good place, and that they had managed to work through and survive the recent ugly exposure on gossip sites and social media. 

“I’m no expert on any of this, but it seems like things started to calm down a lot after Trevor Noah’s show.”

“It did. Melissa, in her infinite wisdom, facilitated that, and after Trevor basically outed me and Jamie, it took the wind out of the sails of all the gossip sites and magazines. It was no longer a scoop, and other stories replaced ours. It was a huge relief.”

“Mm-hmm. I imagine it was.” He stopped and turned to look at her, searching her face. “You look incredibly happy, sweetheart, you really do. For a long time, I thought you wouldn’t … well, for a long time, we worried about you. It makes Suki and me so happy to see you like this. Suki is going to talk about it all the way home, trust me. I know she also noticed the way you and Jamie are so loving with each other.”

“I am happy, Milo. So very happy. Jamie is an amazing man. He is loving, supportive, kind, considerate. He makes me feel safe and he makes me feel loved. He’s silly and serious, playful, poetic, romantic - and a terrible singer.” They both chuckled. “The girls adore him. He loves them to pieces and he's there for them through everything - even when I can’t be there for them. He’s become part of our family in a very short time.”

“We knew he was a good man when he stayed near us at the lake last year. We saw him with his sister and her kids, and it was clear that family is important to him. I certainly didn’t expect this to happen when I brought him over to meet you, but I’m delighted for you, Claire.” He put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a tight squeeze. “Now … show me what’s going on here. Is that a horse trail through the woods?”

  
  
Suki was keen to find out about Superman from Jamie, and she plied him with questions about the action scenes, the costumes, and any on-set details she could think of. Jamie answered carefully to avoid revealing any clues that he was in a sticky place with regard to production issues. He glanced at Melissa in a silent plea for help in steering the conversation away from Superman, but she seemed unusually reserved. He wondered if it was the Anton angle. It might be a little awkward for Melissa to chat casually with Suki when she was in the middle of a clandestine fling with her brother-in-law. 

Then, in one of those weirdly serendipitous moments that seemed almost scripted, Jamie received an unexpected text from Luke.

**Do you have a few minutes to call me?**

**_Sure - give me a second_ **

Jamie excused himself, knowing that Melissa had been in enough awkward situations to find something comfortable to talk to Suki about. As soon as he was out of earshot in the house, Suki leaned her head back on the sofa and laughed.

“God, Melissa, this is torture. I keep worrying that I'm going to slip up and say something I shouldn’t about Friday’s meeting.”

“I know, me too. We’ve done really well,” Melissa said, her voice low and conspiratorial.

“Right? But I can’t trust myself to keep this up. We’ll probably leave soon after Milo gets back from the property tour.”

“I hear you. It’s been incredibly difficult to keep myself from stumbling in front of Claire. We have such amazing new Trustees, and I cannot wait to introduce them all to her. She’s going to be thrilled that you’re on the board. We are so tightly bound by those NDAs, and I’m on edge every time the subject of Fulton’s board comes up.”

Melissa topped up their wine glasses, and looked at Suki quizzically. 

“You came back from Arizona a little earlier than I thought you might - for Friday’s meeting, I mean.”

“Yes, I got a call from President Hernandez herself. She asked if we could meet privately on Wednesday.”

“Oh? Interesting.” 

Suki shrugged. “I mean, when the President of UW asks for a meeting, you accept, right?”

“Absolutely!”

Melissa was starting to wonder what was going on. Claire had a meeting with Hernandez the next day and Suki had a meeting with her a day later. Melissa had spent time in Joe's office earlier, and he hadn't mentioned anything. She was still convinced it had something to do with the MS Comms. Nonetheless, she wondered about all the secrecy around the meetings. Her successful career as a fixer meant that she had been exposed to numerous scandalous situations. But some of the situations she'd handled in the shady underbelly of politics and big business paled in comparison with what she had recently learned about academia. She was pleased that she would soon be walking away from the Fulton job, knowing that Claire was feeling more settled and secure in her personal and professional life. And it was particularly satisfying for her that Fulton would soon have a board that reflected the current zeitgeist. 

  
  
Claire and Milo completed their circuit of the building site and started to make their way back to Claire's house. Milo came to a halt on the driveway. He had parked his car in a bad spot, preventing Melissa from accessing the garage, and as a result she had left the Tesla on the driveway, behind Milo’s big BMW. 

She looked from Milo's face to the cars. “Oops. Melissa’s been driving the Tesla and she arrived after you. I’ll get it out of your way before you leave.”

“My bad. I should have circled all the way around to the front. Claire … what are your plans for the Tesla? I’m sure it still has a lot of emotional ties to Henry.” They walked over to the Tesla, and Milo ran his hand over the gleaming bodywork. He leaned back against the car, studying Claire carefully. 

“Yes, it does and it’s a very difficult question to answer. It's something that I'm so torn over that I simply don't allow myself to think about it a whole lot.” She placed her hand lightly on the tailgate of the car. “This was Henry’s dream car, and he was so excited to get it. He didn't get to enjoy it as much as he should have. It would feel so wrong to sell it. Like I’m giving away a part of Henry, you know?”

Her voice was small and sad, and Milo pushed himself away from the car and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder.

“I can tell that Jamie doesn’t feel comfortable driving it, and I don’t blame him. He’s probably driven it twice, and only when it was absolutely necessary.”

“Yes, I imagine Jamie feels uncomfortable with the optics and the principle of that, Claire. Most men would feel that way.”

“And it’s a little too big and way too fast for the girls.” 

They were silent for a moment before Milo spoke again.

“Claire, I’d like to suggest something, but I want you to take some time to think about it. Suki’s Mercedes is twelve years old, and she insists that it has another twelve years left in it. She’s looked after it remarkably well, and it's in perfect working condition. But it doesn’t have the features that I believe are essential, like a built-in GPS, Bluetooth, USB ports. She is busier than ever now that she’s President of the National Association of Realtors, and I want her to have all the functionality that a more modern car offers. How would you feel if I bought Henry’s Tesla from you? I can finally get rid of Suki’s Mercedes, and I think she would love that it belonged to Henry, and that she’s helping you in some small way. I promise we’ll take very good care of it.”

Claire took a deep breath and held it for a moment before expelling it slowly. “You’re right, Milo. I need to think about it for a little. Can I call you in a day or two?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Take your time, we’re in no hurry.”

  
  
After the Lukics said their goodbyes and the girls had gone to bed, Melissa, Claire and Jamie chatted for a little longer on the patio. 

“Jamie, you got up pretty quickly to make a phone call,” Melissa said, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Was that real, or were you looking for an excuse to escape Suki’s Superman questions?”

Jamie chuckled before replying, “No, it was a real call - but I was glad to get away from the questions, given where we are with my requests putting production in limbo right now. In fact, weirdly enough, it was Luke texting me and asking me to call him.”

“Oh?” Claire frowned. “Everything okay?”

“He's been looking into Canadian quarantine restrictions and work visas during the pandemic. Their rules are pretty restrictive, but there are some exemptions that he’s exploring. He’s hoping that Ayesha might be able to help. She’s extremely well connected, and he’s hopeful that she might have some political contacts that could guide us through some of the loopholes and exemptions. Luke wanted to give me a heads-up, in case that becomes a major stumbling block.”

“Ugh! This pandemic! I just want it to be gone,” Claire groaned.

Melissa was deep in thought for a moment. “I have some really solid political and government contacts, Jamie. And a recent connection in particular,” she smiled. “Please let me know if I can help.”

“Thanks Melissa. I have a feeling we'll be leaning on you for some help with this.”

Melissa nodded and turned to Claire. “How was your walk with Milo? All okay there?”

Claire tentatively broached the conversation she had with Milo about Henry's car. Realizing how difficult it must be for her, Jamie didn't immediately proffer his thoughts on it, instead reaching out to hold her hand in his strong, comforting one. 

“My mom often spoke about how hard it is to eliminate those last reminders of someone you’ve loved and lost,” Melissa mused. “She said that as you get older, you start to lose more and more loved ones in your circle, and it never gets easier. Every year during the holidays, she would get tearful at having to remove yet another name or two from her Christmas card list. It’s hard to remove those final reminders, and the Tesla is a big one Claire. It’s okay to have strong feelings about that.”

Claire nodded, frowning. 

“Claire … hon, I think Henry would have hated the idea of his car sitting unused in the garage,” Melissa pointed out gently. “Milo and Suki were his best friends and Milo’s offer is a great solution to an emotionally difficult decision.” 

“Jamie …” Claire looked at him and trailed off.

He stroked a soothing thumb over her wrist. “Claire, you know I avoid driving Henry’s car. It doesn't feel right for me to drive his Tesla around. Mel’s right. It’s terribly sad to let Henry’s car sit in the garage, unused. If you feel that accepting Milo’s offer is the right thing to do, I’m behind you all the way.”

She nodded slowly. “I would feel awful accepting money for it, though. I feel like it wouldn't really resolve the situation entirely. I’d be merely trading the car for the money, and it would feel like the money was still Henry’s. Oh God, I’m a mess, aren't I?”

“Why not have a chat with Milo and ask if he’ll make a donation to your efforts to help the seventeen women from Africa?” Jamie suggested. “Henry was an educator, and I think that would be an appropriate place to channel the proceeds from the car.”

Claire’s frown eased, and she smiled gently at Jamie. “I love that idea.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Claire woke up early on Tuesday. She couldn't tell if she felt excited or nervous for the meeting with President Hernandez. Her breakfast meeting the previous week had gone so well, that it was easy to feel optimistic about why Hernandez wanted to meet with her. The fact that she was meeting with Joe first was a little unusual. 

What if, in her enthusiasm to ensure that Claire felt valued and appreciated, Hernandez had sought a professorship for Claire in a different department? She shook her head at that thought. The business school environment was the best fit for her - the only fit, as far as she was concerned. And her projects with Seattle’s corporates were starting to garner broader national interest.

Jamie’s lips on her shoulder let her know that her restlessness had awoken him too. She turned her head to nuzzle his face. “I’m sorry, my love, I woke you up with all my fidgeting, didn’t I?”

He rolled her over to face him. 

“Good morning,” she smiled, stroking his jawline with her thumb. 

“Good morning, beautiful. What’s all the restlessness about? You a wee bit nervous for the meeting?” His hand caressed her spine with the softest touch, sending delightful little shivers through her.

“I am - just a smidge, though. Overthinking things with silly ‘what ifs'.”

“It’s okay to feel that way after what you went through, but ye’ve no need to be nervous. You are an asset to Fulton, and they know it. I have a good feeling about today. What can I do to help? Can I make you breakfast while you get ready? Omelet? Scrambled eggs?”

“Scrambled eggs on toast sounds divine. Will you text Melissa and ask if she wants some too, please? We’re driving in together so you’ll have my car to drop the girls off at cheer practice and run your other errands.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  
  
Claire sat in the waiting area of President Hernandez’s office suite. It was decorated in a combination of contemporary and classic decor, in varying shades of grey and cream. Carefully-placed, tasteful accents in UW’s colors of purple and gold were a subtle reminder that visitors were in the flagship of Washington state’s higher education system.

Hernandez’s two administrative assistants sat at impeccably neat work stations on the far end of the waiting area. Her personal assistant emerged from an office behind them and gave one of the admin assistants a stack of papers and some hushed instructions, before walking over to Claire to welcome her. He offered her tea or coffee, which she politely declined, and he assured her that President Hernandez would be perfectly punctual.

She watched him walk away and it struck her how busy President Hernandez must be to require three assistants in her suite alone. It didn’t surprise her. With an academic staff of almost 6,000 and a student body approaching 50,000, running the most prestigious of the state’s universities was a monumental task. Even with her army of Vice Provosts, Deans, and Vice Deans, Hernandez’s responsibilities and schedule would be punishingly brutal. 

_For her to have taken time to meet you in person twice in the space of a week … it’s got to be positive. Right? You’ve got this Beauchamp._

Brushing a speck of lint off her dress, Claire checked the time on the digital clock behind the assistants’ work stations.

9:27 a.m.

At 9:29, Claire stood and adjusted her dress. She wore a deep navy Badgley Mischka sheath and nude Ted Baker pumps. Outwardly, she exuded confidence and professionalism, but inside, the little knot in her stomach hadn’t quite disappeared, despite her motivational self-talks. 

A door near the assistants' work area opened and President Hernandez emerged. She walked towards the waiting area, her warm smile assuaging Claire’s misgivings a little. 

Claire met her halfway, and they shook hands firmly.

“Dr. Beauchamp, it’s good to see you. I was very distressed to hear about your daughters’ accident. We had just spoken about them at breakfast, and I felt terribly heart-sore for you. Dean Abernathy has done a superb job of keeping me informed of their progress. How are they doing today?”

“Thank you, President Hernandez. They are recovering well and resting at home.”

“I’m pleased to hear that. Please come with me. I just met with Dean Abernathy and he’s waiting for you in my office.”

Claire followed Hernandez into her office, and one of her assistants shut the door behind them. She quickly scanned the long, wide room. There was a wall of large windows along the entire length of the office, flooding it with light and warmth. Hernandez’s desk afforded her a sweeping view from the edges of the bustling UW Quad, to the impressively proportioned Drumheller Fountain. In the distance, glimpses of Lake Washington and Union Bay were visible between buildings and wooded thickets.

A cluster of four wide leather armchairs was arranged on the far side, and Joe arose from one of them to greet her with a wide smile. Despite his friendly greeting, Claire felt a ripple of nervousness again.

_He’s smiling, but there’s something … different …_

“Dr. Beauchamp,” he began, “thank you for coming in today. I’m so happy to see you.”

Claire and Hernandez joined Joe in the seating area. Hernandez relaxed into her armchair, while Claire sat a little more upright and waited somewhat uneasily to learn the reason for the meeting.

“First, let me thank you for coming in during your week off, Dr. Beauchamp. I know this is supposed to be your time at home with your daughters as they recover, and here we have you coming in twice!”

“It’s quite alright, President Hernandez. I would have been working remotely at home anyway. My girls are pretty self-sufficient - even with their injuries.” 

“I want to be respectful of your time, so let me explain right away why I needed you to come in.”

Claire nodded expectantly.

“Dr. Beauchamp …" Hernandez stopped abruptly and shook her head, mildly annoyed at herself. "I’m sorry, I keep calling you that.”

Claire’s eyes narrowed slightly.

_Why is my title suddenly coming into question? Surely this meeting can’t be …?_

Her heart thudded in her chest and echoed loudly in her ears. Joe watched her carefully.

“Professor Beauchamp?” Hernandez looked at her with mild concern, and Claire realized she had missed Hernandez’s last words. 

_Damn this deafening, pounding heart!_

“Claire!'' Joe threw formality to the wind, and moved to stand up, but Claire quickly composed herself.

“I’m sorry, could you please repeat that?” She was embarrassed by her momentary lack of focus.

“Of course,” Hernandez smiled in understanding. “I was just saying how delighted I am to welcome you, Professor Beauchamp, as head of Fulton’s new MS Comms program.”

“Congratulations, Professor Beauchamp,” Joe smiled warmly and Claire thought she detected a slight glimmer in his eyes.

Her hand flew to her mouth, and she pressed her fingers against her lips to quell the trembling.

She was speechless for a moment.

“I ...I’m so sorry. I was not expecting …”

“No need to apologize, Professor Beauchamp. This has been a long time coming, and if anyone should apologize, it’s the university. We all owe you an apology. But more than that, we owe you a debt of gratitude for your tenacity and for continuing to advocate for a world class education for our students, even in the face of everything you suffered. I cannot think of a better way to enhance our degree options at UW than to offer an MS Comms degree through Fulton. And equally, I cannot think of anyone more qualified and poised to lead a course that prioritizes business communications in a complex tapestry of 21st Century skills. Your steadfast commitment to academic rigor and emphasis on participatory learning through your internship programs will make this degree a sought-after and prized qualification.”

“President Hernandez, I’m still trying to process all of this, and I’m struggling to come up with the words to describe my feelings and my appreciation right now. I’m not usually this inept.”

“That’s not a word that anyone would associate with you,” Hernandez shook her head. “And I’m going to apologize again, because I know this is a little overwhelming, but there is something else I need to share …” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  


Claire and Joe left Hernandez’s office together. Joe placed a gentle hand under her elbow as they weaved between buildings and through courtyards, navigating the sprawling UW campus. Past the Drumheller Fountain and past the imposing Suzzallo Library - which always made Claire think of Hogwarts.

“You sure you’re okay, Claire? You seemed to handle the news of the MS Comms really well, but you lost all your color when Hernandez continued after that.”

“It’s so much to take in, Joe. I have to admit that after the discussion she and I had about the MS Comms at breakfast, I was hoping that she might invoke her decision-making authority. But I assumed there was a slim chance that she’d do that with new Trustees so close to signing on and re-establishing the quorum. I was certainly not expecting a full professorship now, nor was I …” Her voice quavered slightly, and Joe stepped in quickly.

“I’m so proud and happy, Claire-”

“Joe ... you-” 

“No, no, no, Claire. We’re not talking about me. Let me enjoy your promotion and your new degree for a minute. We all come into this profession hoping to inspire our students and open their eyes and minds to the possibilities ahead of them. We nurture their potential and guide them on how to use their talents and skills and education to better themselves and their communities. You already have a small army of loyal and grateful students - students who took up arms for you in the form of T-shirts and hashtags and high-school clubs and social media smackdowns when others sought to tear you down. And you have a slew of students who helped you pioneer innovative internship programs with our leading companies, and who now have jobs they could only dream of when they first stepped into our hallowed halls. You are about to start a whole new program that will attract applicants committed to learning about how they can make a _real_ difference. Because your focus on making the workplace a more socially responsible and equitable environment and your proficiency in getting students to that point in their education - that is exactly where we should be aligning our pedagogical philosophy at Fulton. And there is no one better poised to do that, Professor Beauchamp.”

Joe tried to smile and bring levity into their chat, but his voice cracked and he paused to clear his throat. Claire walked silently beside him, giving him time to compose himself. Eventually, he continued, speaking more softly, the emotion still evident in his voice. 

“This promotion is very overdue, Claire, and very well-deserved.”

She stopped walking, bringing Joe to a halt too. They turned to face each other.

“Joe … thank you for those words. Thank you for always recognizing the work I do and for approving so many of my out-of-the-box ideas. But most of all, thank you for your unwavering faith in me in the face of constant problems and troublesome situations. A lesser man would have been too scared to rock the boat and would have swept it under the rug. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t believed in me. I can't thank you enough for your courage.”

“I believe you’re the one who displayed all the courage, Claire. ‘Courage, fortitude, and dignity’ - I think those are the words Hernandez used to describe you,” he smiled. "I’m beyond proud of you, and I know Jamie will be too. You must call him right away.”

“Yes, I’ll go straight to my office to call him. And I can't wait to share with Melissa too. I’ll tell her as soon as she’s back from her meeting in Kirkland.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
  
  


Claire sat at her desk and took in a deep, steadying breath. She was still working through the news and her feelings, and she felt dazed and a little discombobulated. 

_Coffee. Go get coffee in the break room. No! It’ll just make you jittery. Breathe!_

She held her hands up, allowing them to hover above her laptop. They were still shaking slightly. 

_You need Jamie, Beauchamp. You need to tell him face to face and you need to let him hold you until it feels real._

Picking up her phone, she tapped out a text.

**_Hey - what’s ur schedule like after dropping the girls off at cheer?_ **

**I dropped them off a half hour ago. Picking them up at 1:30 so they can have lunch with the team. Told them to call me if they get tired or if Beth gets a headache. Everything OK?**

**_Yes. Any chance u might come to campus and bring me home?_ **

**Sure. I’m on Mercer Island, so it’ll only take me 20 minutes to get there. What’s going on?**

She assumed he was meeting Michelle or Mark - or both - at their Mercer Island office. Her thoughts flitted to their soundproofing discussion and just as quickly back to her phone. 

**_I’m done with the meeting and Melissa has a busy afternoon. Don’t want to be here all day_ **

His heart lurched slightly. The last time she’d asked him to pick her up from campus was when TMZ published the leaked pictures of him and Anja. That was not a good day.

**You sure everything’s okay, babe? Can I call u?**

**_Not a good time to call right now. Everything is fine, my love. Meeting went well. Park in my spot and come up to my office - 2nd floor, room 214._ **

**OK, on my way**

Despite Claire’s assurance that the meeting had gone well, Jamie was somewhat apprehensive on the drive to campus. What if Hernandez just wanted to commend her for her outstanding work? What if she wanted to ask Claire to wait patiently for the new Trustees to decide whether they wanted to advance the MS Comms or not?

Less than twenty minutes later, he parked Claire’s SUV and strode into the lobby of the Fulton building, his heart somewhere near his throat. He politely submitted to the Covid screening, and hastened to the elevator, impatiently jabbing the second floor button several times.

He exited the elevator and found himself in a deserted hallway. This was the first time he’d been inside the Fulton building, and everything seemed hushed and solemn. Following the signs directing him to offices 200 - 218, he quickly found Claire’s office near the end of the corridor. The door was closed and he knocked and waited. His knock sounded unnecessarily loud, and he was suddenly worried he might have breached some unspoken protocol in the world of academia.

“Come in,” Claire called from behind the door.

Jamie stepped in and she arose from her desk immediately, walking around to greet him.

He closed the door behind him, searching her face for clues. She smiled and took his hands in hers, looking into his eyes. He didn’t discern anything unusual or worrisome in her expression and he willed her to say something. His heart pounded in his chest and in his ears, and he prayed that it wasn’t disappointing news. She’d been through enough already.

“I got the MS Comms,” she said softly. “Hernandez approved it.”

“Ohhh,” he grunted in relief, dropping his head back and looking up at the ceiling for a second. He looked at Claire again and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her lips gently. “Oh my God, I canna tell you how relieved I am to hear good news. I’m so happy for you, mo chridhe. And so proud. So very proud. Congratulations.” He kissed her again.

“I’m going to be crazy busy, Jamie. The roll-out is 18 months to two years. And on top of that-”

“It’s okay, Claire. I’m here, and I'll be around to help. You do what you need to do.”

“There's more, Jamie. Since I’m heading up the degree for now, Hernandez promoted me to full professor, with immediate effect. Actually, it was effective yesterday.”

His eyes widened and for a moment he was speechless.

“I promise I’m not going to cry,” he said, swallowing hard. 

He pressed his lips together, and she smiled at him, “Don’t you dare, Jamie! Jamie ... you’re going to set me off.” 

“Shit, I’m not going to be able to keep my promise.” He pulled her into his embrace and buried his face in her hair, allowing his tears to vanish into her curls as he held her. She slid her arms around him, running a soothing hand up and down the broad expanse of his back. Jamie had immersed himself so deeply in all her sorrows and disappointments, and he needed time to process this good news too. 

He muttered a few words in Gaelic and that finally disassembled her. She succumbed to her emotions, nestling her face in his neck, where he could feel the warmth and wetness of her tears on his skin. He held her close and stroked her hair, telling her over and over how proud he was and how happy he was for her. They stood there long after the tears stopped, swaying slightly, reluctant to leave the sanctuary of their embrace.

Jamie finally pulled back slowly, rubbing his hands over his face and neck, grinning at her.

“They’re joyful tears, Claire. Our tears are good tears today. God, I’m so proud and so happy and so … c’mere!”

He cradled her face and kissed her tenderly.

“So I can officially call you Professor Beauchamp now, right?”

She grinned at his hopelessly inadequate attempts to contain his joy and pride.

“I mean … you can,” she said, arching an eyebrow and barely suppressing a knowing little smile. “Technically, it would be more accurate to call me Vice Dean Beauchamp.” 

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	61. Chapter 61

* * *

  
Jamie took a step back and stared at Claire. She grinned back at him.

“Claire …”

“Sit down, my love,” she indicated one of the tub chairs in the corner of her office. “I’m still working through it myself. That’s why I asked you to come over. It’s a lot to take in and I needed you here. I needed my Jamie to hold me and tell me it’s real.”

“Claire, I’m … uhhh … I’m …”

“Speechless? I can tell,” she laughed. “I was too! We need caffeine. I’ll go get us each a coffee from the break room, and then I’ll tell you all about it.”

She reached up to kiss him. “I’ll be right back.”

Jamie sank into a chair and closed his eyes as he tried to absorb what Claire had just shared. A combination of relief and joy and pride flooded through him. Her promotions were a powerful vindication in the face of the many injustices and disappointments that she’d faced. The magnitude and scope of her new roles were vast, and a fitting recognition for Claire’s accomplishments.

He inhaled deeply and opened his eyes. Exhaling slowly, he looked around her office properly for the first time, noticing everything about the space where Claire spent so many hours planning and writing and blazing her trails through academia and corporate Seattle. 

It was a neat, organized space, dominated by a large cherry wood desk with her chair on one side and two visitor’s chairs on the other. There was a large monitor on one end of the desk, and neat stacks of folders and binders on the other. Her closed laptop was in the middle. 

Behind her desk were two large windows overlooking a courtyard, and between them, a built-in cherrywood unit comprising cabinets at the bottom and open shelves almost to the ceiling.

The top few shelves were crammed with textbooks, journals, binders, and UW policy and procedure manuals. The two lowest shelves were filled with mementos and souvenirs from her travels, and gifts from grateful students. There were three picture frames on the lowest shelf. The small framed quote that Henry had given her sat on one end ... 'People come into our life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime'. Two larger frames were placed side by side on the other end of the shelf. One frame held a picture of the girls in their volleyball gear and medals, grinning excitedly after winning the state championship. The other framed picture was of Claire and Jamie. It was one of the pictures the girls had captured during the patio date-night. It was a close-up of them at the table, leaning into each other, cheeks pressed together, laughing at something Beth had said. Prior to the Trevor Noah show, she had kept the framed picture out of sight in the cabinet. But after Jamie publicly confirmed their relationship, she was relieved to discard all the secrecy, and took great satisfaction in placing the picture decisively and prominently on the shelf next to the picture of their girls. 

Across from the desk, two tall filing units stood on one side of the door, a multitude of framed degrees and certificates displayed on the wall above them. On the other side of the door, Jamie sat in one of three tub chairs that Claire had arranged in a cluster around a small coffee table. This was where she preferred to conference with students - sitting with them, so that they felt more comfortable, without a large, imposing desk between them. 

Jamie’s gaze was drawn back to the shelf with the framed pictures. Both images captured moments of great happiness, and he was vividly anticipating the girls’ joy when Claire shared her news with them later.

The office door flew open and Melissa burst in. 

Jamie jumped to his feet. “Mel!”

“Jamie! Is everything okay? I just got back from a meeting and went to see Joe. He told me I should head straight here. Where’s Claire?”

“She went to get coffee from the break-room. She should-”

“I’m right here. Do you want me to grab you a coffee, Mel?” Claire walked in, carefully carrying two steaming mugs. 

“No thanks. I want you to tell me what's going on. How did the meeting go? Joe didn't say anything.”

Claire nudged the door shut with her hip and handed Jamie a mug of strong black coffee.

“Let’s sit and I’ll tell you all about it.”

They sat in the cluster of tub chairs and Claire recounted what she had told Jamie about the MS Comms and the professorship. 

“She approved your professorship too? God, I love that woman.” Mel was wide-eyed with excitement for Claire and admiration for Hernandez. “I had a strong feeling about the MS Comms. That was largely Joe’s doing, by the way. He brought it to her attention. I figured she would see the sense in approving the new degree, but I also hoped that she would use her authority to approve your professorship. I worried that she might feel it was too close to the new Trustees officially commencing their duties. I’m so excited for you, Claire! Congratulations.” She grinned excitedly and flung her arms around Claire, holding her tight for a moment.

“Oof, Mel, you’re squishing me,” Claire laughed. “There’s another thing I need to tell you. I’ve also been promoted to Vice Dean of Fulton, effective immediately. The press release is going out to news outlets tonight and will be published in tomorrow's media.”

“What?” Mel gasped. 

“I haven’t had a chance to tell Jamie how this all came about, so I’ll give you both all the details. Provost Bingley recently revealed to Hernandez that he wants to retire sometime in the 2022 - 23 academic year. Hernandez has tapped Joe to take over as Provost. He’s been promoted to Vice Provost of Academic and Student Affairs with immediate effect.”

“I’m not very familiar with American academic terminology, mo ghràidh. How do these titles equate with the British system?” 

“I guess the President and Chancellor are at the same level - the head honcho, basically. Our Provost would be similar to a Vice Chancellor in the UK.”

“That’s a sweet move for Joe,” Jamie remarked. “And he’ll fulfill the role of Vice Provost in tandem with his deanship at Fulton for the next three years?”

“Yes. Joe is one of nine Vice Provosts at UW. All of them continue to lecture in their fields - chemistry, business, dentistry, for example. Joe becomes part of Hernandez's inner circle, along with all the other Vice Provosts.” 

“That is great news for Joe,” Mel commented, ”and he gets a decent amount of time to hand over to you and learn from Bingley.” 

“Yes, he’ll work with Bingley as he learns the ropes for his new role, but he’ll balance that with his duties as Dean and lecturer, in addition to onboarding me to take over as Dean when he becomes Provost.”

“Jesus, Claire!” Jamie reached over and took her hand, bringing it up to his lips. “You’ll be Dean of the Business School within three years?”

“That’s the plan,” Claire nodded.

“Hernandez has been very busy strategizing, hasn’t she?” Melissa remarked. “I'm so happy for you and Joe. This is richly deserved - for both of you. I can see exactly why she would want you in charge of Fulton, and Joe as her right hand man. It’s going to be a busy time for you, Claire.”

“Mm-hmm. I don’t think she was quite expecting Bingley to retire so soon, so she’s had to ramp up her long-range planning over the past few weeks. The Academic Council proposed a small change in the official name of the degree - Master of Science in Business Communications. That way, it’s very clearly differentiated from UW’s communications degrees in media and journalism, and it’s very clearly a Fulton program.”

“That makes sense,” Melissa noted. “So you’ll be shadowing Joe at the same time as you’re rolling out the MS Business Comms?” Melissa asked, her eyebrows raised in mild concern. “That sounds like a heavy workload, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s you.” 

“I’ll focus strongly on the degree for the next 18 months to two years. I’m putting together an implementation committee right away, and Hernandez has assigned two members of her academic council to work under me on that team. They helped launch two degrees in the past seven years, so they have solid experience that will prove invaluable. My implementation committee will include representatives from Admissions, Student Life, Student Residences, Scholarships, Endowments - and other key areas that I’d like represented on the team as we start rolling out.”

She paused to take a sip of her coffee before continuing.

“The two academic council members will help me identify and target lecturers for the program, set up interview panels, work on fine-tuning curriculum, majors, electives, and a host of other degree-specific tasks. That will be a huge help. Joe also approved a new appointment - I get my own assistant.”

“Oh, that will be huge! If you can find another Marsali, you’ll be all set.”

“I have a few former students in mind, and I’ll start approaching them this week to gauge their level of interest. Two of them in particular strike me as having the perfect disposition and personality for academia.”

“I have all the confidence in the world in you, Claire,” Jamie said. “It sounds daunting, but it appears you’re already building a solid team around you to help get the MS Business Comms off the ground.” His thumb caressed her wrist absently. “What will happen with your current electives and classes? The ones in the MBA Program for this academic year?”

“Joe is dragging Professor Leah Schultz out of retirement. She worked at Fulton for 19 years before retiring two years ago, and she’s the perfect choice to take over my communications electives in the MBA until Davidson can find a permanent replacement. Of course, I’m disappointed that I won’t get to teach the electives, but taking that off my plate frees up a massive amount of time ... all the prepping and grading and conferencing with students. I can allocate that time to my degree and to learning from Joe. If it goes really smoothly, I might sneak in some guest lectures in the second semester.”

“Yeah, I figured you’d start to miss the student interaction and teaching aspect before long,” Melissa pointed out. “Even as Dean, I can see you teaching electives for at least one semester per academic year.”

“You know it!” she chuckled. 

“Claire,” Melissa turned serious, “Joe mentioned to me once that a lot of students sign up for your electives because of your reputation and because the content aligns with their social conscience. Basically they sign up because they want _you_ as their educator. There will probably be a lot of disappointed students when they realize that Fulton is bringing in a different lecturer.”

Claire grimaced. “Joe raised that, and we think that since my electives this year are for the 4th year students, most of them will have been taught by Professor Schultz. A lot of them will be thrilled that she’s coming out of retirement. Davidson will reach out to all the students who signed up for my electives and offer them the option of switching to a different one if they choose.”

“Hopefully he’s on that already. Once that release hits the press, he’ll be inundated with calls from students.”

“Joe assigned a couple of interns to help with that today, so crossing fingers that it all goes smoothly.” Claire turned to look at Jamie. “It’s going to be a busy couple of years, my love. In addition to everything at Fulton, we’re going to be advancing and developing the winery too. We’re so blessed to have the killer team we have in Murtagh and Helen. And you have Superman, Oscars and your withdrawal from the industry. We're going to need to lean on each other for moral and emotional support. And I’m going to lean on you a lot for help on the home front.”

“I’ll be here for you all the way - for whatever you need and whenever you need it.”

Claire leaned over and kissed him tenderly on the lips. “I thank God and the universe for you every day, my love,” she murmured. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without your support for me and the girls.” She kissed him again.

“Don’t mind me,” Melissa teased. 

Claire grinned and set her mug down, looking at her watch as she arose from her chair, tugging Jamie with her. “It’s past 11:00. Let’s head out. I’d like to stop by Joe’s office and introduce you, Jamie, and then maybe we can grab an early lunch before picking the girls up from cheer. Mel, do you have lunch plans?”

“I do, but I’d rather be celebrating with you, of course. I’m meeting with a potential Trustee who is holding out because of the Nexus connection. Since the press release is going out tomorrow, I might drop some of this news in the conversation. I think the fact that you’ve been promoted and will be running Fulton within a few years might really appeal to her.”

“Okay, we’ll see you at home tonight then.”

Melissa reached out and hugged Claire tightly. “Love you, girl! And I’m incredibly proud of you. Running Fulton and launching a whole new degree is not for the faint of heart. Now go celebrate with your man.” She winked at Jamie over Claire’s shoulder, and he smiled warmly at her. 

As soon as Melissa left, Claire packed her laptop and personal items in her laptop bag. Jamie took the bag from her and set it in one of the visitor’s chairs. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead gently. She enfolded him tightly in her arms, and they stood enveloped in each other.

“I’m picking up where we left off earlier. I want to hold you for a moment and reassure ye that this is real and it’s right and it’s about time.”

She closed her eyes and relaxed into his body as he held her.

“Thank you for dropping everything and coming, my love. I needed you here, Jamie. I needed to share this with you before anyone else. You’ve traveled a difficult part of this journey with me and I wanted us to enjoy this moment together.”

“I’m so glad you asked me to come. I love you. And I’m so proud of you. You’re going to soar, you know?”

She smiled, and lifted her face to look at him.

“Kiss me, Fraser.”

“Anytime, Professor Beauchamp.”

He kissed her thoroughly, keeping his lips gently pressed to hers until they both smiled and parted reluctantly. He picked up her laptop bag and they headed to Joe’s office.

Claire tapped lightly on the door and waited.

“Come on in,” Joe called out.

Claire led Jamie in and Joe beamed at them from behind his desk. His head was at an awkward angle as he balanced the handset of his desktop phone between his ear and his shoulder, using his hands to tap out a message on his cell phone.

“Tonya, I’m going to get back to you in a minute. In the meanwhile, please bring your laptop and join Professor Davidson in Conference Room Three.”

“Joe, we didn’t mean to intrude,” Claire began, but he waved away her apology as he replaced the handset.

“No intrusion at all,” he rose from his chair, and walked around to greet them.

“I wanted to introduce you and Jamie before we head out,” Claire smiled. “Jamie, this is my boss and my friend and Dean of FBS, Professor Joe Abernathy.”

The men greeted each other warmly with a handshake, and Joe clasped Jamie's upper arm with his other hand, comfortable that UW’s Covid screening process for all employees and visitors provided an added layer of protection. 

“Call me Joe. I’m so pleased to meet you at last, Jamie. Welcome to Fulton - this is probably your first visit? And congratulations to you both on Claire’s promotions.” 

“Thank you. The pleasure is all mine, Joe. And I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to thank you for the way you have supported Claire through the past few months. I believe congratulations are also in order for you.”

They spent a few minutes exchanging niceties, and Claire quickly brought the interlude to a polite conclusion, knowing that Joe was swamped. 

“Joe, Jamie and I will be home within a couple of hours. Please let me know if I can help with anything ahead of the press release. Do you need me to reach out to students?”

“No thank you, Claire. This is your week off, remember? I need you to go and celebrate with your family. No working. Jamie, can I rely on you to ensure that she takes the rest of the day to celebrate?”

“Of course, Joe. Thanks again.” 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

After sharing a light lunch at Eureka! in UVillage, Claire and Jamie drove the 30 minute route to the girls’ school.

“Claire, I’d like us to celebrate over dinner tonight with the girls and Mel and Armando, if he’s available. I’ll work on finding a good restaurant to do that as soon as we’re home.”

“Oh, Jamie, I’m not even going to argue with you on that. You make every event and occasion so special for me and the girls. I love you. Do you know that? Do you have any idea how much?” She rested her head back against the seat and gave him exaggerated heart eyes. 

He glanced at her and chuckled, reaching for her hand. “Well, I was starting to think that maybe you were just a wee bit smitten. Especially after reading your list on that legal pad.” 

She straightened up and looked at him seriously. “Oh yes! You promised to tell me which one tickled you so much. Spill it, Fraser.”

He chortled. “I’ll let you know ... eventually.”

“Fraser …” she warned, removing her hand from his grasp and placing it high on his thigh. He grabbed it immediately and held it firmly at his knee. 

“Behave yourself, Professor Beauchamp. And focus on the task at hand. Will ye do me a favor and check if Armando and Tony are available for dinner tonight? I’ve never met Tony, you know?”

“Spoil sport,” she muttered as she withdrew her hand from his again and tapped on her phone.

Jamie could hear Armando’s exuberant shouts and exclamations as Claire shared her news with him. 

She tapped out of the call. “Tony’s working, but ‘Mando’s available. And very excited for me.”

“Aye, I could tell,” Jamie laughed. 

“He said the girls can stop by the salon tomorrow for another shampoo and style.”

“I’ll take them. The girls and I have a busy schedule tomorrow. That will free you up to work on your crazy to-do list, Vice Dean Beauchamp. That sounds so good rolling off my tongue.”

She smiled. “How were things this morning? Were the girls ready on time, or did they dilly-dally?”

“No dilly-dallying at all. They were ready early and excited to go to cheer.” He hoped she wouldn’t ask about the rest of his morning - specifically about what he was doing on Mercer Island. He had texted that without thinking it through when she asked him to pick her up at Fulton. 

He quickly changed the subject. “The girls wanted frozen waffles and we’re out, so I placed an online grocery order. I noseyed around the fridge and pantry and ordered whatever I thought we might need. Cereal, fruit, ciabatta, and a few other things.”

“Thank you, Jamie.” She squeezed his hand gratefully. “Liv comes to clean tomorrow, so it’s probably a good thing that you and the girls are out of the house. I’ve asked her to do some deep cleaning and sanitizing - especially with the girls’ rooms, bathrooms and bedding. I’m a little hyper focused on infection control, as you can probably tell.”

He kissed the inside of her wrist. “You’re a concerned and careful mother, Claire. And an amazing one.”

“And you’re the perfect dad figure for the girls, Jamie. I couldn't ask for more in a … in a life partner.”

An awkward silence filled the space at those words. ‘Life partner’ always seemed like an inadequate description for a relationship like theirs that was closer to embodying terms like ‘fiancé’ or ‘husband’ or ‘wife’.

It was Claire’s turn to clumsily change the subject. “I’m going to call Milo and let him know about the promotions. I don’t want to forget and then have him read it in the Seattle Times. I’ll also let him know what I’ve decided about Henry's car.” She picked up her phone again.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

They arrived at the girls’ school just before 1:30 p.m. and waited in the parking lot. Jamie texted the girls on the family thread.

**I’m in the parking lot. LMK when ur headed down here**

The three dots bounced as Ella responded. 

**_We just got done with lunch. On our way_ **

Within moments, they saw the girls and a group of facemask-clad teammates walking towards the parking lot. The twins were flanked by Ashlee and Hannah, and several of their teammates stopped to gently hug them goodbye before climbing in their cars and driving away.

“Oh, Jamie, it breaks my heart that they can’t just jump in their car and drive home. They must feel so …”

Jamie patted her knee gently, “It’s okay, mo ghràidh, I’m taking them to Tesla tomorrow and we’ll see about getting them a replacement. After their medical appointments on Friday we’ll know more about recovery time and when they can safely start driving again. The challenge will be their confidence.”

“Hmmm. That’s what worries me. Hopefully the defensive driving course and their sessions with Serena will help.”

The girls reached Claire’s SUV and hugged Ashlee and Hannah goodbye. They climbed in the back of the car and squealed with excitement at seeing Claire.

“Mom! We didn’t expect to see you until tonight. What are you doing here?” Beth exclaimed.

“How did your meeting go, Mom?” Ella was immediately on edge. 

Jamie eased out of the parking space and followed the line of teenage drivers off the school property.

“It went very well, sweethearts! We’ll tell you all about it when we get home.”

“Did something bad happen? How come Jamie went to pick you up?”

“Nothing bad happened. I only had one meeting on campus and didn’t want to wait until Melissa was done with all her meetings, so Jamie came to pick me up.”

“Then why aren’t you telling us about the meeting?” Beth insisted.

“I feel like something happened, or you wouldn't have asked Jamie to pick you up,” Ella added.

Their persistent questions and the worry in their voices were a blunt reminder that the girls had also suffered the stress and tension of the events of the past couple of months. Jamie and Claire glanced at each other, and Jamie gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

“It’s all good news, sweethearts. I got my degree back. President Hernandez approved the MS Comms, so I get to work on implementing that over the next couple of years.”

There were two loud gasps from the back seat, and the girls stared at each other, hands covering their mouths. 

“Oh my God, Mom!” Ella recovered first. “Mom! For real?”

“Yes,” Claire chuckled, “for real. We’re abbreviating it to MS Business Comms now - Master of Science in Business Communications - so that it’s very clearly under the Fulton umbrella.”

“Mom! That is such great news,” Beth added. “Are you excited? Or are you stressed about all the extra work?”

“I’m so excited,” Claire turned to smile at them. “I’m really happy. We can chat about it more at home.” She knew that the rest of the news would overwhelm them, and she wanted to be able to hold them and hug them through it, just as Jamie had done with her. “Tell me all about your morning. What changes did they make to the dance, and how excited were your teammates to see you?”

The rest of the drive home was a back-and-forth of excited chatter about their teammates, the DoorDash Chipotle lunch in their honor, the changes to the choreography, and the fact that they were going to be guests of honor at the dance showcase, since they couldn't participate. 

Claire blinked back a few tears, and Jamie reached over to hold her hand.

“Your Mam and I can’t wait to attend the showcase with you.”

As soon as they got home, Claire asked the girls to join her and Jamie in the kitchen.

“We have a little more to share about my meeting.”

She explained the promotions and how they impacted both her and Joe. The girls listened, gasping at times, gaping at Claire and Jamie at other times, and finally breaking down in sobs when Claire finished. 

“I know, sweet girls, it’s a lot to take in, and I was not expecting it either. I knew you’d be overwhelmed and that’s why I wanted to wait and share the rest of the meeting details with you here.”

She extended both arms and the girls moved in for a hug. Jamie had grabbed the box of Kleenex and leaned up against the kitchen counter, giving the girls a moment to lean into Claire. Beth looked over at Jamie, extending her arm to him, and he pushed himself off the counter and wrapped his strong arms around all of them, smiling softly at Claire over the girls’ heads.

“Sorry we’re crying,” Beth sniffled. “We’re very excited and very proud, Mom. Honestly.”

“We’re totally happy for you, Mom. It’s just … it’s just been a lot lately … and we’re crying with happiness for you.”

“I know, babies. I know why you’re crying, and it’s okay. It all turned out well, right?”

Jamie reached for the box of Kleenex and the girls each took a tissue, sniffing and wiping their tears.

“Girls, I think this calls for a celebratory meal tonight,” Jamie announced. “I’m going to go work on that in the study. You probably have a lot of questions for your Mam.”

“Let’s go chat upstairs, girls. We need to find you something gorgeous to wear tonight. You know Jamie’s going to arrange somewhere swish and fancy.” She winked at him. “I also need to change your dressings and you can ask me whatever questions you have.”

“Can I call Deacon and tell him?”

“Of course you can.”

Jamie smiled contentedly as his girls disappeared upstairs. He hastened to the study to start working on finding a suitable restaurant for their celebration. The one that kept coming up in his searches was Canlis, renowned as Seattle’s premier restaurant. It was without a doubt Seattle residents’ top go-to restaurant for anniversary celebrations and proposal dinners, if the hash-tags and social media images were anything to go by. Canlis was also a favorite of food connoisseurs around the Puget Sound. Jamie recalled that Melissa had dined there the night he flew back from L.A. to watch the cheer showcase. He made a quick call to Melissa to confirm some details, and to get her general impressions of the restaurant. She gave it a glowing review, no doubt influenced by the fact that she had enjoyed her first meal with Anton at Canlis.

Knowing that there was a minimum three month waiting list, Jamie tried his luck anyway. He called and asked to speak directly to the manager. Explaining that it was an important family celebration and that he was willing to pay a premium for a last-minute reservation, he listened as the manager tapped away on a keyboard.

“What did you say your name was, sir?”

“Jamie Fraser.”

There was a short silence on the other end of the phone as the manager linked the name with the accent and the accent with the celebrity. 

“Mr. Fraser, as you know we generally have a long waiting list for months in advance. However, Canlis recently launched a Yurt Village in response to pandemic regulations. We have a number of yurts set up in our parking lot so that our clients can dine in the safety and seclusion of their own space. We have two empty yurts, and only one other party listed on the cancellation standby list for tonight. We can very quickly prepare to accommodate your party of six at 8:00 this evening. Each yurt is beautifully set up and it feels just like a fine dining experience in our main restaurant. If you have any special requests - flowers, a specific champagne or wine - we can certainly try to fulfill your requests, although I can't make any firm promises due to the late reservation.”

“Uhhh … since you raised that, if there’s any chance you could source a few gladiolus stems for the centerpiece, that would be fantastic. And we’d like Dom Perignon for the adults and a sparkling apple juice for the teens. We’ve heard great things about Canlis, and I'm sure that whatever you offer tonight will be wonderful. Thank you for accommodating us.”

After completing his call to Canlis, he arranged for a stretch limo, knowing that the girls would get a kick out of it. He texted Armando to let him know the limo would stop by and pick him up en route to Canlis. 

Breathing a sigh of relief that their celebration dinner plans were finalized, Jamie texted Jennie and Murtagh to let them know about Claire's promotions, and then he started to wade through the contents of the packages that Jenny had sent him.

She’d made a special trip to his Glasgow apartment and selected items she knew he would want to keep in his new home. Among them were his awards - two BAFTAs, two Emmys, a Golden Globe and two People’s Choice Awards. A larger package also included a few scrapbooks that Jenny had made for him, filled with pictures and newspaper clippings from the early years of his career. She had given up on making the scrapbooks when his career took off and it became impossible to keep track of all the Jamie Fraser mentions and articles in newspapers and magazines. He grimaced slightly as he turned the pages of the scrapbooks and saw the pictures of himself during his theater years. Those were the lean years of his early twenties, when he was a jobbing actor, never quite knowing when the next role would come his way, or where the next paycheck would come from. There were months when he worked with Jenny at Lallybroch just to ensure he had a roof over his head and three square meals a day.

He replaced the scrapbooks and awards in the box and pressed it shut.

The contents of the next package made him chuckle aloud. It was a collection of paintings and drawings of Uncle Jamie, created by his niece and nephews during their pre-school years. All of them featured his hair in varying shades of orange and russet, and one had him proudly displaying a head of fire-engine red hair.

A smaller envelope included a stack of black and white photographs of their grandparents, and color photos of their family before all the losses. Willie and Jenny and Jamie doing kid things and sibling things that all parents capture for posterity. Pictures of first days at school, Willie riding his bike on his own for the first time, Jamie messing around with his Grandpa’s bagpipes, Jenny at her first Highland dancing recital, the whole family celebrating Burns Night with other families at a local community center. 

There was a sizable stack of pictures capturing a range of Christmas memories. The holiday season had always been a special time for the Frasers, and Brian and Ellen tried to make every Christmas meaningful and memorable. The pictures reflected countless special moments ... Jamie and Jenny sitting on Santa’s knee at Jenner’s department store, while Willie tried to prevent a crying Jamie from escaping. 

The three siblings around the tree, Jenny looking petulant because her doll had dark hair like her own, rather than the blonde hair she wanted, and Willie leaning over to help a 4-year-old Jamie pry open a box with three replicas of his favorite Aston Martins.

Jamie, Jenny and Willie two years later, holding Christmas stockings filled to bursting with treats and little gifts. Willie wore a Christmas-themed beanie hat that year to cover the bald patches from his cancer treatment. 

The three of them a year later, Willie lying under a blanket on the sofa, his head completely bald, trying bravely to look cheerful as a 7-year-old Jamie helped him open his gifts, while Jenny gathered the discarded gift-wrap. 

And then ... just Jamie and Jenny under the tree the following year …

  
  
Jamie sat back in the chair and closed his eyes, shaking his head at the unexpected surge of nostalgia and sadness. After a moment, he swallowed hard, cleared his throat, and gathered the pictures together, slipping them back into the envelope.

He finally reached for the last unopened package and slit the box open. Peering into the box, he slowly removed a slim linen-embossed envelope and a small, white padded envelope, the weight and volume of the latter's contents making it bulge slightly.

These would also be difficult envelopes to open, and he had deliberately left them until last.

He held the padded envelope in his hands, passing it from palm to palm a few times. It felt heavier than he remembered - but it had been years since he’d held the contents in his hands.

“Jamie?” he heard Claire call him as she walked downstairs.

“In the study,” he called back, quickly shoving the padded envelope in the back of a drawer, leaving the slim linen one on the desk.

She walked in and took in the assortment of envelopes and packages spread out on the desk.

“Oh my,” she said, “is this all the stuff that Jenny sent via courier?”

“Aye, it is,” he replied. “I’m just going through it to see what she’s sent. Most of it can stay boxed somewhere until our house is ready.”

“We can keep it safe in the storage room in the man cave,” she suggested.

“Thank you. That would be perfect.”

“You okay, my love?” She regarded him with concern. He sounded a little distracted, and there was a heaviness in his eyes that hadn’t been there earlier.

“Mm-hmm. Some of these contain family photographs. Family Christmases and the like. I shouldn’t really have opened them all now. They inevitably tug at the heartstrings, ye ken.”

Her eyes fell on the linen envelope that he held gingerly between his fingers. It wasn’t sealed shut, but the envelope flap was tucked in, and she could tell that he hadn’t opened it yet.

“Does that contain more pictures?” she asked softly, indicating the linen envelope with her gaze.

“No. No pictures in this one,” he replied. “Come and sit with me, mo ghràidh.” He held his hand out and she moved towards him, settling into his lap as he shifted in the chair to accommodate her.

He nuzzled her hair and inhaled her scent for a moment. She sensed that he needed her nearness and sat in silence with him for a while. He would speak when he was ready.

“This is a letter my Mam wrote before she passed from breast cancer,” he said finally. “She wrote one for Jenny too. I haven’t read it in years. In fact, I read it on my 18th birthday, and haven’t looked at it since.”

Claire raised her hand to his face and trailed her fingers gently across his jaw. “Jamie,” she said softly, “were you about to read it? I probably came in at a bad time. I’ll leave you to read it in peace and quiet and privacy.”

She started to extricate herself from his arms, but he tightened his hold.

“No! No, I want to share it with you, mo chridhe, but let’s set it aside until tomorrow. This is your big day. Your momentous day! We’re celebrating you and your awesomeness today. This letter is heavy, Claire, and I don’t want anything getting in the way of our celebration.”

“Jamie, this is so important. Your family memories and these mementos and pictures are a part of your childhood, your life. I want to share in all these moments - the happy, the sad, the nostalgic … all of them.” 

“And I want to share all of it with you. I want you … I need you with me when I read it. But not today … not tonight.” He smiled gently at her. “Tonight is all about joy and happiness and making new memories. _Our_ memories.” 

She searched his face. “Jamie … I’ll be right here with you when you’re ready to read it.”

“I know you will, Claire, and that’s what gives me the strength to read it again.”

He placed the envelope on the desk and rested his fingers lightly on it. 

“I’ll leave it right here and we’ll read it together tomorrow. Let’s go sit out on the patio, and I’ll tell you all about the plans for tonight.”

She smiled. “I can’t wait to hear what you have planned. Once you've shared that with me, can we FaceTime with Nonna? I'm dying to tell her my news, and she’s been anxious to meet you, Jamie. Even if it is over a video call.”

“Of course, I’ve been looking forward to meeting her too.”

  
  
Claire sat on one of the sofas on the covered patio, her iPad propped up on the table in front of her. Jamie was on the sofa across from her. She tapped on her iPad and looked up at him while it dialed Nonna’s number. 

“As soon as we’re done talking about my promotions, I'll let her know you want to meet her, and you can come join me.”

He nodded, smiling somewhat nervously. Meeting Nonna and Lamb was tantamount to ‘meeting the parents’, and he had asked Claire if she would introduce him to both. He hoped he met with Nonna’s approval this afternoon. Meeting Lamb would have to wait until the weekend, when he was more likely to be home. 

“Mio Dio, cara! I’m so happy to hear from you. You look beautiful. How are my babies?”

“They are doing so much better. We’re seeing the doctors on Friday, and I’ll update you after that.”

“Grazie, Claire. I’m still so worried about them. Are they eating well, and sleeping well?”

“They are, Nonna. Very well, thank you.”

“I hope so. I worry about those babies so much. And how about you? You look happy, Claire. More than usual. What’s going on?”

“I can never keep anything a secret from you, Nonna. You know me too well.” 

Claire shared the details of her promotion, and listened patiently when Nonna launched into an exuberant verbal celebration, composed entirely of Italian phrases and a random sprinkling of Italian prayers - some of which Claire understood, many of which she didn't.

Nonna took a deep breath, and continued. “So ... Vice Dean, cara? That means you are a bigger deal than that _stronzo_ , Frank.”

Outwardly, Jamie suppressed a laugh, but inwardly, he agreed wholeheartedly.

“Nonna-”

“Did he call the girls yet? After the accident?”

“No, he’s still in Eng-”

“Che cazzo! I don’t want to waste time talking about him anymore. I want you to know how proud I am of you. You have worked so hard for this, and you deserve it all, Claire. But it will keep you busy, yes?”

“Yes, it will. But Jamie finishes filming Superman in a few months, and then he will be around a lot more. He insists on taking care of things on the home front while also running a winery.”

“He is a good man, Claire.”

“Yes, he is. I am so blessed.”

She blew Jamie a quick kiss across the table and he reciprocated with heart hands.

“I would like to meet him, but first I want to talk to you about something.”

“Okay. Everything alright, Nonna?”

“Everything is fine. But I’ve been thinking a lot since the girls’ accident. I think I’m ready to come to Seattle. Before October. I want to come now.”

“Are you serious, Nonna? You would do that?”

“Yes, the girls need to heal and recover, and I want to be there to help you and Jamie. They need to eat healthy so they can get better quickly, and you know they love my soups and my gnocchi and lasagna.”

“And your tiramisu, Nonna!”

“Hahaha, Claire. Nice try, cara. You are the tiramisu queen. But I'll make you lots of that too.”

“When do you want to come?”

“I don’t know … give me a week, maybe ten days, to figure out some things here with my bridge friends. I don’t know when I will be back, and they will need to look after my place.”

“Okay, Nonna. I’ll ask Jamie to look into flights for you. He’s sitting right here and he’s excited to meet you.” 

Jamie gave her a thumbs up from his sofa. 

“Claire, you need to warn me. I’m wearing my apron, and my hair's a mess.” She patted her grey bob self-consciously. 

“You are always beautiful, Nonna. I’m asking Jamie to join me on my sofa, okay?”

“Si, si. Tell him to come.”

Jamie sat next to Claire and reached for her hand. She squeezed it reassuringly.

“Nonna this is Jamie. Jamie … Nonna.”

“Hi, Nonna. I’m so happy and honored to meet you. Claire and the girls talk about you so much. I feel like I already know you.”

“Ciao, Jamie! Mio Dio! You are a big, strong man, and molto bello. But more important … you have a very kind heart. Claire has told me a lot about you. Beth and Ella too. Only good things.”

Jamie reddened slightly and dodged the compliments. “They are too kind, Nonna. I’m so happy to hear that you want to come and visit us. I can’t wait to meet you in person.”

“Me too. I’ll call Claire on the weekend and let you know when I'm ready to come.”

“Okay, Nonna. I’ll look forward to your call then. I’m very excited for your visit. And the girls will be beside themselves.”

Nonna smiled widely. “Jamie, it was nice to meet you. Claire, ciao amore. Ti parlo presto. Talk to you soon.”

“That’s really good news, Claire. I should look into flights before she changes her mind.”

“Can you call in a favor and get her a flight on one of the studio jets?”

He grimaced. “I think I’m all out of favors. But I’ll book her a flight on a private jet.”

“Jamie!” Claire protested, but he shook his head.

“Please don’t fight me on this Claire. I want to do it. Ella and Beth have one living grandparent. They’ve met her four times and now she’s in a memory care facility. Nonna is effectively their Grandma, and they need her presence. More importantly, she wants to be part of their healing. It will be good for her soul.”

“Jamie, I don’t even know how to thank you.” 

“I can think of a few ideas …”

“Of course you can,” she smiled wickedly at him and leaned in for a kiss he was only too happy to return. 

She caressed his cheek and said softly, "She’s right you know. You are a good man. I love you.”

“I love you too, babe. So much.”

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. “It’s my reminder to email Lamb and set up a FaceTime with him this weekend. It’s been ages since I saw him!”

She reached for her phone, and Jamie glanced at his watch. It was already 3:30, and he had been mulling over ideas about a gift for Claire from the girls. His gift from New York would finally make its debut tonight, but he knew the girls would want to give Claire something special too. While Claire was distracted on her phone, he sent them a text.

**Do u girls want to get ur mom a gift for her promotions? I have something to give her tonight and thought u might want to get something too**

**_Yes! We were just talking about it ... we were looking at nordstrom website for perfume_  
**

**Do u want me to take u to Bellevue quickly? We can get there and back well in time for dinner. We can talk about gift ideas in the car**

**_OMG, yes please! Thank u! But we don’t want mom to know_ **

**Can u think of anything else u might need at Bellevue, so it makes sense that I’m taking u there?**

**_Yeah - i can tell mom i want different shoes for the dress i‘m going to wear._ **

**That works. Come downstairs ASAP, we’re on a tight timeline.**

Ella and Beth appeared on the patio, and flopped down on one of the sofas.

“Mom, I hate the shoes I usually wear with the dress I’m wearing tonight. Do I have time to get new ones?”

“Ella! Really?” Claire was mildly exasperated. “It’s too late to get new ones. Did you look through my shoes?”

“Mom, yours are all so high!”

“No, I have lots of block heels that might work.”

“Nah. I want to get my own.”

Jamie stepped in quickly. “I can take you girls to Bellevue if you’re ready to go immediately. I might get myself a new tie for tonight,” he added for good measure. 

Something about the whole scene told Claire not to query it further, so she smiled and said, “Okay, you go do your thing and find what you need, and I’ll work on some emails and things here.”

Jamie and the girls piled into Claire’s SUV and headed towards the I90.

“What were you thinking of getting for your Mam? You mentioned perfume.”

“Yeah, that was just one thought, but I'm not totally sold on that,” Ella replied.

“Maybe flowers?” Beth suggested.

“That’s a lovely idea, Beth. Your Mam loves flowers, but we might wait a few weeks before we do that. The house is still filled with the flowers that you girls received from your friends last week. And I'm guessing that there will be several flower deliveries after the press releases come out.”

“Uhhh … I don't know, Jamie. It’s so hard to think of something that’s special enough for the occasion. I mean, these promotions are such a huge deal for her. What does she need for work? A new laptop, maybe?”

“She has to use UW-issued laptops. IT sets them up with all the software and cloud-sharing options that faculty members need,” Jamie explained.

“Maybe a new laptop bag?” Beth suggested. “She’s had hers for a while, and it’s looking a little tired.”

“Yasss!” Ella agreed enthusiastically. “Her laptop bag doesn’t exactly scream ‘Vice Dean’, does it?”

Jamie nodded. He had carried Claire’s bag for her earlier and agreed that she could use an upgrade.

“What bags does she like?” he asked. “Coach? Kate Spade?”

“Yeah, she loves those. Michael Kors and Vuitton too,” Ella offered.

“Wait! What about that movie she loves? _Breakfast at Tiffany’s._ The actress wore Chanel or modeled for Chanel or something, right? Mom always says she loves that classic Chanel style.”

“You mean Audrey Hepburn?” Jamie asked.

“I guess,” Beth shrugged. “Mom loves the Chanel quilted purses and bags.”

“Jamie, there’s no way we can afford a Chanel bag on our allowance," Ella said practically. "We might have to look at a Chanel perfume instead. She likes Nº5."

“It’s okay, girls. Don’t worry about payment. I’ll get the bag and you can gift it. I think it’s the thought that went into it and the fact that you knew exactly what your Mam would like that’s the important thing here. She will always think of you when she looks at her gift, not the fact that you couldn't afford it. If you like, you can get her a bottle of Chanel Nº5 too, so you feel like it’s something directly from you.”

“Oh my God, thank you so much, Jamie. You always think of the right things to say and do. We’ll have to find the right bag for her,” Beth said.

“Ella, grab your phone and enter ‘Audrey Hepburn Chanel’ in a Google search,” Jamie said. “H-E-P-B-U-R-N.”

Ella and Beth looked at the search results together, swiping through pictures until they found one that made them stop and yell, “YES! That’s the one.”

“We’ll show you when you park, Jamie, but we found the exact style she likes.”

“Okay. Let’s head to Chanel, then.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The sales clerk set the exquisitely crafted laptop bag in quilted black leather on a thick stack of tissue paper. It had taken Jamie and the girls several attempts before they found one they all agreed on.

“Mom is literally going to tear up when she sees this,” Beth sighed contentedly.

“Sir, I don’t know if you noticed the nameplate on the inside of the flap?” He unlocked the clasp and opened the flap, showing Jamie the small silver name plate.

“Yes, I noticed it,” Jamie replied.

“We can engrave it with your wife’s name, if you wish. Personalize it a little?”

The girls looked at each other, and Jamie was stumped for a second.

The puzzled clerk looked from Jamie to the girls with a slight frown. “It’s a gift for your wife, right?”

“Yes. No! Yes!” Jamie fumbled for the right words and Ella snorted, earning herself a sharp nudge in the ribs from Beth.

“It’s for my …”

_Do not say ‘life partner’._

“Tell you what,” Jamie said, recovering quickly. “How about we bring the bag back in a few days, and she can tell you exactly what she wants engraved on it.”

“Certainly, sir,” the clerk agreed, looking at the group slightly irritably. Indecisiveness annoyed him, but his demeanor reverted instantly to his customary ingratiating politeness the minute Jamie slid his Black Amex card across the counter. Beth paid for the perfume with her debit card, and it took every ounce of Jamie’s self control not to push his card into the sales clerk’s hand ahead of hers. He knew the girls needed to feel like they had contributed to the gift too, and that they were supporting their mom in every way they could.

“I’ll Venmo you later, Beth,” Ella promised.

His heart squeezed at that, and he pressed his lips together to prevent himself from blurting out that he’d pay.

A few minutes later, they left the store, each carrying a Chanel shopping bag. Jamie’s large bag contained the laptop bag and Chanel perfume, and the girls had selected something for themselves at Jamie’s suggestion.

“Swag!” Ella exclaimed excitedly, as she and Beth carried their smaller Chanel shopping bags. Beth had picked a new bronzer and mascara, while Ella opted for a bottle of Chanel’s light and fresh Chance fragrance.

“Will Mom be annoyed that Jamie bought us stuff at Chanel?” Beth asked worriedly.

“I offered, you didn’t ask. And they’re wee little items,” Jamie reassured them.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Melissa and Claire helped style the girls’ hair and everyone dressed up for the occasion. Jamie was ready well before Claire, and headed downstairs to ensure that Claire’s gifts were ready to present to her. He had left that responsibility to the twins.

Claire wore a black V-neck Dolce and Gabbana dress that fell to mid thigh and had an overlay of richly embroidered and embellished chiffon, allowing just a tantalizing glimpse of her long shapely legs beneath the sheer fabric. She mentally debated her shoes for a few minutes. It was a toss-up between her new Valentinos, or a pair of black strappy Saint Laurent heels. She chuckled as she envisaged Jamie’s reaction if she appeared in the kitchen wearing his new favorites. The poor man would be adjusting his pants all night. She finally opted for the Saint Laurents. Their simple elegance made them the perfect understated complement for the decorative overlay of her dress. She added her ruby earrings for a pop of color, grabbed her deep red crocodile Bottega Veneta clutch, and headed downstairs.

Jamie met her at the bottom of the stairs, holding his hand up to clasp hers as she took the last few steps.

“You are stunningly beautiful,” he said, as he slid a hand down to her lower back and pulled her in for a kiss.

“Thank you, my love. You look amazing in that suit! You sneaked downstairs while I was in the shower. Were you afraid I would attack you in the closet?” she teased.

“No. I was _hoping_ you might, actually,” he murmured in her ear. “That’s becoming my favorite room in the house. Or maybe it’s the mud room. I'm undecided.”

Jamie wore a three piece Emporio Armani suit in charcoal grey, perfectly set off by a lighter grey shirt and a silk Gucci tie with red accents.

“Your tie matches my earrings and purse.”

He thumbed gently over her ear lobe and smiled.

“Oh, I just realized I forgot my perfume,” she gasped, turning to head back upstairs. He held onto her hand, gently preventing her from going back up.

“Can I ask ye to do that on the way out? Our girls and I have a wee gift for you.” 

He led her to the kitchen.

“Mom! You look amazing!” Ella exclaimed.

“You do too! You all look fabulous. Thank you for getting all dressed up for our special dinner tonight!”

Melissa had whipped up a pre-dinner raspberry-champagne cocktail while waiting for Claire to join them. She poured each of the girls a red Italian soda and garnished their glasses with raspberries so that they too felt like they were enjoying a celebratory drink in Claire’s honor. Melissa handed her a glass, and everyone raised theirs together.

“To an amazing night of celebrating our very own Professor Beauchamp.”

“How many times have people called you that since this morning, Mom?” Ella asked.

“I’ve lost count,” Claire laughed.

“We have something for you.” Beth retrieved a large gift-wrapped item from the family room and placed it on the kitchen counter. The girls had done a stellar job of wrapping the gift and getting it ready to present to Claire. It looked beautiful and festive with its profusion of bows and ribbon curls.

“Oh my,” Claire smiled excitedly, “it’s almost too gorgeous to open.”

Jamie winked his appreciation at the girls, who beamed back at him. Claire carefully unwrapped the gift and slowly removed it from its tissue paper cocoon.

“Oh my God,” her hand flew to her mouth. Tears instantly stung her eyes, and she swiftly blinked them away. Composing herself, she looked at the girls, still taken aback by the gift. She carefully avoided eye contact with Jamie, knowing full well that he had paid, but wanting the girls to take all the credit.

“Oh my God, girls, my dream bag. You remembered!”

“We did Mom. But we couldn’t-”

“The girls did such a remarkable job researching and finding the one they knew you would love, Claire,” Jamie inserted hastily.

Melissa ran her hands over the soft leather. “Wow! This is simply stunning. Look at the craftsmanship.”

“I know, right?” Claire said excitedly. “I have coveted Chanel bags for years! So Hepburn!”

She slung the bag over her shoulder and walked imperiously across the kitchen, modeling the bag for them to admire.

“Make way for Vice Dean Beauchamp,” Ella announced, and they all cheered and clapped.

“Mom, there’s something inside the bag too,” Beth indicated.

Claire set the bag on the counter and unclipped the lock clasp to raise the flap. Peering inside the dark interior of the bag, she spotted two wrapped items, and reached for one of them. She unwrapped it carefully and held up a small white box, edged in black. 'Chanel Nº5 Perfume' was embossed on the box, and Claire gasped softly.

“Girls, thank you so much! You knew I always wanted the actual perfume. I’ve always bought the Eau de Toilette but this is such a treat and a luxury. I also forgot to put on fragrance tonight.” She carefully unboxed the bottle and dabbed a small amount on her wrists, behind her ears, and between her breasts.

Jamie raised a brow and gave her a look that no one else noticed - which was a good thing because it roused the familiar fluttering deep in her belly.

She hugged the girls tight and thanked them profusely.

“Mom, there’s still a gift inside from Jamie,” Beth looked at her with wide eyes, and Claire knew it would be something special.

She reached into the bag again and retrieved a longer, rectangular box, its gold gift wrap glinting under the bright lights of the kitchen.

“Jamie, what did you do?” she whispered, recognizing the subtly embossed Cartier logo on the gift-wrap.

“I got it for you in New York. I knew we’d be celebrating your promotion at some point, it was just a question of when. Open it, mo ghràidh.”

She unwrapped the gift, and held up the signature red jewelry box with gold embossed logo. She removed the lid of the box to reveal a spectacular, glittering diamond bracelet. 

“Jesus,” she said softly. “Jamie …”

The girls and Melissa gasped audibly at the glistening strand of diamonds set in polished platinum.

“Here, let me help.” Jamie carefully removed the bracelet from its bed of black velvet.

“Wait, I want to admire it, Jamie." She draped it across her fingertips, marveling at the sparkle and beauty of the expertly crafted piece. "It’s magnificent. You spoil me, my love. I don't-"

“Yes, you do. I want to see how it fits you, babe. I had them remove two diamonds at the store, because it seemed a bit big for your small wrist. If it fits just right, it should sit at your pulse point.”

As he worked the dainty clasp with his large hands, Claire’s app announced the arrival of someone in the driveway.

“That’ll be the limo,” Melissa announced. “It’s about ten minutes early. I’ll go with the girls, while Jamie gets your bracelet securely fastened.”

They grabbed their purses and headed for the front door. 

“I see Ella didn’t get her new shoes,” Claire said pointedly, a smile teasing her eyes.

Jamie chuckled. “I figured you had us all worked out. Thank you for not trying to thwart us. The girls had a lot of fun picking out your gifts.” He was bent over her wrist, working the small clasp, until it finally locked shut. “There, how does that feel?”

“Jamie, it is absolutely stunning. These are big, beautiful diamonds. You spoiled me.” 

“I knew I had to get it for you the minute I saw it in the store window. And when the sales guy launched into his whole spiel about diamonds, I knew it was a done deal, because all of it made me think of you - even the clichéd parts.”

“Wait, I want to know what he said - even the clichéd parts,” she implored. 

Jamie chuckled. He held her wrist in his hand, gently thumbing over the bracelet and her soft skin as he recalled what the sales clerk had shared. “I’m paraphrasing, but his general gist was that diamonds are formed under immense pressure and heat, and the end product is a beautiful and unique gemstone, imbued with sparkle, clarity, and indomitable strength. It sounded like he was describing you.”

She smiled and shook her head. “You're such a romantic, Jamie.”

“How’s the fit?” He released her hand, and she dropped it to her side, admiring the bracelet on her wrist.

“Perfect. It sits right where you always kiss me.”

He smiled and raised her hand to his lips, nudging the bracelet away with his lips and tenderly kissing the soft skin on the inside of her wrist.

“I hope you always wear this bracelet - not just on special occasions. When things get tough, as they will, the diamonds will remind you of your inner strength and your ability to rise above any difficult situation you’re faced with.”

“Thank you my love. I love my bag and perfume, and I’m blown away by the bracelet,” she reached up and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

“Anytime,” he murmured against her lips. “Let’s go, my Sassenach, they’re waiting for us.”

“Okay. Let me just re-clasp my new bag - I can’t leave it lying here like this.”

She reached for the flap, and he pointed at the silver nameplate on the inside.

“That made for a slightly awkward moment in the store,” he grimaced sheepishly.

“The nameplate? Why?” she asked.

“Over-eager sales guy asked me whether I wanted to engrave it, and I had to brush him off. I mean, of course I want to engrave it, but I … uhh … I didn’t know what you wanted to engrave on it. Doctor? Professor? Full name … just initials? Beauchamp … Fraser … Beauchamp-Fraser?”

Turning slowly to look at him, she frowned slightly and then widened her eyes in shock. “James Fraser! Are you asking me-“

He swiftly and firmly clasped her face in his hands and swallowed her words in his kiss. She flinched, startled by the suddenness of his actions.

“I’m sorry, Claire, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry …” she trailed off into an awkward silence.

“Claire, I have every intention …” He paused and swallowed hard.

“Claire,” he began again, “I aim to do this once in my life, and when I do it, it has to be just right. Not here. Not in the kitchen.”

“Thank God for that, Fraser,” she said lightly, relief apparent in her voice. “I’m not sure how I would have felt about a kitchen … you know?”

He chuckled. "C’mere,” he pulled her towards him. “Kitchens do not feature in my plans.” He pressed sweet, gentle kisses on her lips. “God, I love you so much. Let’s go celebrate you.”

They climbed into the limo and settled into their seats.

“Thought you might have changed your mind about coming,” Mel said wryly.

Claire grimaced. “Sorry, we got caught up chatting."

“Nice lipstick, Jamie,” Ella observed, her eyes twinkling mischievously. 

Melissa snorted, and dug around in her purse for a tissue. Jamie rubbed his fingers over his lips and winked at Claire, wiping his hands on the tissue Melissa handed him.

“Let’s see the bracelet, Mom,” Beth couldn’t hide her excitement.

Claire extended her arm and the girls leaned forward for a closer look. “The diamonds twinkle so much. It’s beautiful, Mom.”

As the limo pulled out of the driveway, and gained speed, the girls became more and more giddy with excitement. Stretch limos always made for great social media posts, and they snapped endless selfies along the way. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The yurt was a safe and private dining space, and the Canlis team had set it up beautifully, with soft twinkling lights and a tall vase filled with multicolored gladiolus stems. 

“This is such a great idea,” Mel commented, as they settled into their seats. “They didn’t have this yurt village set up when Anton and I ate here.”

“We have a yurt village at the winery,” Claire said. “It’s way over on the far side of the property, overlooking the river. Thirty units total, right Jamie?”

“Mm-hmm. They’re a bit more affordable than the cliff-side rooms, and apparently very popular with the younger crowd, especially when there are concerts at the amphitheater.” 

“I can’t wait to explore the whole winery,” Melissa enthused.

“Armando, you and Tony should join us. We’re spending next weekend at the Grotto,” Claire said. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen Tony, and Jamie hasn’t even met him yet.”

The girls pleaded with him to cancel his appointments and make the effort to join them.

“C’mon ‘Mando. It’s over a week away - you can reschedule your appointments,” Beth urged.

“Yah - and there’s tons of free wine. It’ll be awesome for you and Tony,” Ella pointed out.

The adults laughed heartily at that.

“She’s not wrong, you know,” Jamie chuckled.

“I'll check with Tony and let you know when you come over for your shampoo and style tomorrow,” Armando smiled.

The meal was sublime - a tasting menu of the best that Canlis had to offer. Each diner selected their choice from the four courses offered, and every plate was not only a culinary delight, but a visual work of art too. The group relished the profusion of tastes and textures over an animated dinner conversation and plenty of laughter. 

Jamie and Claire sneaked little bites from each other’s plates and stole the occasional kiss, amid sighs of contentment from Armando and the twins, and approving smiles from Melissa, as they all took in the love fest across the table. 

Dessert arrived with the champagne and sparkling apple juice, and Jamie stood up to toast Claire, holding his champagne flute in one hand and her hand in the other. He nodded slightly at Ella and Beth, and they rose from their seats, holding up flutes of sparkling juice.

A hush descended over the table and Jamie looked at Claire. 

“To you, my beloved. You embody Voltaire’s reminder that the darkness is at its deepest before the sunrise. We honor your dignity and persistence and your belief that things would get better. We celebrate your past and future achievements, and we drink to the trails you will continue to blaze as the sun rises on your new beginning. To you, Professor Beauchamp. Our girls and I have never been prouder.”

They all raised their glasses and drank to Claire, clinking glasses around the table. She and Jamie tapped their glasses together, holding each other’s gaze, prompting Ella to raise her phone and capture a beautiful candid picture.

The dinner table chatter resumed as they enjoyed their dessert, and by the time they started to wrap up their evening at Canlis, the limo had already been waiting for twenty minutes. 

After dropping Armando off, the rest of the group headed home, a little more subdued, but delighted to have had a chance to celebrate an emotional and satisfying day.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The girls kissed everyone goodnight in the kitchen and headed up to bed. It had been an exhausting day for them, and they were ready to give in to the sleepiness that had started to set in during the drive home from Canlis.

“I’m heading to bed too,” Melissa announced. 

“We can drive to Fulton together tomorrow, Mel. Jamie is running errands almost all day with the girls, so I figured I’d go work on campus. I have so many people to meet with and so much to do there!”

“Don’t forget that I’m staying downtown with Anton tomorrow night,” Melisa reminded her. “I’ll be back Thursday morning, and we can spend the day planning for the Trustee meeting on Friday.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you at breakfast."

  
  
Jamie helped Claire lock up and followed her upstairs and into their walk-in closet. He unzipped her dress and helped her slip it off. 

“You looked gorgeous tonight, Claire.”

“Thank you, my love. You looked pretty dapper yourself.”

She looked at him in the mirror and raised an eyebrow suggestively.

He smiled and turned her around to face him, cradling her face and kissing her tenderly. Their lips eventually parted, and Claire nestled her face into his neck.

“What an amazing day this has been, mo chridhe. How are you feeling about it all?”

“I still can’t quite believe it,” she said, her mouth gentle against his neck. “But I’m feeling really good about everything, Jamie.” She pulled back and looked into his eyes solemnly. “I was so worried that when they finally did promote me, it would feel like a consolation prize. But being appointed Vice Dean hot on the heels of the professorship took all those worries away.”

“Hmmh,” he grunted. “It’s no consolation prize, Claire. It’s a recognition - at the highest level - of what you have already achieved, and an acknowledgement of how you will continue to enrich the academic landscape at Fulton as Dean in just a few years. Have I told you how proud I am of you?”

“A thousand times, I think.”

“And I’ll tell you a thousand more.” 

She smiled at his enthusiasm. “Will you help me take my bracelet off, please?” She held her wrist up and he opened the clasp with little fuss, and placed the bracelet in her jewelry armoire.

“I love my bracelet, Jamie. It feels so good on my wrist.”

“I meant it when I said I’d love to see you wear it often. Not just for special occasions.”

“Oh, I will, Jamie. It’s too beautiful to be kept in an armoire all the time. Thank you my love. You made a special day magical. Not just with the bracelet - you made it amazing in so many ways.”

He leaned in to kiss her and his hands slid up to her bra. His thumbs brushed gently over the lace, and he felt her nipples harden under his touch. 

Their eyes locked and he reached around her back and unclasped her bra, sliding the straps off her shoulders. Pressing a trail of kisses along the light indents the straps left on her shoulders, he allowed the bra to slide off. He cupped her breasts and she reached up and unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders and down his arms. She ran her hands lightly across the contours of his chest and abdomen, sensing the slight ripples as his muscles reacted involuntarily to her touch.

Gazing into his eyes, she reached for his belt and deftly unbuckled it. She unbuttoned his charcoal pants and carefully drew the zipper down, feeling the beginnings of his arousal beneath her hands. Slowly pushing his pants and boxer briefs past his hips and down his legs, she waited for him to step out of the pants and push them aside.

He drew her into his embrace and kissed her tenderly, their tongues exploring tantalizingly gently. They dropped slow, soft kisses on each other’s lips and nibbled gently and sensually, chests and hips and groins pressed against each other, evoking reactions that they could feel and sense and smell. 

“Claire,” he breathed, “I want to make love to you slowly and gently tonight. I want to pleasure every part of you and I want to look into your eyes.” 

“Yes,” she whispered, “yes … I want slow, gentle Jamie tonight.”

He slid his hands down to her hips, hooking his thumbs into the fabric of her underwear. Kissing her softly, he eased her thong off until it slipped down her long legs to her feet, and she nudged them out of the way.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he reached below her butt and lifted her so that she could hook her legs around his hips. He carried her to the bedroom and lay her gently on the bed before locking the door. 

Completely disregarding the lateness of the hour, they immersed themselves in each other and in the timeless indulgence of making sweet, gentle love for what seemed like an eternity. Their bodies moved together in perfect synchrony and the only sounds were their quiet gasps and breathless pants and whispered declarations of enduring love and devotion. They explored each other slowly and tenderly, pleasuring each other with their lips and tongues, and re-discovering sensitive zones with gentle, searching fingertips. 

They peaked within seconds of each other, engulfed by waves of unimaginable ecstasy and release that left them trembling and breathing open-mouthed into each other’s necks. 

Holding each other as their breathing slowed and settled into their familiar pattern, they whispered endless ‘I-love-yous’ and tender words of adoration.

In the tranquil afterglow, he smoothed her curls away from her face and kissed her lips gently as his fingers traced the hollows of her collarbone. His hand slid gently across her shoulder and stopped as his thumb brushed the tiny scar of her Nex implant on the inside of her upper arm. He feathered his thumb lightly over the scar and pressed ever-so-gently into the flesh of her arm, feeling the matchstick-like shape of the implant under her skin.

“Does it hurt when I do that?” he whispered, concern clouding his features.

“No, not at all,” she smiled gently.

He propped himself up slightly on one arm and looked into her eyes, his expression serious.

“How long does it take for your cycle to go back to normal after you remove the Nex?” he asked quietly.

“It’s supposed to be pretty quick. But this is the first time I’ve had a Nex, so I’m not sure how my body will respond. I would imagine a few months at the most.”

“When do you think you’ll be ready to remove it?”

“I don’t know, my love. I think that’s an ‘us’ decision, not just a ‘me’ decision. Do you … do you want us to remove it?”

“I think we should start thinking about it, mo ghràidh.”

  
  


His hand continued to slide down her arm and their fingers met and interlaced instinctively. They looked at each other in silence for a long moment. It was a look heavy with love and tenderness and possibility. A moment when they both acknowledged that their future was as inextricably linked as their fingers. 

He moved towards her slowly and captured her mouth in a deep and tender kiss. 

“I love you,” they whispered in unison.

Their eyes remained locked on each other until they floated gently into a blissful sleep.

  
  
  


* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***

  
  



	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** This chapter could trigger feelings of grief and sorrow for readers who are fighting a battle against terminal illness; and for readers who have lost loved ones to terminal illness, particularly if your loved one left behind letters or videos. ***

* * *

Jamie untangled his limbs from Claire’s and dropped a light kiss on her shoulder. It was 4:40 a.m. - a little earlier than he had wanted to wake up, but he had a lot on his to-do list and a lot on his mind, and his restlessness precluded any further sleep.

It was still dark when he returned from his 4-mile run, and he crept back into the bedroom, careful not to disturb Claire. Twilight would set in soon and the sun would awaken their corner of the world within the hour. He paused and took in the soft sounds of Claire’s slow, steady breathing. She had a busy day ahead of her too and would undoubtedly welcome every precious minute of sleep that she could get.

Jamie showered quickly and dressed in jeans and a grey Henley shirt. Moving quietly through the bedroom, he pondered their breakfast options and weighed up what he could get started to help ease the morning rush.

“Good morning, my love.”

He stopped mid-stride at the sound of Claire’s sleepy voice. “Dammit! I’m sorry, Claire, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“C’mere.”

He smiled in the soft light of the room and moved towards the bed. Placing his hands on her pillow, he leaned down and kissed her tenderly all the way down her nose, skipping her mouth, and continuing down her chin and neck and along her collarbone. He nibbled his way across the hollows and gently nipped and kissed his way back up her neck towards her ear.

A smile crept across her lips. Her eyes were still closed, and she whispered, “Did you forget something?”

“No, I was saving the best for last,” he said, as he made his way to her lips. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily.

“You’re all fresh and toothpastey. Sorry about my morning breath.”

“I’ll take your morning breath any day if it means I can wake you up like this.”

She stretched and writhed under him. “You smell so good,” she said softly.

His nose nuzzled the sensitive spot behind her ear. “So do you. I can still smell the softest hint of your Chanel.” 

He moved slowly down her neck and brushed his lips gently over her nipple, stopping between her breasts, where he inhaled deeply. 

“Mmmmm,” he hummed gently, the vibrations of his deep voice evoking a tantalizing little flutter in her belly. “Smells even better here.”

He nibbled his way back to her neck, tantalizing her with his scruff on her skin, and kissed her pulse point gently. 

“You always wake me up in the most delightful ways,” she sighed, sliding her hands across his back and feeling his muscles ripple under the soft fabric of his shirt. 

He kissed her lips again. “I could say the same for you. I seem to recall waking up with these wild curls between my legs several times in the past couple of months.” He toyed gently with one of her ringlets. “You have a busy day ahead, my love. I’m going to head downstairs. What do you want me to get started for breakfast?”

“Wait,” she clasped his forearm. “Jamie … I’m going to come downstairs with you. I can’t stop thinking about your mother’s letter and how important it is to you.”

He nuzzled her neck again, and she felt him nod before he raised his head and looked at her. “If you think you’re ready to sit and read it with me, we can do that, mo ghràidh. It’ll be a while before Mel and the girls wake up. Now is probably a good time.”

She needed a few minutes in the bathroom, and he texted Murtagh while he waited, checking in on what was happening with Julio and Alma and a few other winery projects they were working on. Murtagh was an early riser too, and he responded immediately. 

Before ending their text exchange Murtagh had one more question for Jamie.

**I want to congratulate Claire personally, is now a good time to call? Is she awake?**

**_She’s awake, but next few hours are too busy. Maybe call her mid-morning - she’d love to hear from u_ **

Claire emerged from the bathroom in sweatpants and a light sweater.

Jamie slid his phone in his pocket. “Murtagh’s going to call you later. Julio and Alma start officially on Monday,” he beamed, as they walked downstairs together, speaking quietly so as not to disturb the rest of the household.

“Oh, that is wonderful news. Thank you for facilitating that whole deal. I’m excited to see them - they'll be there for our winery weekend, right?”

“Yes. It’ll be good to see them. They’ll be so happy for you, Claire.”

She smiled softly and powered up the latte machine. She had left her phone on her nightstand so that nothing distracted her from giving Jamie her full attention and focus as he went through the heart wrenching process of rereading his mother’s letter.

While the latte machine warmed up, she looked out the window into the slowly awakening morning.

Jamie pulled a bag of frozen croissants from the freezer, tossed them on the counter, and moved to stand behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck softly. “Looks like another beautiful day. Look at that sky.”

Soft pink streaks were becoming visible in the sky as the twilight gave way to the early dawn light.

“Do you want to sit on our sunrise sofa while we read your mother’s letter?”

“Sure,” he replied. “I’ll bring the letter and a blanket.”

Claire pulled a few tissues from the Kleenex box on the counter and stuffed them into the pocket of her sweats. She picked up the coffee mugs, slid her feet into Ella's Birkenstocks, which she’d abandoned near the patio door, and followed Jamie outside.

The air was brisk and cool and she tucked herself into his body, snuggling under the blanket as they sipped their lattes while the morning light grew gradually brighter around them.

They sat in silence for a while, and eventually Jamie spoke. “I think it’s light enough for us to read the letter now.”

He gently tipped her head up to search her eyes. She gazed steadily back at him.

“Your eyes look sad, my love. It hurts my heart.” She leaned in and he closed his eyes as she kissed his eyelids gently.

“I couldn’t do this without you,” he said softly.

He drew his arm from around her and leaned forward to retrieve the envelope from the table, settling back into the sofa, a somber expression on his face. Opening the envelope carefully, he removed a folded sheet of white linen paper, unfolded it, and held it in one hand. Claire reached for his other hand and interlaced her fingers with his.

He held the letter between them so that they could read it together. The script was small and feminine, with curved tails on the g’s and y’s, and neatly-formed o’s and a’s.

They read it silently, their physical closeness enhancing their emotional connectedness and bringing a measure of comfort. 

> _My beloved Jamie,_
> 
> _Dear wee boy, my heart is in pieces right now as I write my last letter to you. I’m unable to stop my tears as I write this, so I’m sorry if my thoughts seem disjointed and my writing becomes illegible in places._
> 
> _The time has come for me to say my goodbyes to you and Jenny and Da. I won’t be here to watch you grow into the extraordinary man I know you will become, so I wanted to take some time to write down a few thoughts that you can keep coming back to in the years ahead. I need to leave this little piece of myself so that you know I am still with you - that I am always with you._
> 
> _My darling boy, after Willie passed, I promised you that we would all stay together as a family, and that nothing would break us. But I was wrong. I’m so sorry, Jamie. I’m sorry that I’m leaving you and I’m sorry that I’m bringing renewed sadness to our family._
> 
> _I’ve fought hard to beat this illness, and there is nothing I want more than to survive and be here for you. My heart and soul are not ready to leave you. I desperately want to stay, but my body is tired and sore and it can’t heal any more._
> 
> _I know that you will miss me and that the pain of losing me so soon after Willie will hit all of you hard. Your Da and Jenny will feel it as much as you will, and I’m asking you all to be there for each other. Be kind to Jenny. Help and support her. I know she can be a bossy-boots, but one day she will be your biggest supporter and closest ally. Love her and protect her and help her. Listen to your Da, and learn from him. He has been my everything for many years now. You are so very like him. Draw strength from him, and let him draw strength from you. If it all becomes too much for Da, your Aunt Jocasta and Uncles Colum and Dougal will help all of you. Your godfather, Murtagh, will be around to help Da too. I have asked them all to take an active role in your upbringing because they are good people, my people, with your best interests at heart. Lean on them whenever you need their support._
> 
> _When you were a wee boy, Jamie, I always corrected your grammar, but the one thing I refused to correct was your signature phrase, which you always said with a little lisp: “my most favoritest”. I want to share my favorites with you here because I want your memories of me to be happy ones. I want you to dwell on how much joy all of my favorite things brought me. You can re-read this letter and remind yourself of them if ever your thoughts of me start to drift towards sad or painful places._
> 
> _My favorite color is the blue of your eyes, my favorite food is chicken parmigiana, and my favorite flowers are the wildflowers and lilies and gladioli that you pick for me from our gardens here at Lallybroch. My favorite perfume is Chanel Nº 5, which you called ‘channel 5’ when you were a wee boy. My favorite place to visit is Paris. My favorite song is “Killing me Softly”, by Roberta Flack. I know you’ve seen Da and me dance to that many a time. Your Da dedicates so many wonderful songs to me, and I tell him that sometimes the words are so deep and meaningful, that his musical poetry is ‘killing me softly’. But truthfully, I love his song choices and his musical poetry means so much to me. My favorite lazy afternoon pastime is reading to you and Jenny. Over the years, we’ve progressed from Goodnight Moon to Enid Blyton to The Hardy Boys, and now we are exploring the poetry of Rabbie Burns. It makes me so happy that you both appreciate the literary arts. My favorite way to start my day is watching the sun rise over the hills and Munros. As a wee boy, you would sometimes come and stand beside me and slip your hand in mine as I stood at the kitchen door, sipping my tea and waiting for the sun to appear. My favorite way to end my day is counting the stars with you. We are blessed here at Lallybroch - our stars shine brighter than anywhere else in the whole wide world. You always tell me that the biggest and brightest star in the sky is Willie. Soon, you'll have two big, bright stars to look for, Jamie, and I hope they continue to bring you comfort.  
> _
> 
> _But above all of these, my ‘most favoritest' thing in the world is being your Mam. You are my last born and my baby. You have been a blessing to me all your life, and it hurts so much to know that I won’t be here for you as you go through your teens, or when you graduate, or when you go off to university._
> 
> _When you are faced with the challenges and temptations that all students face, I urge you to persevere and forge ahead. Furthering your education is so important. It will be worth it, Jamie. I know that whatever you do with your life, you will be successful. You are so sensitive and spirited and confident and talented, and I believe you will be drawn to a creative career, perhaps in the literary or performing arts. Maybe you’ll become a poet, or a writer, or an actor. Whatever direction your life takes you, put your heart and soul into what you are doing. Give your best every day._
> 
> _My sweet, beautiful boy, what makes my heart the heaviest, by far, is that I won’t be here when you get married and become a father. I know you will be an incredible husband and Da. You have always been so loving and considerate and caring, and you will make a lucky woman so very happy someday. You’ve already got an eye for the lasses, and they for you. Always treat a girl with the respect and care you’d expect your sister’s suitors to show towards her._
> 
> _Trust your Da when he tells you that ‘you will just know’ when you’ve met the right woman for you. Your Da and I just knew. You will know when you’ve met the one who will make you whole._
> 
> _She will be the other half of your heart and soul, and you will realize that your being together is completely beyond your control, because it will be written in the stars. The sun will rise in her eyes for you, and she will be the first thing you think about in the morning, and the last thing you think about at night. You will know when you’ve found your forever love, my sweet Jamie, and you must nurture and cherish and protect that love always. Don’t ever be afraid to express your feelings. Finding that love will take the edge off any pain and any challenge that life throws at you._
> 
> _When you find your forever love, hold onto her and don’t let her go. Be kind to her, be helpful and supportive, say sorry when you know you should. Forgive and forget. Watch sunrises and sunsets with her, dance in the rain with her, hug her, read poetry to her. Pick wildflowers for her. Laugh with her. Cry with her. Lean on her and let her lean on you. Hold her hand - especially when things are tough. That physical connection will help close any emotional distance._
> 
> _Know her favorite flowers and her favorite perfume. Spoil her with diamonds and pearls if you can, but make them mean something special. Most of all spoil her with infinite acts of love. Show her in small ways - put the toilet seat down, run her a bath, bring her tea or coffee in the morning. Love her endlessly. Love her until your heart hurts. Tell her every day how much you love her. And should you be blessed with children, tell them every day how much you love them._
> 
> _Every day that goes by that you don’t declare your love openly and honestly, is a day wasted. Don’t waste your days, my son. We’re given a limited number of days on this earth and I urge you to live them fully and live them well. Fill them with love._
> 
> _I will be gone soon, my sweet Jamie, but I will always be in your heart, just as you will always be in mine._
> 
> _I love you, always and forever._
> 
> _Mam xxx_

Their tears had spilled over from the first line and continued streaming down their faces until well after they had read the last line. Jamie slowly folded the letter and returned it to the envelope. Claire slid her arms around him and held him tight, her tears falling on his shirt, leaving dark, damp patches. His arms wrapped around her and she felt his shoulders shake gently as he gave in to the fresh waves of grief that the letter had brought to the fore.

Neither of them spoke. Words were entirely unnecessary as they quietly absorbed the impact of Ellen’s words. They would eventually talk about some of the phrases and sentences and coincidences they’d read in her letter. But now was not the time. Now was the time for Claire to hold him and comfort him and love him. Now was the time for her to take the edge off the pain he was feeling as he relived the devastating loss of an adoring and adored mother.

When his quiet sobs abated, Claire reached into her pocket for the tissues and wiped the tears that clung to his lashes and left wet tracks down his cheeks. He took the tissue from her gratefully and wiped his nose.

“Thank you, my beloved. It hurts so much more reading it now than it did at eighteen.” They shifted a little to face each other and he took her face in his hands, resting his forehead on hers. He closed his eyes and brushed his nose gently over hers. “I didn’t have the life experience at that age to understand the depths of emotion that my Mam writes about here. I hadn’t experienced that kind of love yet. But I get it now, Claire. I get it now.” 

He pressed a gentle, lingering kiss on her lips.

“I’m so sorry, Jamie,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry that you lost her at such a young age.”

“We both lost too much, too young.”

“I was so young when my parents died. My memories of them sometimes feel ephemeral and hard to hold on to. When I think of my childhood, I go straight to my adventures with Lamb. You had built an entire childhood worth of family memories and traditions and special moments. As devastating as my loss was, I feel the intensity of your pain with you right now, Jamie, and my heart hurts so much.”

He tightened his hold on her, unable to speak.

“We have each other now, Jamie,” she said softly.

“Aye, we do.”

They sat there, cheeks pressed together until the sun shone directly onto their faces, making them both flinch reflexively. Jamie stood up and helped Claire to her feet, turning her away from the sun to protect her from the blinding brightness.

“We missed the sunrise,” he said regretfully.

“It's okay, we have so many ahead of us. This was so much more important.”

They walked back to the kitchen, and once inside, he returned the letter to the rest of the mementos that Jenny had sent, and re-joined Claire in the kitchen. 

“Your eyes are a wee bit puffy, my love” He kissed her eyelids tenderly, holding her gently in his embrace.

“Once I’ve showered and put on my makeup, it’ll look a lot better.”

“Thank you, Claire. Thank you for doing this with me.”

She acknowledged his thanks with a kiss, and they swayed gently in each other’s arms until they heard the faint sounds of running water upstairs.

“Melissa’s in the shower,” Claire smiled.

"You should go get ready, Claire. I’ll get breakfast started. Big day for you today, Professor. I’ll grab the newspaper from the driveway and we can look at it over breakfast.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Melissa, Claire, and Jamie were finishing off their croissants and poring over the Seattle Times education section when the girls made their way into the kitchen, looking somewhat bleary-eyed.

“Ooooh, look at you, Professor Beauchamp,” Beth cooed at Claire. “I love that light grey pantsuit, Mom. Is it new?”

“Nope. I’m wearing a bright blue blouse with it today. I usually wear white or dark grey with it, but this color reminds me of Jamie’s eyes.”

He looked at her in mild surprise and smiled, winking his two-eyed wink.

“You’re wearing your bracelet, Mom. Mama gotta flex that ice!”

Claire pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in mock despair. “Oh, Ella, you sound like some of my students,” Claire laughed. “But yes, Mama gonna flex this ice at every opportunity.”

Jamie chortled, shaking his head. “Very professorial of you, madam Vice Dean.”

“It looks awesome! You look like you’re ready to crush it at Fulton, Mom,” Beth declared. “Are you in the paper?”

The girls peered over Claire's shoulder at the newspaper that was spread in front of them. A UW press release was prominently featured on the education page of the Seattle Times.

Ella read the headline aloud. _“Prof. Claire Beauchamp to Spearhead New Degree at Fulton Business School.”_

UW Media had provided a candid picture of Claire interacting with a group of students in one of Fulton’s lecture halls, in addition to a profile picture of Claire.

Beth read the subheadline. _“Beauchamp has also been appointed Vice Dean at Fulton Business School as she gets ready to launch her brainchild, the Master of Science in Business Communications, for the 2022-2023 academic year. The new degree makes Fulton one of the few American institutions offering business students a choice between administrative or communication skills at Masters degree level.”_

“That sounds so impressive, Mom. And you also have a new head-shot. I love it!”

“Thanks, Beth. Yes, they took new faculty headshots in late July.”

“I want to read the whole thing when you're done,” Beth said. “Is it a good article?”

“It is, leannan,” Jamie replied. “They acknowledged that your Mam has worked on developing the Master of Science in Business Communications for a couple of years now. They also mentioned your Mam’s research and her projects with Microsoft, Amazon, and the other big companies she’s worked with, and how those programs will be rolled into the MS Business Comms.”

He smiled proudly at Claire, and she reached over and squeezed his hand.

“Your Mam has finally-” Jamie paused as Claire’s phone buzzed twice in quick succession, “got the recognition she deserved. And there goes yer phone Claire. You know it’s going to be buzzing and ringing all day with congratulatory messages.” He grinned at her, and she grimaced.

“I’ll drive this morning, Claire,” Melissa offered. “That way you can start dealing with all the texts and phone calls that are about to inundate you.”

Claire smiled gratefully and picked up her new Chanel laptop bag from the kitchen desk. She kissed each of the girls on the forehead.

“You girls have a super busy day ahead. Let Jamie know if you get tired. Love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

She turned to Jamie, reaching into her bag, “Jamie, here’s my checkbook. I’ve signed a couple of blank checks for you to use if you find the right Model 3 for the girls.”

He hesitated, but decided he didn’t want to get into a back and forth about money this early in the day. He took it from her, and she reached up to kiss him.

“I love you, Jamie. See you tonight.”

He held her hand briefly and kissed her back. “I love you too. Good luck today.”

She started to walk out of the kitchen, but Jamie was still holding her hand, and he tugged her back gently. “One more kiss …” he said softly, and planted a last sweet kiss on her lips and one on her wrist before releasing her hand.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Okay, leannans, we have a busy day! As soon as you’re ready, we’ll get going. Don’t forget your face-masks.”

His phone buzzed and he tapped his lockscreen. It was a text from Luke Beyer.

**Can we Zoom earlier than originally planned? Meeting was pushed to 7 this morning bc of Ayesha’s travel. I have a long list of action items but should be ready to report back to you by 2:30**

**_Sure. Pls send link. TTYL_ **

He calculated that his Zoom would coincide with the girls’ hair appointment, so he called Armando. After a quick exchange of greetings, and Armando’s expressions of excitement over the Seattle Times article, Jamie got straight to the point. 

“I have an important Zoom right around the time the girls will be having their hair washed. Do you have a room or office in the back of the salon where I can Zoom in private? If not, I can do it in the car.”

“Oh, sure. You can use our break room. There are tables, chairs, there’s a Keurig - you can make yourself at home. I’ll let the team know not to disturb you while you’re in there.”

“Fantastic! Thank you - we’ll see you this afternoon.”

Jamie grabbed his laptop and charger from the desk in the study and slid them into his backpack. He reached into one of the drawers, retrieved the small padded envelope and zipped it securely into one of the smaller pockets of the backpack. 

Meanwhile, the girls demolished their cereal and ran upstairs to shower and dress. They helped each other work around their injuries and by 9:30, they were ready to start a busy day of errands with Jamie.

They climbed into Claire’s SUV, Ella taking the front passenger seat, while Beth sat in the back. Jamie slid his backpack onto the floor at Ella’s feet and then programmed the GPS with a few locations.

They set off, and as he merged onto the I90, he gave the girls a quick run-down on the list of errands they needed to run.

The car’s GPS led them to one of the Bellevue exits and brought them to a Ford dealership. After speaking with a sales assistant for a while, Jamie asked the girls to follow him, and they all piled into the latest model Ford F150 double cab. Jamie took the pick-up for a twenty minute test drive on the interstate and an additional few minutes on a more rugged dirt road that the sales assistant directed him to. Along the way, he answered all of Jamie’s questions and outlined the available extras and upgrades for that model.

They drove away from the dealership about a half hour later with the purchase transaction successfully concluded. Jamie had asked the girls for their opinions on everything from which color to get, to the accessories, to the car stereo upgrade. He negotiated hard, and the sales guy threw in heated seats and a heated steering wheel, as well as a host of safety upgrades, including blind-spot monitoring. The truck would be delivered to the house on Friday.

“Tesla next,” Jamie announced. “Let’s hope they have something you both like.”

The Tesla dealership was at the Bellevue Mall, and like everything else with Tesla, the whole process was somewhat different to buying a regular car.

“We don’t have a big lot with pre-owned cars that you can look at and test-drive,” explained the sales assistant. Claire had already explained the procedure to Jamie - she had been through it when she purchased their first Tesla. Nonetheless, Jamie indulged the sales assistant as he described the process. “All our pre-owned inventory is in a national online database. I can sit at a computer with you and we can enter all your requirements and see what comes up. Regardless of where your final choice is located, we’ll deliver, and the turnaround is usually about a week.”

They spent almost an hour in front of a large, wall-mounted screen in a small meeting room. Jamie and the girls were seated about six feet apart from the sales assistant, who tapped away, entering data into his laptop, as they perused it on the large screen.

After rejecting multiple options for a host of reasons, they narrowed it down to two choices. The girls were overjoyed about finding a replacement so quickly, and opted for a different color to the white one they had lost. 

“These two have all the same upgrades that ours had,” Ella said enthusiastically. 

“They also have all-wheel drive, which your old one didn’t,” Jamie pointed out.

“Right! And we love this color,” Beth added.

Jamie texted a summary of both to Claire, and she called him back almost immediately.

“They both seem like really good options. I would probably lean towards the one with lower mileage. Eight thousand miles is a significant number in a relatively new car.”

“That’s what I was thinking too. It’s also the deep ‘Tesla red’ that they both decided they want now. I’m going to go ahead and confirm, or we risk losing this car.”

“Yes, please do that, Jamie. Thank you, my love, this is such a load off my mind.”

“Of course, mo chridhe.”

While the sales assistant was completing the paperwork for the Model 3, Ella and Beth shared one of the sofas along the wall and FaceTimed with Deacon. He was spending time with his mom, who was visiting from Idaho, and he and Beth were planning on reconnecting over the weekend.

Having finalized the Model 3 transaction to his and Claire’s satisfaction, Jamie wandered around the showroom and gravitated towards the Tesla Model X SUV. He climbed into the driver’s seat and tapped the large screen, going through all the features and functions that interested him. He played with the falcon wing doors for a while, fascinated by the mechanism, and grinning impishly at the girls, who grinned back, shaking their heads at his exuberance.

The sales assistant hastened over to Jamie and returned his Amex card and the completed paperwork. Before Jamie could even thank him, the sales assistant had already launched into an explanation of all the features and benefits of the Model X.

“I’m pretty familiar with Teslas, but not the Model X. Can you show me the safety ratings, please?”

Ella glanced up from her phone and narrowed her eyes slightly, before continuing to swipe through TikToks with Beth.

“The Model X enjoys the same stellar safety ratings as other Tesla models, but it’s also the first SUV to achieve 5-star crash ratings in every category of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's history,” the sales assistant announced grandly.

“Mm-hmm. Do you have videos or the actual report that I can look at?”

The sales assistant almost ran into an office at the rear of the showroom, and speed-walked back with several brochures. He sat in the passenger seat of the Model X and tapped on the car's large display screen, pulling up the browser and entering the url and password he needed to pull up a menu of options. He selected one that showcased the crash test results, all the while explaining the specifics of the testing methods and how the results compared with other SUVs in its class.

Jamie watched closely, and then climbed out of the showroom model, and walked around the car, admiring the gleaming bodywork. He opened the trunk to inspect its unexpectedly large capacity, and tested the third row seat’s folding capabilities.

Ella looked up again, and muttered under her breath, “Here we go in three … two … one.”

“What are you talking about?” Beth asked.

“I bet Jamie’s about to call Mom and sweet-talk her into letting him buy her the Model X.”

Jamie reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone and tapped a few times.

“Sorry to call again, Claire. This won’t take long. How attached are you to your SUV?”

“What do you mean? It’s just a car. I mean, it’s a bit bigger than I would normally like, and I’d prefer that it was more enviro-friendly, but it's a good, solid vehicle.”

“Have you ever considered the Model X?”

“The Tesla SUV? Not really. It’s a great looking car, but I haven’t considered it for myself.”

“It has a very impressive safety rating, Claire. Best in its class. Will you let me order one for you?”

“What? No! They are horribly expensive, Jamie! Didn’t you just buy a truck?”

_Oh my God, he’s like a kid in a candy store!_

“Yes, but that's a practical utility vehicle that we’ll use for carting horse stuff and things around our property. I got the double cab, but I’m not seeing it as our primary family car. I really like the safety rating of the Model X, and it’s spacious enough for baby seats and teens and traveling to the winery and back with lots of luggage and strollers and nappy bags-”

“Diaper bags,” she smiled. “Jamie-”

“Will you at least come take a look at the Model X with me? Just take a look at it with me, Claire. Please?”

She sighed lightly and shook her head. “If you promise me you’ll keep your wallet closed for now, I promise I'll take a look at it with you.”

Jamie finalized the delivery details for the girls’ new Tesla, and they left the showroom. “Thank you for your help, girls. It’s past 1:00 p.m. Let’s grab some lunch, and then it’ll be time to head to Armando’s for your hair. Where do you want to eat?”

“Can we go to Shake Shack?” Ella asked. “It’s near Armando, so we can get to our hair appointment right after lunch.”

“There’ll be a line,” Beth pointed out.

“Let’s try,” Jamie suggested.

As it turns out, the wait was relatively short, and they were seated within twenty minutes. Jamie cut Ella’s burger in half so that it was easily manageable with one hand, and they tucked into their burgers with gusto.

“Have you heard from mom, Jamie? I wonder how her day’s going? First official day as Professor Beauchamp,” Beth grinned.

“I spoke to her from the Tesla dealership. She sounded busy, but in good spirits. I’ll send her a text and check in again while you’re getting your hair done.”

“Will life be a lot more stressful for her with her new roles, Jamie? Will it be harder to balance everything?” Ella asked, brows furrowed together in an outward sign of her concern.

“It’ll be a lot more work initially,” Jamie replied with his customary honesty, “because she’s tweaking the degree plan - finessing the curriculum, fine-tuning electives, appointing lecturers, working with the State Board of Education, that sort of thing. But she also has a really good team around her at work - and at home,” he smiled. “Your support means everything to her, you know that, right?” They nodded as they ate. “Remember too that she’s not teaching now. They’ve pulled a professor out of retirement to teach the 4th years, so she won’t have all those classes to prepare, and papers to grade, and research studies to manage. Her time will be spent on the MS Business Comms and learning the ropes from Joe. So I don’t think it will be more stressful, necessarily. Once she gets into her stride with her teams and a good assistant, it will be easier to find that balance. And, of course, as we continue to build a family life together, I’m more committed than ever to ensuring that I share equally in our family responsibilities.”

The girls nodded again, satisfied with his explanation, and they continued chatting easily, like they always did. 

Jamie asked where Deacon had been the last couple of days, and Beth reminded him that his mother was in town, and they were spending time together.

“Deacon wants to do his remote schooling from here, but he was kinda worried about asking his mom. His school year is also starting out in all-remote mode, so he doesn't _have_ to be in Idaho to take his classes.”

“That works out conveniently for you,” Jamie teased. “What did his mom say?”

“She’s okay with it. In fact she brought all his textbooks and things over - all the stuff he’ll need for classes. Our schools start on the same day actually. The day after Labor Day.”

“Our stables are close to completion, leannan, so he won’t be here for that much longer,” he pointed out gently.

A small frown crossed Beth’s brow. “I know,” she said pensively. “But they’ll move to the winery next, and that’s a three-month build, right?”

“Probably - maybe a little more. The winery stables are a lot bigger than what we have at our new house.”

“So he’ll be just a couple of hours away, rather than a whole nine hours in Idaho. Maybe we’ll spend some more weekends up there?” she suggested hopefully.

“I’m up for that,” Ella said. “The winery is going to be like a second home to us. We should spend more time there. You’ll want to be there more once Superman is done filming, right, Jamie?’

“That’s the plan. However, as you know, things can get a little crazy - the whole world has changed since the pandemic first hit us, and we never know where the next curveball is coming from. Our own circumstances will change too, as our family grows. We just need to be flexible and accommodating and work through things as a family.”

The girls nodded earnestly, but both felt that little jolt of happiness anytime Jamie or Clare mentioned babies.

Their discussion turned to frozen custard dessert options as they hastened to finish their lunch in time for the appointment with Armando.  
  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Armando and Jamie chatted for a few minutes before Armando led him to the break room at the back of the large, plush salon. By Jamie's estimation, there were at least 8 other stylists and four or five apprentices working at their stations. Armando’s apprentice was starting to shampoo Ella, and Armando refused to allow anyone else near Beth. 

He pushed open the door to the break room. “Get comfortable and take your time. Here's the wifi password, so you don’t have to hotspot off your phone.” He wrote the password on a sticky note and handed it to Jamie.

“Thanks, Armando. I’ll come out and join you and the girls as soon as I’m done.”

Jamie sat at a small table in the corner of the room. He plugged in his charger and connected his laptop to the wifi. Luke Beyer started the meeting a few minutes late at 2:37, and Tara and Jamie waited somewhat anxiously in the Zoom waiting room. Finally, Luke, Yoonah Cho, and Astaire appeared, looking frazzled and stressed. All three wore face-masks and sat a few seats apart from each other at the conference table. They exchanged friendly greetings and Luke apologized right away.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Boy, what a day! I’ve asked Yoonah and Astaire to join me because they’ve been helping me work on stuff all day.”

Jamie frowned apprehensively. “Did DC/Panther give you a lot of push-back over the Superman-Vancouver proposal?” he asked.

Tara held her breath, hoping that this was not going to be a flat-out rejection of Jamie’s hopes for the next three months.

“No, not at all,” Luke replied. “In fact, that was the easiest part of the day, apart from one or two small snags. We moved the meeting up to early morning because Ayesha is headed to Seattle for meetings, as it turns out. She’s looking at acquiring movie rights to a massive gaming franchise. She’s talking to Microsoft and X-Box execs, and she mentioned a couple of other meetings that she didn’t elaborate on. Anyway, as we started to wrap up the meeting, we learned we had a confirmed Covid case in Studio B, so we’ve had a crazy day. We had to shut down production on the rom-com we’re shooting there. Fourteen days, dammit! Everyone involved is in isolation. And other parts of the Panther complex will have to quarantine and isolate too. A sanitization team is coming in to clean the entire place. Yoonah and her team and Astaire are helping me manage a list of tasks and action items for Superman and Vancouver, so that I can deal with that and the Covid issue at the same time.”

“Oh, God,” Jamie groaned. “Sorry to hear that. I’m sure that’s a hell of a situation to handle with all the protocols you have in place and all the state regulations.”

“It’s a nightmare for the rom-com and for all of us on the Panther complex, but it’s a positive for Superman,” Luke replied. 

“Tell us more,” Tara urged.

“To be honest, the Canadians have done a much better job with pandemic risk management at Hollywood North than we’ve done in real Hollywood. And our Covid case here highlighted our own deficiencies and makes Vancouver look a whole lot more attractive. Hollywood North has production bubbles, on-site rapid-testing, and most of their studios are carefully tracking employees, contractors and cast members through a contact app, so they get immediate alerts if someone has been in close contact with a confirmed Covid case. They haven’t had to halt production on any of their projects since the start of the pandemic.”

“That's impressive,” Tara commented. “It makes me feel good knowing that Jamie - and the whole Superman team - would be safer out there. I know it’s been a stressful day, Luke, but were you able to make a final decision?”

“Yes. Basically, the whole team agreed that we should establish the principal unit in Vancouver - that’s where all the action scenes will be shot. Studio E will become the secondary unit. It’s just the logistics now. Trucking some of the sets and equipment across to Vancouver, and that type of thing. It won’t take long to pull those plans together, though.”

_Fuck, yeah! God, what a relief. Claire will be elated!_

Jamie kept his outward reaction calm and measured so they could cover all the details as quickly as possible. “How about Maggie? I still hate to think I’m inconveniencing her.”

“She’s okay with it,” Yoonah replied. “I Zoomed with her myself to share all of this with her. The studio that Luke secured, Pacific Productions, is the biggest and most successful of the Vancouver studios. It’s also the one with the ready-to-go aerial technology and a mind-boggling green screen facility. Pacific Productions owns a dozen units in a nearby townhome complex, and most of them are empty, thanks to the slowdown in production. They’re allocating all available units to us, and they’re part of the safe bubble they’re establishing for Team Superman. Maggie will get one, of course, and we’ll use the others on an ‘as needed’ basis for anyone who flies out there from L.A. and needs to be accommodated for the quarantine requirement. Maggie already said she’ll spend weekends at her cabin. She seems pretty pumped with all of it, to be honest. She loves spending time up there.”

“Before you get really excited, it’s not all plain sailing,” Luke warned. “Here are some of the measures we will have to implement. First step, is that all of us are registering for a Nexus pass-” 

“A what?” Jamie interjected. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and an uncomfortable shiver ran down his spine.

“A Nexus pass - it’s a joint Canadian-American customs and border program that speeds up entry and exit between the two countries. Our legal department is handling it for all of us, so expect a call and some documentation from them in the next day or two.”

Jamie expelled a sigh of relief. The Nexus pass was completely unrelated, but the mere mention of the name dredged up anger and tension related to the trauma Claire had experienced at the hands of Wolverton and his connection with the evil NexusIG network.

“Astaire has your transport all figured out,” Luke continued. “Astaire?”

“Yes, this was easy, due to the pandemic slowdown, and ridiculously cost-effective compared with using the Panther jets. Thanks to Claire’s prep work, we’re securing a three month contract with Rainier Air to fly you to Vancouver and back daily. The flights normally take 70’ish minutes, but they just acquired two new seaplane models that shave around 20 minutes off that time. It’ll be an early day for you - you’ll leave Lake Sammamish at 5:30 a.m. and you’ll land in Coal Harbour by 6:45, or earlier, depending on the plane they're flying. Your home-bound flight is between 5 and 5:30 p.m., barring any unforeseen things like re-shoots or equipment failures, and you should be home by 6:30 most nights. Your pilot will be on standby all day, so if you finish early, you can head out immediately.”

Luke picked up from there. “A few weeks into the pandemic, Pacific Productions hired a team of nurses and lab techs and set up a small on-site testing clinic, and it’s been operating efficiently ever since. One of the lab techs will accompany the driver assigned to pick you up daily at Coal Harbour. The lab tech will have a mobile testing unit, and your results will be available by the time you arrive at the studio. Anyone who tests positive is immediately isolated. In the event you happen to test positive, Jamie, you will be isolated in one of Pacific’s townhomes, and arrangements will be made to provide you with the medical care you need. Same for any member of our team who tests positive. Pacific Productions has yet to have its first positive case. Their approach is rigid but successful.”

“Wow!” Jamie was taken aback by the amount of detail in their planning. “How did you guys manage to pull this all together in such a short time?”

“I started to make discreet enquiries on Monday,” Luke revealed. “I spoke directly to Pacific’s CEO, and had him sign an NDA. A lot of these measures were already in place, because Pacific and some of the other studios were very proactive just weeks into the pandemic. Honestly, Pacific is beyond excited at the prospect of having most of Superman filmed there. A few years back, _Man of Steel_ shot some of the Alaska scenes on Vancouver Island. But this is different - almost all the action scenes will be filmed at Pacific, making it by far their biggest production ever. It will be a huge financial boost for them, as you can imagine, and a professional coup. Their CEO was only too happy to comply and has been in touch frequently since Monday, updating me on all the plans he’s putting in place to ensure we can proceed without delay.”

“Fantastic! And DC and Ayesha are happy with all of this?”

“They are, amazingly enough. It turns out that with the exchange rate and the tax credit, we actually come out significantly under budget. So all the money people were happy, which meant that all the executives were happy. Of course, the fact that they have connections at the highest level with the Academy, means that they are also hearing things that we don’t get to hear, but can only guess at. Let’s just say that having a potential Oscar winner headline our next Superman movie makes us want to keep him happy.” Luke smiled knowingly at Jamie.

“Luke, what are the snags you mentioned at the start of the Zoom?” Tara asked. She had taken notes throughout the discussion.

“The biggest issue we have to work around is the mandatory 14 day quarantine period for all visitors. Obviously we can’t do that with Jamie, since he’ll be traveling in and out daily. But the Canadian government has some exemptions. It’s a matter of finding someone in authority to approve our request. Legal is working some of those angles right now, and we asked Ayesha to tap into her political contacts.”

“What exactly is the issue?” Jamie asked.

Luke rifled through some papers on the conference table, and pulled out a couple of pages.

“The Canadians have a very detailed self-quarantine requirement. I won’t go into that entire document, but subsection 6(f) is the one that has triggered some interest here. It allows three of their Ministers to authorize an exemption to certain people. The language is open to interpretation, but the Ministers can approve anyone they consider to be in the national interest. As long as the person complies with all conditions to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of Covid-19. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has already approved 53 national interest exemptions for business mobility.”

“That sounds promising,” Jamie commented.

“We think so too,” Yoonah agreed. “Shooting Superman there will bring a lot of focus and attention and future business to the Vancouver movie industry. Additionally, we will be creating hundreds of jobs during shooting, at a time when pandemic-related unemployment is a global problem.”

“We’re thinking that the way Pacific Productions has set up their whole risk management should impress the Ministry,” Luke added. “They will probably like the daily testing requirement, and the fact that you fly in directly on a private plane and go straight to the studio. Pacific has a team of writers working with their legal department and my department to prepare a document to present to the Ministry. We’re hoping that someone with a little political influence might help us tailor the document to ensure that we include all the right information.”

“I might be able to help with that,” Jamie said. “Can’t make any promises, but give me a day or two.”

“Okay,” Luke said, looking at Jamie attentively. “We’re not asking anyone to do anything underhanded or questionable. We want to work within the letter of the law. You and Panther have to be above reproach in this, Jamie. We’re honestly just seeking a little guidance on what the Ministry would want to see in our preparations and documentation that would make them more likely to approve our application.”

“Understood. Let me see what I can do and I’ll call you as soon as I know anything." 

Jamie wrapped up the call with his thanks to the team for their work on accommodating his family needs and a reminder that he had promotional commitments coming up for _Unauthorized Contact,_ which may slightly impact the filming schedule. 

As soon as the call ended, Jamie unplugged his laptop, slid it back into his backpack, and sent Claire a text.

**Can u take a FaceTime call? Need to share good news**

**_Sure_ **

He tapped the FaceTime icon, and within seconds, she appeared on his screen, her face going from focused and serious to relaxed and content as soon as she saw him.

“Jamie,” she sighed, “perfect timing. I _so_ needed to see that smile, my love. Where are you?” She smiled sweetly at him.

“You know my insides get all mushy when you look at me like that,” he smiled and winked his two-eyed wink. “I’m in the break room at Armando’s salon. You okay, babe?”

“Yes,” she exhaled. “I just had a spate of phone call after phone call after phone call. But I think I’ve finally managed to return all the calls on my list. Oh lordy! Give me a second, someone’s at my office door. I’ll be right back.”

She set her phone down and Jamie looked at her office ceiling for a few seconds, heard her thank someone, and moments later she dropped a stack of print-outs on her desk and picked up her phone.

“Where were-”

Her desk phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID. “I’m sending it to voicemail,” she said and pressed a button.

She bit her lower lip and shook her head wryly at him. 

“Most of this craziness has been congratulatory calls and texts, and the back-log from the past few days - basically since the accident,” she sighed. “I’m still working on some orientation stuff too. I think this coming week is going to be crazy - at least until we get past orientation. It’ll get much easier once I find an assistant.”

“Claire, take a deep breath, my love. You’ve got this. Why don’t you take a quick break from your desk. Put yer AirPods in and head over to your break room to make some tea. We can talk while you walk.”

“That sounds like a great idea.” 

She inserted her pods, and they continued to chat as she walked to the break room. 

“This feels better already,” she smiled. “When did you become a stress management guru?”

He chuckled. “I have a few more stress relief ideas, but those are best ‘managed’ behind our bedroom doors. Or in the mudroom.”

“Or in the media room,” she whispered, holding the phone close to her mouth, and then pulling back to wink at him.

“Oh God, yes! Do I need disciplining again? Please tell me I do.”

“I wish! You’ve been nothing but wonderful, and I am so grateful for all your support. How’s _your_ day going, my love? Are our girls driving you nuts?”

“No, not at all. They’ve been awesome. We had Shake Shack for lunch and they’re having their hair done at the moment. They were really excited about selecting the replacement Tesla.”

“Jamie, you have no idea what a huge help it was to have you take care of the girls’ car. That would have been hours of back and forth phone calls for me. What was the final amount, so I can keep track in my account?”

He hesitated.

“Jamie?”

“Claire, I had the guy run it on my Amex card.”

“Why? I gave you some blank checks.”

She entered the break room and propped her phone up on the counter of the beverage station so she could brew her tea.

“Claire, my love, the last thing I want is for us to fight about money. I know that you are financially independent and that you and Henry made some excellent investments that left you very, very comfortable. But if we’re to be a proper family, then we can’t be arguing over who paid for what. Putting a few thousand dollars on my card for our girls’ car makes me feel like so much more of a dad to them. Because that’s what dads do, right? They spring for the safest car they can get because they want their kids safe under all circumstances. The girls don’t know what the financial arrangement was for the car, nor do they need to know. But it was important to _me_ that I pay the amount not covered by insurance.”

She looked at him pensively for a moment.

"Claire, this is not about me trying to replace Frank as their father, or to make him look bad. It’s not about that at all. It’s been a week since the accident, and he’s still not spoken to them. I have a deep need to show them that outside of their relationship with him, they are loved and cherished and cared for as our girls. And this is just one way I can do that. Does that make sense?”

She mulled his words for a few moments. “Yes,” she said slowly. “I was getting ready to fight you on it, but I think I know where you’re coming from, Jamie. And I appreciate it so much. But we also need to be a little circumspect about our spending so that we help Beth and Ella develop good fiscal habits.” 

Jamie chuckled. “I believe that’s code for you’re not going to let me spoil them too much, right?”

“Something like that.”

“Okay, point taken. I’ll be mindful of that.”

The door to the break room opened, and an associate professor from Accounting and Finance walked in. She immediately noticed that Claire was on a call, but smiled and waved enthusiastically, clearly wanting to congratulate her, but respectfully acknowledging that she was busy.

Claire picked up her phone, smiled warmly and waved back at her colleague. She dipped her teabag in her mug a few times and then removed it and tossed it, before leaving the break room and walking back to her office.

“You know you came precariously close to needing another round of disciplining there, Jamie.” She held the phone close to her mouth and spoke in hushed tones.

“Wait! I probably still need disciplining, right? For disobeying a direct order to use your blank checks. Say yes, Claire.”

“I’m considering it …” she teased. “Now, what was the good news you mentioned in your text?”

“See how you distract me, mo chridhe? I wanted to tell you that I just got off a Zoom with Tara, Luke and the Panther team.”

Claire held her breath and looked at him expectantly.

“It’s a go! They approved it, Claire. I get to work in Vancouver, and I'm home every night by 6:30’ish, maybe earlier some days, maybe later other days. But I won’t be gone all week.”

She closed her eyes and exhaled.

“Are you serious, Jamie?"

"Completely serious, babe."

"Oh my God, Jamie. That is such a huge relief!”

“Aye, it is! I’ll share all the details tonight, but I knew you’d want to know.”

“Heck, yes! This is fantastic news! I’m so, so happy. We’ll celebrate tonight.”

"Can you give me some specifics about the type of celebration you have in mind?"

She smiled saucily as she stepped into her office and leaned on the door to shut it, setting her steaming mug on the filing cabinet next to the door. 

"I don't know, Jamie ... I was thinking maybe ..." she angled her phone a little and unfastened the top button of her silky blouse.

"Claire!" he whispered, his eyes widening.

"Yes, my love?" she asked sweetly, and undid the second button, arching her back to reveal the lacy cups of her nude bra and a whisper of her nipples beneath.

"Oh, God," he groaned.

"I thought we'd start there and see where that takes us. Does that sound like a suitable celebration?"

"Yes! Yes, you sexy minx, you! It sounds amazing. Stop right there, or I'll have to walk out of here with a massive stonker!"

"Save that for later, Fraser. I'll take good care of it for you."

"I can't wait," he smiled and quirked his eyebrow suggestively. "I love you so much. See you tonight.”

“Love you too.” 

She blew him an avalanche of kisses and tapped out of the call.

  
  


Jamie counted to ten and pushed images of Claire and her lace-covered breasts out of his mind, focusing instead on the rest of his errands for the day. He picked up his backpack and strode out of the break room, following the sounds of Armando’s loud and expressive voice and the ensuing laughter to quickly locate the girls. 

“We’re almost done,” Armando reassured him, and indicated the empty chair in the styling station next to his. “Grab a seat. Do you want one of us to give you a little trim while you wait?”

“Thanks for offering, but Hair and Makeup will throttle me if I do anything to my hair during shooting,” Jamie laughed. “What’s the verdict on next weekend? The winery trip?”

“It’s a yes! Tony got someone at work to cover him, so we’re both coming.”

“That’s great news! It should be a fun time,” Jamie beamed.

“We’re excited too! Do you want me to give you directions for the fastest way back to Snoqualmie from here? You’re going to be on the cusp of rush hour.”

“Actually, my last stop for today is Mercer Island, so I’m going to have to head back via I90.”  
  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  


Around the same time that Jamie and the twins were heading towards Mercer Island on the I90 bridge across Lake Washington, Milo and Suki Lukic were settling into their sunken patio overlooking the lake.

“Here you go, honey,” Milo handed Suki a glass of The Grotto’s finest pinot grigio and dropped a kiss on the crown of her head.

“Tell me all about your meeting with President Hernandez this morning.”

“It went well, very cordial. With the press releases published today, we could speak quite openly about Claire’s promotions. When she initially approved my appointment to the Fulton Board of Trustees, she knew I had concerns about a conflict of interest. Now, with Claire being appointed Vice Dean, that ramps up a little. She was basically giving me the opportunity to withdraw before Friday’s meeting, if I felt uncomfortable.”

“Mm-hmm. And what did you say to all of that?”

“Before I could formulate a decent response, she jumped in with her opinion. She feels that while Joe is still Dean, he’s the one who represents the Business School in all official dealings with the Board of Trustees, so there isn’t an issue with a conflict of interest there. She encouraged me to abstain from voting when a motion directly involves Claire, as an extra measure to avoid accusations of impropriety. But when Claire takes over as Dean, everything changes.”

“Hmmmm. I can see why that might become an issue.”

“Hernandez asked if I would consider a position on the Board of Regents at that time.”

“Oh! Wow! Suki, honey, that’s amazing! You would bring so much value to UW. We knew that your role as President of the NAR would make you highly sought-after on boards and committees, and Hernandez is evidently staking her claim before another university snaps you up. Did you mention you’ve been approached by Duke University?”

“I didn’t mention Duke. I told her I would be happy to consider the Board of Regents closer to the time. To be honest, I would opt for UW over Duke. I feel a stronger connection - it’s a Seattle thing,” she smiled. “I’m not ready to trade my Huskies for the Blue Devils.”

“Of course not!” Milo chuckled.

They watched a sailboat drift slowly past them and returned the occupants' friendly waves.

“I’d love to be a fly on the wall when Claire walks in on Friday and sees you sitting at the boardroom table.”

“I know! I’m so excited for her, Milo. She’s going to be outstanding in her new roles. I arranged a delivery of flowers to her office for Monday, by the way. The house was crammed to the gills with flowers for the twins. Did she mention Henry’s car when she called yesterday to tell us about the promotions? We haven't had a chance to chat about that yet."

“Yes, she did. She’s ready to let it go.”

“Ohhhh. I bet that was hard for her.”

“Undoubtedly. She won’t accept payment, but she’s working on something that I can’t share with you because she’s going to present it to the board on Friday. It’s a worthwhile cause, so I’m going to make a donation of $250,000. Let me know on Friday if you disagree.”

“Hon, if you think it’s a worthy cause, I’m with you.”

“It is, Sook. It’s something Henry would have supported wholeheartedly, too.”

Suki nodded pensively. “I miss him - awful jokes and all. But at the same time, I’m so pleased that Claire found happiness again. We knew we liked Jamie from the moment we saw him surrounded by his niece and nephews. He’s all about family, and I love how he dotes on Claire and the girls.”

“Me too, honey. Claire told me he had to scramble and take a midnight flight from L.A. to get to the hospital to be with her and the twins. He’s so comfortable in his role as a father figure to them. She’s deeply in love, that much is clear from our little walk and chat on Monday evening.”

“Mm-hmm. I think they were both at a point in their lives where they needed each other.”

“Who knew when I headed over to Claire’s after picking Jamie up at the airport that they would end up falling so madly in love?”

He waited for Suki’s response, but it didn't come. He looked at her expectantly, but she was gazing over the water, a glimmer of a smile teasing her lips.

“Suki? Sook?”

She turned to look at him. “Hmmm?” Her expression told him everything he needed to know.

“You knew, Suki! You pushed me to set up the meeting with Claire - ‘friendly neighbors are so important’, you said.”

“Did I hope that two wonderful, single people we adored might have a little in common after meeting each other? Guilty! But all we did was facilitate their meeting. The rest was out of our hands, Milo. The stars aligned for them - there’s no doubt about that. The whole mess with the hotel and the CHOP situation? No one could have predicted that.”

Milo smiled at her and shook his head. “I have something I need to confess.”

She looked at him with a slight frown and nodded, prompting him to continue.

“Jamie called me a couple of weeks ago to ask for a recommendation for a reputable jeweler.”

“What? Milo! How did you forget to tell me that?”

“I didn't forget. Jamie swore me to secrecy, but I can’t do it! Not with you, honey. Of course, I would never spill the beans in front of Claire, but it made me uncomfortable keeping it from you.”

“Damn straight! There’s no such thing as secrecy between spouses. There are some things you just have to share. You referred him to André Bakker, I hope?”

“Of course.”

She shook her head and smiled indulgently at her husband of almost thirty years.

“Oh, Milo! I could throttle you. You can’t keep that kind of stuff from me!”

He chuckled and reached over to top up her wine.

“At the rate they’re moving, they’ll be married before our sweet Lexi! Henry would be thrilled to know that Claire’s so loved.”

“Yes, he would,” Suki agreed. “Here’s to Henry smiling down on Claire and her happiness.”

They clinked wine glasses and watched a mother duck lead her four ducklings languidly past their dock.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jamie took the Mercer Island exit. “I shouldn't be too long here, girls. Thanks for being so patient with all the errands today.”

“It was kinda fun. We’d have been bored at home, right Ella?” Beth was in the front passenger seat on the way home.

“Yep. Are you meeting Mark and Michelle, Jamie? This is where they have their design studio, right?”

“It is, but no, I’m not meeting them now. I do need to see them soon, though, about a small adjustment to the house plans.”

“What adjustment?” Ella asked.

“Uhhh … building materials. Insulation related. Boring stuff - I promise when it gets to the fun stuff like selecting colors and finishes, you will be very involved.”

“Yasss!” Ella exclaimed. “I love that kind of thing.”

Jamie drove until he reached the outskirts of the business center, where stores and office buildings started to give way to residential areas. He drew up outside a small house with neatly groomed lawns and flower beds.

“Beth, could you pass me the backpack, please?” he asked, and she reached into the footwell to pull the bag out. He retrieved the bulky envelope from its zippered pocket, and Beth took the bag back from him, eyeing the envelope with interest, but saying nothing.

“I’ll be about 15 minutes. Here’s the key in case you need the aircon.” He handed Beth the car keys. 

The SUV was parked directly in front of the garden gate, which opened onto a short path leading to the front door. Ella watched Jamie ring the doorbell and disappear inside when the door opened a moment later. She couldn't see who had let him in, but she too wondered what was in the envelope. There was a rectangular bronze plate on the gate post, engraved with the house number, 325. Below that, the name ‘André Bakker’, was engraved in neat block capitals.

Ella tapped on her phone, and scrolled through some search results. “Beth, can you see the street name from here?”

Beth craned her neck and read out the street name, “Southeast 74th Place. Why? What are you doing?”

“Just looking for something.”

After a few minutes, she whispered, “Oh my God!”

“What?” Beth asked.

“Guess where Jamie is? I mean, we know where he is, but guess what he’s up to?”

“What?” Beth asked again.

“The name on this plate thing, André Bakker? He’s a jeweler, from Belgium originally, but he's lived in Seattle for decades, ‘creating fine custom jewelry for a global clientele, including Seattle’s elite’.”

“Is that from his website?”

“No, he doesn't have one. He has a public Facebook page, so I can see what’s posted on there. Listen to this from his Facebook bio:

> _"André Bakker Atelier has been providing Seattle’s most discerning residents with the finest quality, ethically-sourced diamonds for generations. The Bakker family has its roots in the diamond cutting trade in Antwerp, Belgium, where it has been an industry leader since 1910._
> 
> _André Bakker has taken what he learned from his grandparents and parents and created an exclusive, referral-only custom jewelry design studio in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. Bakker travels the globe in search of the finest gems, and offers a curated selection of sapphires, alexandrite, emeralds, and rubies, in addition to his sought-after diamonds. He returns to his Belgian roots annually, going directly to his family’s cutting center to hand-select every diamond with meticulous attention to quality and clarity._
> 
> _André Bakker Atelier goes beyond the 4 C’s to offer flawless diamonds worthy of the exquisite designs exclusively created by his small team of hand-picked master jewelers in his studio on Mercer Island.”_

They stared at each other wide-eyed for a few seconds.

“Whoa! Jamie’s not messing around. He’s _for sure_ having a ring made here.”

“Oh my God, Ella! I think you’re right. Let me see that Facebook page. Scroll down.”

Ella leaned into the space between the front seats, and they browsed some of the pictures of Bakker’s stunning ring designs and engagement photos of lovestruck, satisfied clients.

“A lot of his clients come from Europe - I don’t even recognize this language,” Beth pointed out a post in Greek. “Do you think Mom knows he’s getting a ring made?”

“Heck, no! And we can’t even let on to Jamie that we know what he’s up to.”

“How does he know her ring size?”

“I don’t know. I mean he spends about 90% of the day holding her hand and playing with her fingers. He’s probably figured out a way to get her ring size without her even knowing. I wonder what was in that envelope he took inside with him?” Ella mused.

“Can we talk about how exciting this is?” Beth squealed.

“We don’t know for sure what he’s doing, Beth, so I wouldn’t go overboard on the excitement. But yeah, I’m starting to feel proposal vibes.”

“Shush. Here he comes.” Beth sat back in her seat, and Ella quickly tapped out of Bakker’s Facebook page.

Jamie slid into the driver’s seat, and the girls noticed that he no longer carried the bulky envelope.

“Okay! Home sweet home, girls. It’s been a busy day.” There was a levity and satisfaction to Jamie’s demeanor that bordered on excitement, and the girls smiled inwardly, sensing that their suspicions about a ring were pretty accurate.

“Should we collab on dinner tonight?” Jamie asked as they merged onto I90. “Your Mam will be tired and hungry when she gets home.”

“Sure! What should we make?” Beth asked.

“What do you girls feel like eating? Pasta, homemade pizzas, salmon, chicken kabobs?”

“Italian! That’s always my favorite,” Ella wasted no time in making her preference clear.

“I was kinda leaning towards the chicken, but I could go for Italian too.”

“Oooh … you know what we haven’t made for a long time? And we have Nonna’s amazing recipe for it.”

“Tell me, Ella,” Jamie prompted.

“Chicken parmigiana. It’s a family favorite, and I think you’ll like it Jamie. Mom loves it.”

“Yasss, Ella! You’ll love it too, Jamie, I promise. We haven't had it in the longest time, and it combines Ella’s choice of Italian and my choice of chicken.”

Jamie was silent for a moment as his thoughts went to his mother’s letter and he reflected on yet another coincidence.

“Okay, leannans, let’s go make the best chicken parm ever. I love all our family favorites.”

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	63. Chapter 63

* * *

Claire and Jamie launched themselves into Thursday with a brisk four-mile run together, returning as the sun started to peek over the mountains. While Claire showered and planned her to-do list for the day, Jamie completed a workout in the man cave. His personal trainers in L.A. had agreed to work remotely with him for the remainder of the Superman project. They Zoomed on the large screen in the man cave and guided Jamie through his routines and sets.

After a grueling 45 minutes, he showered and dressed, and headed downstairs to join Claire in the kitchen. Knowing that Jamie would be ravenous after so much physical exertion, she had prepared a hearty omelet, generously filled with bacon, mushrooms, and cheese; to be followed by fruit, yoghurt and granola. 

He feathered grateful kisses all the way up the back of her neck and nibbled his way to her ear, making her squirm with pleasure. 

She turned to face him and ran her hands lightly across his chest, feeling his firm, defined pecs ripple beneath the fabric. “You’re always so rock hard after a workout. And you smell ...” she trailed off and buried her nose in his solid muscle, inhaling his fresh and woodsy scent.

“I’m going to miss you today. Mel and I will be holed up in the study for most of the day.”

“You’re doing important work, mo ghràidh. And we’ll make up for it tonight.”

“Mmmmmm,” she hummed, nose still buried in his warmth.

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I love you,” he said softly. “Thanks for this perfect breakfast.”

“I love you too,” she smiled, pulling away at last, so they could both sit at the island. “We’ve got to keep Superman well fed. Can you imagine Luke’s face if you arrive in Vancouver all skinny and sad-looking, after they've bent over backwards to accommodate our family needs?”

“Hah! I love food way too much for that to happen.”

Claire’s app pinged, announcing the arrival of someone on the driveway, and she pulled up the video feed.

“It’s Mel. That must be Anton dropping her off.” She watched with interest as the large Black SUV with darkened windows waited for Mel to enter the code and open the front door before pulling out of the driveway. 

“Aww, he waited for her to get inside safely. That’s totally something you would do, Jamie.”

Seconds later, they heard Mel’s Rothy’s flats squeak softly on the marble floor of the foyer.

“Good morning,” she greeted cheerily, setting her overnight bag on the floor before sliding onto a stool next to them.

“Good morning to you! Do you want coffee? We’ve got drip, or I can make you a latte,” Claire offered.

“No thanks. Anton and I had room service breakfast and I’m maxed out on caffeine. For the next few hours, at least.”

“We’re just finishing up here. I’ve set up the downstairs study for us to work with fewer distractions. Jamie says he’ll work out on the patio.” 

“Sounds good to me. Jamie, thanks for emailing me the information on the ministerial exemption for Vancouver’s quarantine requirements. Anton and I chatted about it last night. He has a couple of really good contacts he’s going to speak to. I impressed on him the need for total discretion, and he knows it’s critical that his enquiries are all above board. He’s merely asking for suggestions on presenting a strong case for your exemption. He might have some ideas for us by this evening.”

“Thanks so much, Mel. I appreciate that. I hope it wasn’t a major intrusion on your evening.”

“Are you kidding? Anton and I live and breathe this kind of stuff. But we'll be expecting an invitation to the Superman premiere,” she teased.

“Done!” Jamie laughed.

Moments later, they stood up, and Jamie kissed Claire on the forehead. “Go on and get started with Mel. I’ll clean up. Thanks for breakfast.”

“What are the girls doing while we’re all working?” Mel asked.

“I’m dropping them off at Greta’s in a bit,” Jamie replied. “They’re working with the kids for a few hours. I’ll pick them up late morning.”

“How about Evergreens for lunch?” Claire suggested. “We’ll eat while we work, then we can enjoy a relaxed dinner.”

“Sure,” Jamie agreed. ”Please order me whatever you think I’ll like.”

“Okay. I know what the girls like, so I’ll order for around 1:00. We can do salmon for dinner. What do you think?”

“Sounds great to me. I’ll see if the girls want to help me make Lallybroch-style salmon cakes with some simple sides. After reading my Mam’s letter yesterday, so many things came back to me. I really want to share some of my family recipes and traditions with you and the girls - the ones I remember, anyway. It’s time we started making some new memories and family traditions, ye ken.”

Claire’s voice caught in her throat momentarily, and she reached up to hug Jamie tightly. She caught Melissa’s quizzical frown over Jamie’s shoulder and gave her an intense look that she knew Mel would interpret correctly. Claire would update her later. 

“That’s incredibly special and I would love it if you did that, Jamie.” She kissed him tenderly on the lips. “Thank you, my love. We’ll join you for a coffee break later this morning.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Claire and Melissa buried themselves in their work, focusing on putting together an engaging and striking presentation ahead of Friday's meeting with the Board of Trustees. Their approach was to propose the establishment of an endowment fund at Fulton, solely for the purpose of providing scholarships for women who had been stripped of their basic right to a decent education, starting with the seventeen she had Zoomed with less than two weeks earlier.

They planned on asking the Board of Trustees to approve a sizable allocation from the donations made in Claire’s name during the recent board upheaval. The total amount donated was $348 million, and Claire was seeking around $80 million for the endowment. The Trustees’ approval would ensure that Fulton could comfortably cover all seventeen women for four years of study, with the bulk of it remaining in the fund for future applications. Claire and Melissa shared the same confidence that once the existence of this initiative gained exposure, new donations would continue to boost the fund’s coffers, enabling the endowment to expand its reach.

Claire busied herself working on figures and spreadsheets for projected donations, and Melissa wrote up several scenarios for media and marketing to garner exposure and publicity.

While Melissa and Claire worked on their presentation, Jamie returned from dropping off the twins, and applied himself to getting caught up on business matters at The Grotto. He sat on the patio and went through several executive summaries on operational matters before moving on to more exciting projects. 

Murtagh and Helen joined him in a Zoom to discuss the launch of a new product that Jamie had insisted on adding to The Grotto’s offerings during his June visit with Murtagh.

“Do you like the new label design, Jamie?” Murtagh asked.

“I do. Very much, in fact. It’s perfect for the bottle and the product. I’m almost done writing the little piece you asked for, Helen. I’ll get that to you as soon as I can.”

“Sounds good. I’m glad we finally settled on a name, too,” Helen commented. “Do you have time to listen to our plans for Thanksgiving and the Christmas season?”

“Of course. I can’t wait to hear what you have planned.”

They spent another hour discussing plans for the coming weekend, and Helen’s holiday season events. She promised to send Jamie an outline of events through the end of the year. He wanted to discuss them with Claire and the girls so they could make plans to enjoy some of the holiday festivities together at The Grotto.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The mid-morning coffee break was a welcome respite from the emotionally draining work Melissa and Claire were immersed in. Jamie had brewed a carafe of strong Italian roast and set out three mugs. Melissa stretched herself out on one of the sofas and groaned as she allowed her body to melt into the soft cushions.

“Don’t go falling asleep, Mel,” Claire warned, only half in jest, as she lay on Jamie’s sofa, resting her head in his lap. She reached for his hand and clasped it to her chest.

“You okay, my beloved?” he asked softly. 

“Yes,” she sighed. “It’s tough stuff on an emotional level. We’re going through videos and written messages from our seventeen students and they are heart wrenching.”

“And that’s before we get to all the mentally draining stuff - the facts and figures, the projections, the publicity,” Melissa added.

“You’re doing amazing work. Important work. I wish there was some way I could help today, but I’m useless with presentations. Once you get the foundation off the ground, though, I will do whatever you need me to do in terms of getting the word out there, promoting it on my social media - whatever I can do to help.”

“That will be invaluable. Don’t ever underestimate the power of your public profile,” Claire pointed out. “Once the Oscar noms are announced, and Superman buzz starts to grow during post-production, there will be even more interest.”

“When do you start the _Unauthorized Contact_ promotions?” Melissa asked. 

“I have two talk shows next week. 'The View' and 'The Ellen Show'. We’re doing them remotely from a studio here in Seattle. Do you want me to drop anything about the foundation if I can do it seamlessly?”

“Let’s see how the Trustees feel about our publicity plan first. We can talk about that early next week. And that reminds me - Anton invited me to spend this weekend with him in Olympia.”

“Really?” Claire sat up and nestled into Jamie, eyeing Melissa with interest. “You guys are spending a lot of time together.”

Melissa gave her a saucy wink before standing up and stretching. 

“I’m going to head inside and call Anton. Just to touch base. Thanks for the coffee, Jamie.”  
  


“I’ll give you a few minutes before I join you,” Claire called out as Melissa walked towards the kitchen.” She turned to Jamie and asked, “When do you pick up the girls?”

“I should leave in about 15 minutes,” he replied looking at his watch. He lowered his voice, dropping his eyes to her lips and pulling her closer. “That gives us plenty of time for a little …”

“Canoodling?” she suggested, as she closed in on his mouth.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Melissa and Claire spent a considerable amount of time researching literacy rates around the globe, listing all the countries with the lowest rates. Africa and South Asia topped the list by a wide margin, and they knew that they would need to focus their efforts in these areas. They delved into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, citing parts of Article 26 in their slides. It stated that ‘higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit’. Melissa was well acquainted with the Trustees, and she knew that citing from the UDHR would appeal enormously to most of them. She needed to elicit their anger and discomfort.

“We should really display Article 26 in its entirety on a slide,” Claire suggested. “It’s a good point to focus on and a stark reminder that preventing anyone from acquiring an education is a human rights violation, not just an outdated, sexist form of control perpetrated by male patriarchies.” 

Meanwhile, Jamie picked Beth and Ella up from Greta’s and brought them back home. After getting cleaned up from hours of horse time with Sugar, Spice, and a stable full of therapy horses and ponies, they mixed a batch of sugar cookie dough. They cut heart-shaped cookies out of the dough and placed them on baking sheets, sliding them into the fridge to chill for a few hours before baking. 

While the girls worked on their baking project, Jamie completed the write-up he had promised Helen. He didn’t want to risk delaying the product launch and gave the task his full attention, editing and tweaking until he was satisfied with what he’d written. He sent it to Helen, closed his laptop with a sigh of relief, and grabbed his iPad. 

He had promised to FaceTime with Jenny and her entire family and was looking forward to an unhurried opportunity to get caught up with his niece and nephews. They were excited to share all their latest news with Uncle Jamie, and the boys showed off new Tonka trucks that were miniatures of some of the vehicles Ian used at Lallybroch Farms. They tugged at his heart by asking several times when he would be back to visit them. 

Ella and Beth emerged from the kitchen and hovered near the seating area, trying not to intrude on Jamie’s time with his family in Scotland. 

Sensing their awkwardness, Jamie waved them over to him and hammed it up a little for them. Looking at Jenny and her family on the screen with a teasing twinkle in his eye, he announced grandly, ”And now, viewers, making a special guest appearance on the Fraser-Murray show, please welcome my most favoritest girls - along with Maggie, of course - Beth and Ella Beauchamp-Randall.”

The girls giggled at his silliness, and plopped themselves next to him on the sofa, to the delight of the Murray crew. They finally met Uncle Ian and the boys, who always seemed to be busy working and doing chores around Lallybroch Farms whenever they FaceTimed with Jenny and Maggie.

It was a lively chat with a lot of laughter and a prolonged discussion on who had the strongest accent. Maggie and the girls shared suggestions for TV shows to binge-watch. The twins refrained from mentioning their obsession with 'Grey’s Anatomy'. There were a lot of raunchy scenes in it and Aunt Jenny might not appreciate Maggie being encouraged to watch the show. The UK and US versions of 'The Office' were still hot favorites amongst teens, as was 'Friends', and they compared notes on which seasons they had watched.

“Can ye have more screen time now, Beth?” Jenny asked.

“I’m up to almost two hours a day now, but not all at once. I have to spread it out over the day.”

Jamie asked Jenny for some last minute tips for the salmon cakes.

“Grate the onion, rather than chopping it,” Jenny advised, “and add a handful of finely chopped celery.”

“I’ll do all that,” Beth offered. “Ella can't hold a grater and an onion.”

“I remember from my visit there that you are fantastic sous chefs. I’m sure it’ll be a fine meal tonight,” Jenny commented.

“You should have been here last night, Jenny. The girls made Nonna’s fantastic chicken parm. I tried to help, but they did most of it. It was outstanding.”

Jenny smiled and nodded, the mention of her late mother’s favorite meal squeezing her heart a little. She quickly proceeded to pepper the girls with questions about their recovery, and they promised to WhatsApp her with updates the next day after their medical appointments.

A text slid in at the top of Jamie’s iPad screen. It was from Claire, on the family thread, to let them know that lunch would be delivered soon. Beth and Ella excused themselves and disappeared indoors to receive the delivery and plate up everyone’s lunch.

As soon as Jenny was certain that the girls were out of earshot, she hastily sent her children off to do their chores, and jumped at the chance to extract some information from Jamie. She dropped her voice to more hushed tones.

“Jamie, I’m assuming you’ve done what needed to be done with the packages I couriered over?”

“Yes,” Jamie confirmed, lowering his voice too.

“And …?”

“And what, Jenny?”

“Any idea of timing and place? Is it Paris? A romantic beach near L.A. when you go to the UC premiere? I bet there are beautiful places in Malibu for a romantic proposal. Or what about Mount Rainier? Claire loves that mountain - she pointed it out to me several times during my visit, and it is indeed verra beautiful. Oohhhh, Jamie, you could use your influence to do it after hours at the Chihuly Gardens. She loves it there! C'mon! Give me something, ye numpty. And hurry up with the whole thing!”

“Jenny!” Jamie was mildly exasperated. “The ‘whole thing’ is in progress, and it’ll take as long as it takes. The ring is custom-made, so it’s not going to be ready overnight. I still have to go and approve wax molds and 3-D renderings. I know you’re excited for us, Jenny, and I love you for it, but ye’re going to have to be patient. As soon as it’s a done deal, Claire and I will call and let you know. I’m not telling you anything beforehand.”

“Spoilsport! Well, I canna wait to see the ring, I tell ye. The way you've been going about this massively secretive project, it’ll be something befitting the royal family.”

“I want the very best for Claire. She deserves it, and I just hope I can meet her expectations. She’s everything to me, Jenny.”

“Aye, I ken that, Jamie.” Her gaze and voice softened. “And I’m truly happy that ye found each other. Did ye … did ye read Mam’s letter again?”

“I did. Claire was with me when I read it. I don’t think I could have got through it without her sitting with me.” 

“It probably took on a whole new meaning reading it again so many years after the first time ye read it,'' she said gently.

“More than sixteen years … but it feels like a lifetime. Claire is everything that Mam wanted for me. And more.”

Jenny nodded, unable to speak for a moment. “And you are everything Mam hoped you would be, Jamie. More, in fact,” Jenny said. “I don’t tell ye this enough, but I’m very proud of you. And I do love ye most of the time.”

She looked away from the camera and blinked furiously. 

Jamie smiled. “What’s going on in yer kitchen, Jenny? Someone chopping onions?”

“Shurrup, ye daft thing.” She grabbed a paper towel from the roll on the counter and wiped her eyes and nose. “Now get off yer iPad and go do something useful.”

  
  


The twins took Melissa and Claire their salads so they could eat in the study and continue their research and preparations uninterrupted.

“You girls are the best,” Melissa said, gratefully accepting her roasted beet and kale salad.

“Thank you, sweethearts. I’m sorry I’ve sequestered myself in here all day. After the presentation tomorrow, I’ll have all weekend to hang out.”

“It’s okay Mom, we knew you’d be busy with orientation and now the new degree work too.”

“Give me a quick squeeze before you go. You’re not too old for Mom hugs, y’know.”

The girls giggled and hugged Claire before leaving the women to their research.

After arranging plates for themselves and Jamie, they headed outdoors to enjoy their lunch.

Jamie quickly ended his call with Jenny. “Thanks, girls, this is the perfect lunch. Are you done with yer cookies for Vicki and Katia and the nurses’ station?”

“We’ve made the dough, now it has to chill for a while," Ella replied. "We’ll bake them later this afternoon.”

"Do you want to see how we're decorating them, Jamie?"

"Sure!"

Beth scrolled through her pictures and tapped on one to show Jamie.

"See how it has that heartbeat line in frosting? The line from the heart monitor? We thought the nursing team would would enjoy that."

"Aaah! You girls are amazing. They're going to love that. It's very thoughtful of you."

He smiled at them with pride as they sat down to enjoy their lunch on the patio.

About halfway through his Cobb salad, a thought suddenly struck him.

“School starts next Tuesday, girls. How far are you with your summer reading? Last time I checked, you had read maybe 80 or 90 pages of _Long Way Down_.”

“Yeah, that was before the accident and we haven’t read any since,” Ella said between forkfuls of quinoa salad.

“Hmmm. Well, you probably want to get that done before school starts. Are you getting headaches when you read, Beth?”

“Only if I read for too long. A half hour at a time is enough for me. My eyes start to get tired after that.”

“Why don’t you go get yer books after lunch. I’ll read to you for a while. Ella you can probably do your own annotations, but I’m happy to help if you need it. Beth, if you need me to annotate something, you can stop me, and I'll pencil it in for you. I read the book while I was in L.A. so that we could discuss it, remember? It's all written in free verse, as you've seen, so it’s not a long book. And it’s an excellent read. Some tough content, but it’s a book that every teenager should read. Adults too.”

They finished their lunch, and the girls stood up to collect the empty plates. Ella pushed back against Jamie’s suggestion that they tackle their summer reading.

“Do we have to read our book today, Jamie?” she asked, wrinkling her nose. “We kinda want to see if Ashlee can come and hang out.”

“And it’s our last few days of summer break,” Beth added.

“Yeah, we don't want to think about school until we really _have_ to.” 

Making TikToks and watching YouTube makeup videos with Ashlee sounded so much more appealing, and they looked at Jamie expectantly, hoping he would give up on the notion of them doing their summer reading that afternoon.

He didn’t cave. “Yes, we have to. C’mon, you two, let’s get it done. Then it’s one more thing off your lists as you prepare to start junior year. Ashlee can come over on the weekend, can’t she?”

The girls hesitated again. “Can we just do the reading over the weekend?” Ella asked.

“Now’s the perfect time to do it, girls. What if we get busy on the weekend and run out of time? You’ll be stressed out and you’ll do a slap-dash, last-minute job of it on Monday night. That’s no way to handle a book that’s this socially significant.” 

He fixed them with a serious look and Ella opened her mouth to say something again, but hesitated.

Jamie shook his head slightly and asked, “Do you know what your Mam and Melissa are working on?”

“Professor stuff for the Trustee meeting tomorrow?” Ella shrugged, peeved by Jamie’s insistence that they read their book.

“They’re spending the entire day writing proposals and preparing presentations to secure funding for the seventeen women from Africa who are among millions of women globally who have been denied an education. Women who read recipe books donated from halfway around the world, because they don’t have consistent access to suitable reading material.”

He paused and allowed his words to sink in. The girls had the grace to blush as they quickly collected the empty glasses and silverware to take indoors. 

“We’ll be right back,” Beth said, looking contrite and embarrassed.

They spent almost two hours listening eagerly as Jamie read the book, stopping occasionally to annotate or discuss parts that shocked or saddened them. It gave them a good opportunity to talk about the disparity in quality of life that stems from ongoing systemic and institutional racism. They also explored the book’s themes of violence and revenge and fear. Jamie stopped occasionally to add annotations for Beth, and to check whether she was getting headaches, but she was completely engrossed in the book, and urged Jamie to continue. They completed the entire book without a single complaint.

Jamie finally closed the book and returned it to Beth.

“Well done, girls. You shared some really deep and thoughtful analysis. I think you’re ready to participate in class discussions, if that’s how your teacher is planning on tackling this book.”

“We’ll probably have to write an essay about it,” Beth said. “It’s a good thing we finished it, Jamie.”

“Yeah, thanks so much. I’m sorry we were a bit grumpy to start with, Jamie. We were being spoiled brats, to be honest. This was so much more important than messing around on my phone. When we first heard about the seventeen women, our hearts were so heavy, and now I feel bad that we were so reluctant to appreciate that we have access to quality literature and a decent education. We snark about people going on about their ‘first world problems’, but we just did that too! Now that we've read the whole book, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed it. Parts of it are hard to read, but it’s really deep and kinda disturbing, and makes the reader think about some painful things.”

“Ditto everything that Ella said. I’m sorry I was lukewarm when you suggested it. I think this story is going to stay with me. Books like this _should_ make us uncomfortable. I think that’s part of the author’s intent. Thanks so much for reading it to us, and for helping us work through themes and key moments, Jamie. It was so much better than if we’d read it on our own.”

“Anytime, girls.”

They all stood up and stretched. 

Beth watched Jamie’s face carefully for evidence of annoyance or anger. “I’m really embarrassed about our behavior. Are you mad at us, Jamie?”

“No, I’m not mad, leannan.”

“Disappointed?” Ella asked.

“No. I would have been disappointed if you had kept pushing back or if you had point-blank refused. We’re navigating uncharted waters together here, leannans. It’s been the two of you and yer Mam for a long time, and it’s understandable that you might not like some of the things I suggest. A little bit of resistance from you is quite normal.”

“We didn’t mean to be rude or defiant, Jamie. We’re really sorry if we upset you.” Beth spoke for both of them, and the distress was evident in their faces.

“You didn’t upset me. I’m proud of you girls, to be honest. You recognized that your behavior was inappropriate. You owned it, and then you adjusted your attitude and did the right thing. Apologies accepted.” Both girls took a step forward and he reached his arms out, instinctively knowing that they needed a reassuring hug. 

“Are you girls up for a quick walk to the new house?” he asked, releasing them from their hug.

“Yes!” they replied in unison.

“Can we talk about ways that we can help raise funds or collect supplies for the women?” Beth asked.

“Sure,” Jamie replied, “we can do that on our walk. Let’s get going. As soon as we get back, you can put yer cookies in the oven and let them bake while we start preparing the salmon cakes. I’d also like you to think about a good restaurant where we can have a very special lunch tomorrow. The restaurant can be as fancy as you want. It’s your last Friday of summer break, and I want to treat you.”

_Technically, that’s a lie, Fraser, but we’ll classify it as a secret for now. Because you do have a secret to share with yer girls._

Claire spent the late afternoon hours fine-tuning her address to the board and tailoring it to the visual presentation. 

Melissa rounded off her workday by calling Trevor Noah to share parts of their plan and to ask for his public endorsement and a tentative interview slot for Jamie and Claire.

She outlined the project and the endowment in general terms, explaining that it was still highly confidential and hadn’t been brought before the board yet.

“It’s really a two-pronged approach, Trevor. We’re looking at establishing an endowment at Fulton Business School, and with Claire’s profile, that will easily attract funds. But we also want to go beyond just the women who apply to Fulton. We want to establish a foundation that operates entirely independently from the endowment to help support younger girls too. We want all girls to have access to elementary and secondary education, and the foundation will focus strongly on that. What do you think? Are you in?”

“Hell yes, Mel! This is a phenomenal cause, and I would love to throw whatever influence I can at it. This is close to my heart, actually. Do you remember the almost 300 girls kidnapped from their boarding school in Nigeria a few years ago? They were kidnapped to stop them from acquiring a Western education. It was barbaric and inhumane, and that has never left me.”

“Yes, Claire and I included a study of that event in our research today. What those girls and their families suffered at the hands of Boko Haram was horrific. We were reminded that the name means ‘Western education is forbidden’. Needless to say, that just motivated us even more!”

“Have you considered getting some support or endorsements from influencers and activists in southern and central Africa?” Trevor asked. “The bigger the spotlight you can shine on this the better. Getting some grassroots support will inevitably filter through to the African Union. It’s a powerful organization with quite a reach, and if they start to exert pressure on countries like South Sudan, Chad, Liberia and others, we might start to see some changes. A lot of those young girls who were kidnapped have gone on to become budding young activists.”

“I’m making notes as you speak. As soon as we have the foundation officially registered and up and running, we will definitely be looking for endorsements from activists around the globe. And the girls from Nigeria would be a great place to start. Malala has become synonymous with women’s rights to education in south Asia, and our goals align with hers one hundred percent, but we want a strong focus on Africa too, so everything you’ve shared is just awesome, Trevor.”

"I’ll tell you who comes to mind right away for southern Africa,” Trevor said enthusiastically. “Siya Kolisi. I’m a little biased, because he’s one of my homies. He’s captain of the South African national rugby team, and he and his wife, Rachel, are very active in social outreach. They’re going to be on my show soon - keep an eye out for them. As a husband-wife team, they support a lot of causes through their own foundation. But their social media influence extends far beyond the borders of South Africa, and they would probably get behind this too. Rachel is all about empowering women. I could see Jamie and Claire taking a similar approach with their considerable joint influence.”

“Yes, Trevor! I love that. And Jamie is looking for ways to help us with this.”

“Also, since South Africa won the last Rugby World Cup, I’d love the opportunity to flex ... and trash-talk Jamie. I know he’s a big Scotland rugby fan.” He chuckled gleefully.

“Of course you would,” Melissa laughed, and her mind flitted to the possibility of a celebrity rugby match, before re-focusing on Trevor’s words. “I love your suggestion of seeking influencers and activists who will get behind this cause. We’ll look at doing that through Africa and southern parts of Asia. I might ask you to put in a word for us with Siya and Rachel Kolisi. In the meanwhile, are you willing to have Jamie and Claire on your show?”

“Of course! Last time I had Jamie on the show, I suggested he come back with Claire, and he was a little bashful about it. But if they're both up for it, I would love to have them on - virtually or in person - and we’ll get the foundation as much publicity as we can. Can you send me whatever information you can spare? My team will do their research too, of course.”

“Sure. But before your team jumps in with both feet, we have to present our plans to Fulton’s Board of Trustees tomorrow and get their in-principle approval for Claire’s publicity.”

“Absolutely! Keep me posted on that and please convey my best wishes to Claire and Jamie. I’m very happy to hear about her promotions.”

“Thanks,Trevor. I owe you dinner next time I’m in New York.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

  
  
  


Melissa and Claire wrapped up their work for the day, gathering their papers and printouts and laptops into neat piles on the desk.

An unusual sound from Melissa’s phone alerted her to an incoming text.

“Is that an engine revving?” Claire asked.

“Mm-hmm. It’s my custom tone for texts from Anton. Don’t ask.”

Claire raised her brows and smirked but said nothing as Melissa read Anton's text.

“He emailed me a pdf with suggestions from his contacts for Panther and the ministerial quarantine exemptions. I’ll forward it to Jamie, and he can pass it on to the Panther folks.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The salmon cakes were a hit. Beth made a mango pineapple salsa to complement the salmon, and Ella roasted asparagus stems, something she could do with relative ease, considering she was still severely limited by the splint and dressing on her left hand. A side of couscous with currants and pine nuts finished off the meal to perfection.

Dinner conversation focused on Claire’s presentation to the board, and the women summarized what they planned to propose the following day. 

Claire practiced part of her opening address, using the rest of the table as her audience. They applauded her impassioned remarks enthusiastically.

“That sounds excellent,” Jamie declared. “If you deliver like that tomorrow, Claire, you’ll have them eating out of your hands.”

“Are you nervous, Mom?” Beth asked.

“Not really. I want it to go well, so I feel a bit of pressure, but I think Mel and I have prepared a solid presentation and this is such a great cause, I can't imagine not getting the Trustees’ support.”

“It’ll go great, Claire,” Melissa said. “Joe wants us to send him the slide deck tonight. Tonya will be in the boardroom tomorrow, and she’ll handle the tech side of things.”

“That’s a huge help! I don’t want to be fussing with laptops and sharing screens and such. Tonya is really good with that.”

Their discussion continued on the patio long after dinner was over. Beth and Ella asked a lot of questions, seeking reassurance that all seventeen students would be included in any scholarship plan. They also shared their willingness to secure donations of supplies for the women.

“Mom, we spoke about this when you first told us about the students, but Ella and I really want to do something. You said we could start a supplies drive.”

“Of course, sweethearts. Anything you raise or collect is only going to help this cause. What did you have in mind?”

“We talked about this earlier when we walked over to the new house. Beth and I want to speak to Coach Jen and Coach Kate and see if we can do a supplies drive through the cheer and volleyball teams. We can get books, binders, writing materials, that sort of thing.”

“That would be fantastic. The students will need all those things.”

“What about electronics, Mom? Should we try to raise money for laptops? Or tablets?”

“I'm setting up a meeting with Jeff Campbell next week to ask if his business unit at Microsoft will consider donating laptops for the students. If we can get them all laptops with the same specs and software, it’ll be a lot easier to manage their tech requirements.”

Jamie’s eyebrows shot up and he squared his shoulders. “There’s no need to approach Campbell for that, Claire. I can donate the laptops.”

Melissa and Claire slid each other a fleeting glance. Jealous Jamie was cause for a little fun.

Claire looked at him for a moment, and suppressed the teasing lilt in her voice. “No, Jamie. No need to do that. Jeff’s business unit will do it as a corporate donation. It’s a tax write-off for them. I’m sure I can sweet-talk him into it.” Jamie’s eyes narrowed at that last comment, and she bit her lower lip to suppress her smile. Melissa worked at controlling her smirk and busied herself topping up their wine glasses.

“He may not even be in the office, ye ken. He’s probably still home recovering from my take-down at the Highland Games,” Jamie said derisively.

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll swing by his house one evening and we can talk about the donation … over a glass of wine or something,” Claire suggested sweetly. “He’s been wanting to talk to me about the internship program anyway, and we never got around to that lunch he wanted to set up.”

Melissa tittered and quickly covered up with a cough.

Jamie looked at her, unsmiling and solemn. “The Grotto will donate the laptops, Claire. It’s a tax write-off for us too. In fact, the girls and I will take care of that tomorrow. We’ll stop by the Microsoft Store in Bellevue on the way to lunch. Can you have UW’s tech people send you the specs?”

Claire relented and stopped tormenting him. “Sure, I’ll email them first thing tomorrow and tell them I need the info urgently,” she smiled, and he relaxed visibly, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly in a triumphant little smile.

“Are you sure about doing this through the winery, Jamie?”

“Yes, I’m sure. It’ll cost us less than $40,000 and as you pointed out, it’s a tax credit, but that’s not the point. This is a really important cause, and from the moment you told me about it, I said I wanted to help out. This is just one small way I can do that.”

Unlike Mel, Ella and Beth were oblivious to the verbal foreplay that had just taken place. “If Jamie’s taking care of laptops, can our teams maybe get tablets for their personal use?” Beth asked. “The students can download books and games and use it during their leisure time.”

“That’s a great idea!” Claire exclaimed. “Bring it up with your coaches and see what they have to say. If both teams work on it, I’m pretty sure you can get seventeen tablets fairly quickly. I can think of a good number of families who would be happy to donate one.”

“We should start thinking about heading to bed and getting an early night,” Melissa suggested. “Busy day for all of us tomorrow. You girls ready for your medical appointments?”

“Yes!” they exclaimed.

“I know you’re keen to get those dressings adjusted,” Melissa smiled sympathetically. “What’s the plan for tomorrow? Claire and I will drive in together in the Tesla, but what about the rest of the day?”

“My pick-up’s being delivered late afternoon, so I’ll need Claire’s SUV. I’m taking the girls for lunch at The Capital Grille after we’ve ordered the laptops.”

“The Capital Grille?” Claire was taken aback. “That’s _super_ fancy! Are you serious?”

“Sure. The girls did a great job with dinner last night and tonight, and they completed their summer reading. They also baked and packaged cookies for the nursing team at Harborview, and it’s their last Friday of summer break, so we thought we’d go a little fancy for lunch.”

_It’s a legitimate secret, Fraser, not a lie._

Claire pursed her lips. “You'll need to dress up a little for that, girls. No yoga pants or sweats.”

“We already figured we’d need to do that, so we came up with some ideas while we were out for our walk.”

They shared their outfit ideas with Claire, and after a suggestion or two from her, they firmed up their wardrobe selections.

“Will it look weird that we’re going to our medical appointments in dresses and heels?”

“No. And the good thing is that with a head injury and a hand injury, you won’t even need to change out of your clothes to put on the medical gowns.”

“Well, since we have the girls’ outfits all figured out, we just need to finalize arrangements for you, Claire. How about we pick you up at Fulton around 1:45 for the medical appointments?”

“Perfect,” she declared.

Having finalized logistics for Friday, they all said their goodnights and headed upstairs.

  
  
  


Jamie locked the bedroom door and fixed her with a look she knew all too well. It was a look that ignited the very beginnings of a familiar warmth deep inside her.

“You’re going to make me pay for the Jeff Campbell comments, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

A smile spread slowly across her face. He was about to go all Highland warrior on her, and she was more than willing.

He reached her in two strides and splayed a large hand on the small of her back, pulling her fiercely towards him. She held her breath as he buried his other hand into the curls at the back of her neck and held her head so that his lips hovered over hers without quite touching. They stood there, breathing each other’s air for a moment. His lips brushed hers lightly and she leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled back and looked at her with an intensity and lust that made things flutter chaotically in the depths of her belly. 

He cocked an eyebrow and pulled her up against him fiercely, so she could feel his growing erection through the soft fabric of her yoga pants. She arched her back and pressed into him, gasping at the strength with which he held her to him. She couldn't escape his hold if she wanted to … but escaping him was the last thing on her mind. 

Their mutual arousal was on an unstoppable trajectory. She felt the warmth surge between her legs, and the involuntary twitching of his cock against her revealed his readiness.

Any plans for an early night were hastily abandoned. He released her to unzip his jeans, sliding them frenziedly down his legs along with his boxer briefs. She wriggled out of her yoga pants and thong, and pushed them impatiently down her legs. They stepped out of their pants and he pulled his shirt off, discarding it next to his crumpled jeans. She quickly eased her sweater over her head and removed her bra. They were breathing hard … panting, practically. 

Clasping her wrist and tugging her towards him again, he held her against him so that they were joined from chest to groin. Her pebbled nipples sank into the dusting of hair on his hardened pectorals; her toned belly melted into all the grooves and hollows of his ripped abdominals, and her neat Brazilian patch lost itself in his throbbing length and the tangle of russet curls beneath.

“Jesus, Jamie, I’m-”

“I know,” he grunted. 

His mouth was millimeters from hers, and he kept it there as he walked her backwards towards the bed, holding her firmly so they remained pressed together. When the back of her legs reached the mattress, he paused and locked gazes with her. He slid his hand slowly over the yielding flesh of her butt, inching closer and closer to the space between her thighs. Pushing his knee between hers, he nudged her legs apart, and eased his fingers into the abundant warm slickness waiting there. He groaned with unabashed lust, eyes locked with hers the entire time. She bit her bottom lip, the uncertainty and anticipation of what he would do next leaving her almost breathless.

She was used to sweet, gentle Jamie and she was used to desperately aroused Jamie, but this Jamie was different.

He was intense and focused … almost feral. And she was wildly turned on.

She felt him twitch against her belly. He brought his hand up and tugged her bottom lip free with his thumb. She could smell her own arousal on his fingers.

His mouth moved slowly towards hers.

“Get on the bed and spread yer legs,” he growled against her lips. “I’m coming in.”

* * *

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


	64. Chapter 64

* * *

Claire and Melissa walked to the Dean’s Conference Room side by side, their heels clicking in sync on the glossy concrete floor of the hallways.

Both women wore sharply tailored outfits. Claire was in a taupe, belted Max Mara dress with a three-quarter length sleeve. Her nude Cole Haan heels completed her look and added another touch of elegance. She accessorized with small diamond studs and her diamond bracelet, and the now indispensable Chanel bag. Melissa wore a Ralph Lauren black and ivory houndstooth pantsuit, comprising a two button jacket and cropped pants. A black cami added some coverage beneath her jacket, and black strappy heels added to her avant-garde, professional look. Bold silver accessories and a Gucci tote completed her look. 

Melissa reached for the door handle and paused, indicating the discreet sign on the wall with a tip of her head: ‘Dean’s Conference Room’.

“Someday, all this will be yours,” she said dramatically.

“Stoppit,” Claire snorted. “You are such a goof.”

They giggled and let themselves into the waiting area, where UW hospitality had set up beverage stations and pastries.

The door to the conference room was closed.

“I can’t wait to see who you’ve confirmed for the board, Mel!”

“You’ll be more than satisfied, I think. We’re a little early,” Melissa said. “Hernandez should be here soon.”

President Hernandez had asked if she could meet the new Trustees in person at their first meeting, and she wanted to introduce Claire to them herself.

Right on cue, Hernandez entered the waiting room with her personal assistant, Thomas Boyle, in tow. She greeted both women warmly.

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting this group of Trustees, Ms. Thornton. Your work in securing new Trustees has been nothing short of miraculous, given the urgency of our situation.”

The door to the conference room opened, and Joe emerged, beaming at the group of powerhouse women in front of him.

“Welcome President Hernandez, Professor Beauchamp, Ms. Thornton and Mr. Boyle. Please … come with me.”

They followed Joe into the boardroom, and the Trustees rose from their seats the moment the three women and Boyle walked in the room. They remained standing as Joe led them to their designated seats. It was not only a sign of respect for Hernandez, but also a recognition of Claire and her achievements, and an acknowledgement of the insightful and discerning manner in which Mel had targeted and revamped Fulton’s Board of Trustees. 

The Trustees had been in their meeting since 8:00 a.m. They had taken two brief breaks, and voted on several items on their agenda. Claire’s eyes fixed on the large screen first, as she noticed the three trustees on the video call. All three were from the previous board, and she smiled a greeting at them. They were forward-thinking, progressive members who had been supportive of Claire’s initiatives and programs in the past, and she was relieved to see that they had not been spooked by the events of the past few months. As refreshing as it was to bring renewed spirit and momentum to the board, it was also important to retain some existing Trustees who knew the culture and ethos of Fulton, and also had some knowledge of important aspects of the board’s history.

Claire’s eyes moved to the seventeen Trustees around the table and fell almost immediately on Suki, who was watching her carefully.

Her eyes widened momentarily, but she quickly recovered, and gave Suki a smile and nod of acknowledgement. How thrilling it was to see her intelligent and compassionate friend sitting among this esteemed group of professionals, academicians, educators, business executives, and activists. 

Claire recognized other well-known names among the new faces, and her heart soared with excitement. The reconstituted Board of Trustees would undoubtedly support her endeavors to continue educating a new generation of change-makers. 

She mentally high-fived Melissa for her outstanding choices and the incredibly hard work she had put into enticing them onto the Board of Trustees at a time when it was still recovering from it’s darkest moment. There were still three spots on the board that needed to be filled, but she had no doubt that those seats would soon be occupied by individuals of similar caliber and with equally stellar pedigrees and progressive attitudes towards higher education.

Hernandez smiled a warm greeting at the gathered Trustees, and invited them to take their seats. She remained standing as they eased themselves back into their chairs, and addressed them as soon as they had settled.

“Good morning and welcome. First, I would like to thank all of you for being so willing to serve on the Fulton Board of Trustees. To the new Trustees, I bid you a warm welcome. To the existing Trustees, I thank you for your commitment and tenacity. It has been a bumpy road of late, and I appreciate your resilience. Dean Abernathy briefed me via email that you already voted on a number of items …” Boyle handed her a printout and she glanced at it before continuing.

“In the interests of complete transparency and keeping Professor Beauchamp apprised of all new board developments, I’d like to summarize the issues and motions you voted on or discussed this morning. First, with a quorum now established, the new Trustees have all been ratified and confirmed. That will move things along much faster now - and more efficiently. Second, Rachel Byrne has been confirmed as Chair for the remainder of her term, which I understand is two more years. Ms. Byrne, we thank you for your stoicism during a tumultuous time and we look forward to your continued leadership. The board also ratified my approval of the MS Business Communications degree, and Dr. Beauchamp’s appointment as Professor. The issue of Professor Beauchamp’s personal friendship with Ms. Lukic was addressed, and I see in the preliminary notes that there were no objections. Ms. Lukic has placed on record her decision to abstain from all votes that directly involve Professor Beauchamp.

“I know that Dean Abernathy took you through the whole process of how he and Professor Beauchamp were promoted. I would like to add how delighted I am to have secured Dean Abernathy’s agreement to succeed Provost Bingley upon his retirement in 2023. Equally exciting is Professor Beauchamp’s agreement to succeed Dean Abernathy as Dean of Fulton Business School.

“Professor Beauchamp has earned a national reputation as a trailblazer in the business education arena. She has nurtured a sound pedagogical philosophy that challenges students to connect theory and praxis in a series of internship programs that are sought after by students and corporates alike. These internship programs have boosted applications to FBS significantly since their inception.

“Fulton Business School needs to continue to attract Millennials for its post-grad Masters programs. But to remain competitive, Fulton also needs to draw from a large and discerning pool of Gen Z applicants for its undergraduate programs. Gen Z is an outspoken, socially aware generation that is not afraid to use its collective voice to generate change in a dynamic socio-political environment. Professor Beauchamp’s own sense of social and moral justice aligns perfectly with the progressive thinking of Gen Z’ers, and she already enjoys grassroots support amongst growing numbers of students. Additionally, she has garnered a following among mature age students who appreciate her understanding of what it takes to balance the rigors of post-grad degrees and the demands of their family and professional lives.” 

“She has overcome many obstacles and hurdles in her life - both personal and professional - and has risen above all of them to become one of the most accomplished young professors at UW. You all know her professional background and achievements very well by now, but what you may not know is that she is the epitome of grace under fire. She has demonstrated that despite attempts to publicly humiliate her, it is possible to rise above the lies and misrepresentation and reach the highest levels of achievement in one’s chosen field. 

“Professor Beauchamp’s professional success is something that young women will aspire to. She will continue to boost applications - we already have a noticeable uptick in online admissions enquiries, nationally and locally, since our press release went out two days ago. Admissions research and trends reveal that a good percentage of those enquiries will convert to applications.

“Dean Abernathy has been an inspirational leader who has reenergized Fulton and made it amongst the most desirable business schools in the United States. He will leave behind a strong legacy, and I cannot think of a successor more qualified than Professor Beauchamp to lead our faculty into the 21st century and beyond. Thank you all for being part of the Board of Trustees that will usher in an exciting new era in Fulton’s history.”

There was a murmur of approval around the table, and after it subsided, President Hernandez spoke again. “Professor Beauchamp will address you shortly, for agenda item seven, ‘Allocation of funds’. For a couple of weeks now, she has been working with Admissions on a project that she’ll introduce to you in her presentation. I would like you to know that she has the full weight of my support and that of the Board of Regents in this endeavor.”

The board responded with enthusiastic applause, and Claire and Joe shifted in their seats a little. Professionally, they knew that the effusive praise and compliments lavished on them by President Hernandez were all true, but their inherent modesty made them feel somewhat awkward about all the attention. They indicated their thanks with smiles and nods of appreciation to the Trustees and Hernandez. 

With a final thank you to the group around the table and on the virtual call, Hernandez excused herself from the meeting and left the conference room, accompanied by her assistant.

Tonya stood and worked the laptop on a shelf below the large presentation screens prominently displayed in the conference room. Claire moved to the front of the room, took the wireless slide clicker from Tonya, and started her address by welcoming all the new Trustees. 

“It is my privilege to address you today, and it will be my honor to work with you as Vice Dean, initially, and eventually as Dean of Fulton Business School. When I first walked into this conference room moments ago, my immediate thought was how privileged we are at Fulton to have such an extraordinary and diverse gathering of minds and voices around this table and on this screen. This is a brain trust that will whole-heartedly support Fulton’s mission to provide our students with the skills they need to forge successful careers and contribute to their communities. But even more exciting to me is that so many of you have also been voices for the oppressed and marginalized.”

For the next hour, Claire presented her slides, pausing to take and answer questions. Tonya distributed research notes and spreadsheets, and Claire projected figures and literacy statistics on the large screens. She spoke about the dual approach that she and Melissa had devised, and the importance of forming a foundation to support younger girls and women deprived of early education.

“The endowment and the foundation are separate entities, but together they will bring much needed attention and funding. I will work behind the scenes in my personal time to bring whatever support I can to the foundation, but my focus will of course be Fulton's endowment and funding scholarships for eligible students.”

“I really like that approach,” Ayesha Williams remarked. “Some of the young recipients of support from the foundation will likely feed into the endowment as they receive the education necessary to ensure they can apply for higher education.”

“That’s our hope,” Claire replied.

She clicked to the slide with the proposed names she and Melissa had come up with.

“Ms. Thornton has been my research partner in all of this, and we needed working names for the endowment and the foundation. We spent some time working on it, and after consulting with some of the African women we’ve been working with, we decided that a Swahili name would be appropriate. Of course, not all African countries speak Swahili, but it is by far the most spoken African language across the continent. So with that in mind, and inspired by a quote that has guided me in certain areas of my life, we focused on the word ‘season’ and looked into the Swahili translations for that. There are essentially two words in Swahili that mean season. One has a dual meaning of ‘summer’ and ‘season’, and that’s the one we picked for the endowment. The Majira Endowment.”

There was a murmur of approval around the table, accompanied by nods of acknowledgement.

“The foundation is still in its fledgling stages, but we have named it for the other Swahili word for season. The Msimu Foundation.”

More nods and murmurs indicated the Trustees approval of the foundation’s working name.

“Those are great names, Professor Beauchamp,” one of the new Trustees said. “Would you mind sharing the quote that inspired the names?” Claire recognized her as Christina Hassan, a former news correspondent and journalist with a highly recognizable public profile. She was now a consultant and adjunct professor on International Relations on the East Coast, and had jumped at the chance to serve on the board of a university on the West Coast. 

“I’d love to know that too, if you’re willing to share,” another new Trustee added. Jay Rodrigo was a young successful author, whose colorful wardrobe choices and vibrant personality made him instantly recognizable. His politically hard-hitting novels, plays and poetry were all the rage amongst Gen Z’ers. His bi-racial background embraced Hispanic and African American roots, and his work tackled issues that impacted both cultures, but appealed to a readership far beyond racial confines. Again, Claire marveled at Melissa’s perfect mix of Trustees.

“Sure,” Claire smiled at Rodrigo and Hassan. “Let me preface it by saying that this quote is very popular, and is often assigned an “author unknown” tag. But it comes from the visionary genius of spiritual leader, lawyer, and motivational speaker, Iyandla Vanzant. It has a profoundly personal meaning to me.”

She paused and took a deep breath. 

“ _People come into our life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime_.”

She looked at Suki, who smiled softly at her, and gave her a tiny nod.

Rodrigo eyed her with undisguised curiosity. “I sense that the quote might be one that changed how you viewed your circumstances at specific points in your life, Professor Beauchamp. And that’s certainly not for us to probe. But I really love how it works with the endowment and foundation. Both would provide marginalized students with season after season of education, and it would ultimately be the reason for a lifetime of opportunity. It's truly the perfect quote and the perfect set of names.”

Claire smiled her appreciation for Rodrigo’s comments, and moved to the next part of her presentation. Embedded in her slides were some heart wrenching videos that she had acquired from the seventeen women over the previous three or four days. Videos that showed the women moving through their towns and villages under cover of darkness to secret drop spots where they would share books, notes, iPad chargers, and wifi passwords scrawled on notelets. Time-lapse footage of them taking hours to drink one precious cup of coffee at a cafe that offered mostly unreliable WiFi to its customers, and ended with them being chased out by the irate coffee shop manager. Other clips revealed secret meetings outdoors or at safe houses, where a few of the students would gather to tutor each other in math and science skills, or to analyze a literary work together.

The last clip was one of five students sitting cross-legged on the floor around a small table in the storage area of a small bakery in Mali. The bakery belonged to the uncle of one of the girls, and he allowed them to use it from time to time, under express instructions that they could not turn on the ceiling light, lest it attracted the attention of passers-by in the alley. Those with functional smartphones used their cell-phone lights to illuminate the book they were discussing. When the phones ran out of battery, they resorted to a candle. One of the women looked up from their discussion of _Becoming_ , Michelle Obama’s memoir, and looked directly into the camera. "What we are doing here is highly illegal, Professor Beauchamp. We are risking our freedom and our lives. But it is so worth it.”

Claire maintained an intentional silence after the video clip ended. She wanted the heaviness of what they had just seen to settle over the room and percolate into the very soul of each of the Trustees.

Finally, she spoke. “Per the agenda, I’ll remove myself from the meeting to give you time to discuss funding at board level.”

Claire walked out to the waiting area, and sat in one of the visitor’s chairs. She removed her laptop from her bag, and checked her emails while she waited.

One in particular made her jaw drop. She re-read it to make sure she hadn’t skimmed it too fast and missed something. Then she forwarded it to Joe, assuming that he would get to it after the meeting. She accessed the email on her phone, took a screenshot and texted it to Jamie. He would see the text long before he would see a forwarded email.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The girls had been excited about their lunch at The Capital Grille since the previous day. They reminded Jamie at breakfast that it was a dressy place. 

“Okay, I take the hint, girls,” he laughed. “You think my chinos and plaid shirt aren't quite up to snuff. I’ll change before we leave the house.”

An hour later, they were ready to leave. The girls wore dresses they had bought for their Volleyball State Championship banquet earlier in the year. Beth wore block-heel sandals in navy blue, to complement her blue and white floral print dress, while Ella wore a dusty blue floral print with white strappy block heels. Jamie changed into dark tan trousers, with a cream colored shirt and coordinating tweed jacket and vest.

“You girls look fantastic!” he complimented them as they climbed into the car. 

“Thanks, Jamie. You do too. Too bad Mom isn’t joining us. Your outfit matches the dress she’s wearing today.”

  
  


After successfully ordering 17 Surface Pro laptops, Jamie and the twins left the Microsoft Store in the Bellevue Mall and drove the 20-minute route to The Capital Grille in downtown Seattle. 

“Ohhh, good restaurant choice, girls!” Jamie said as he perused the menu. He had asked for a table in the far corner when he made the reservation, and they were seated several tables away from the nearest diners. 

“I think I could demolish the filet mignon! Or maybe the sea bass.”

“We had dinner here last year with our Homecoming group and it was amazing!” Ella said. “I’m definitely having the New York strip. It’s so good.”

“I think I’ll have something from the Chef’s Suggestions section. The ribeye sounds amazing,” Beth decided. “Is it okay if we order a burrata salad to share?”

“Of course, leannan. You can have whatever takes your fancy.”

While they waited for their meal, Jamie updated the girls about Superman shooting in Vancouver.

“Is it a definite go?” Ella asked.

“We’re waiting for official approval, but I can’t see that we’d be turned down. Melissa got some help from people who know about this sort of thing, so the Panther team will be able to write a really strong application for exemptions for a few of us. I sent the information to Luke, and Panther’s legal department says we should know by Tuesday or Wednesday. Monday's a holiday in Canada too.”

“When will you start?”

“Right after we get back from our winery weekend, if all goes well with the application.”

Their burrata salad arrived, and Jamie plated it up on 3 salad plates.

“Will Nonna be here by the time you start working in Vancouver?” Beth asked. “Has she decided when she’s coming?” 

“We haven't heard yet. She said she’d let us know this weekend.”

“I’m so excited that she finally agreed to come,” Ella said. “I hope she stays until Christmas. Or even longer. I hate that she spends most Christmases alone. All her friends have grandkids, you know, and she doesn’t. Apart from us - her honorary grandkids. And we never go to Boston for Christmas. Dad prefers that we go in the summer. Which is fine with us, because we wouldn't want Mom to be on her own over Christmas anyway. But that always means Nonna’s alone over the holidays.”

It had been an emotional few days for Jamie, and those words hit him right in the heart. He cleared his throat and took a sip of water.

“We’ll do whatever we can to make Nonna feel comfortable and welcome,” he said. “That will encourage her to stay longer, right?”

They nodded as their salad plates were cleared away, and their entrees were set before them. Jamie took Ella’s plate and cut up her steak into bite-sized pieces, before passing it back to her.

While the girls tucked in with zeal, Jamie picked at his mignon, looking somewhat distracted.

“Aren’t you enjoying it, Jamie?” Ella asked, frowning.

“Oh, I am, leannan. It’s really good.”

“Then why aren't you eating?” Beth asked. “Here, try some of my ribeye. It is sooooo good.” She pierced a piece with her fork and dropped it on Jamie’s plate before he could stop her.

“Thanks, leannan,” he smiled, and then hesitated for a moment. “Girls … I need to talk to you about something. Full disclosure, this little talk we’re about to have is the main reason I wanted to bring you out for lunch today.”

They stopped chewing and looked at him.

“It’s nothing bad,” he reassured them quickly, and they resumed eating. “But I’m going to need you to keep this between the three of us. Your Mam can’t know about this. Yet.”

“Okaaaay,” Beth tried to keep the excitement out of her voice. The little jewelry atelier on Mercer Island loomed large in her thoughts.

Ella fixed Jamie with a curious look, eyes wide with anticipation. 

“Before I tell you, do I have yer word that you’ll keep it a secret?”

Both girls nodded solemnly, anticipation written all over their faces.

“Girls, you know I love your Mam very deeply, and you know we’re building a wonderful life together. A life that includes both of you.”

They nodded again.

“I’m planning on asking your Mam to marry me - sometime fairly soon.”

The girls set their forks down and grinned widely at him. Even though it didn’t come as a huge surprise, given what they’d uncovered about his visit to André Bakker, it was still exciting to hear Jamie confirm his intentions. 

“This is so awesome!” Beth exclaimed. “When?”

“That’s the part I’m working on. I canna tell you that yet.”

“But when you say ‘fairly soon’, what do you mean? This week? Next month? Before Christmas? After Christmas?” Beth pressed.

“Definitely before Christmas,” he chuckled.

“Have you planned the proposal already?” Ella leaned over and asked in a near whisper.

“I’ve a lot of ideas going through my head, but I’m still working on it.”

“Are you going to do it in Paris? You guys are going for Mom’s birthday, right?” Beth asked,

“Yes, we’re going there for her birthday. But your Mam’s birthday and the proposal are two very different celebrations. I haven’t decided yet, actually. A proposal is a once in a lifetime event, and I want to make sure that it stands on its own. There are some places here that are special to your Mam and me, but, on the other hand, Paris is one of the most romantic cities in the world.” He grinned sheepishly at the girls before turning serious. 

“Girls, the important thing I wanted to talk about today … the reason …” 

He swallowed hard. 

“I want to ask you girls for your blessing … for your go-ahead to ask your Mam to marry me.”

There was a stunned silence as Ella and Beth stared at him in confusion.

“You’re kidding, right?” Ella looked perplexed.

“I’m not kidding at all. It’s customary for a man to ask his bride’s father for her hand in marriage, but sadly, that's not something I can do, so I’m asking you girls. I’ll meet Uncle Lamb on a call this weekend, and at some point I’ll ask for his blessing as well as Nonna’s, but right now, it’s important that I focus on you and how you feel about it.”

They continued to stare at him in bewilderment. How could he possibly think that they would be anything but overjoyed by what he had just shared? 

“I promise to always love your Mam and cherish her, and to put her needs above all else. I’ll protect her and care for her … forever.” He paused for a moment. “But I need to know that you’re a hundred percent okay with this. Because it’s a huge step for you to accept me into your lives permanently, ye ken. I promise to do my best as your stepdad, and I will always love and protect you and care for you too.”

Beth shook her head slightly. “Of course we’re going to give you our blessing. I mean, we’re trying our hardest not to squee here! We are _so_ excited that you’re making it official - on paper. I mean, we’re already a family in our hearts, but I know it’s super important to you and Mom.” 

“If you really want us to give you our blessing to marry Mom, and be part of our lives forever, then our answer is yes! An obvious and definite yes!” Ella said emphatically.

“Jamie we love you for so many reasons. We can’t imagine our family without you anymore. So yes! Of course we give you our blessing. And we can’t wait to call you our stepdad, rather than Mom’s boyfriend,” Beth grinned.

He chuckled. “I hear ye on that."

“Jamie, what about you? Is it okay that … I mean .... are you okay with …?”

“What is it you want to ask, Ella?” he prompted her gently. “You should know that Frasers are all about straightforward honesty. We should all live by that. Don't be shy to ask, leannan. I’ll answer honestly. And if I can’t answer, I’ll tell you why.”

“Does it ever bother you that being with Mom means you get the two of us too? We know you love us, Jamie, but sometimes Beth and I wonder if we’re … just … I dunno … are we just ‘part of the deal’? 

His fork clattered onto his plate, and he retrieved it quickly.

Ella looked at his plate and winced. “I don’t know if you dropped your fork because I’m right, or because I’m wrong.”

“You’re wrong, Ella. So wrong. You girls enrich my life in so many ways.”

The girls stopped chewing and listened attentively. 

“Beth, you are the sweetest, most thoughtful young woman - always thinking about others’ feelings and always wanting everyone to feel loved and happy. You’ve done that with me from the day we met. I’ll never forget how you ran across the patio to hug me that morning, and I didn't know quite what to do. I was so nervous to meet you in real life-”

“Whaaaat? For real, Jamie?” Beth was shocked.

“Yes! For real,” he laughed. “Despite all those FaceTimes when I joined your Mam and chatted with you, I was still nervous! But you made me feel right at home. I love that you have the kindest heart, but you are also a fighter for what’s right. I saw that as recently as yesterday, in your responses to the themes we looked at in our reading.

“Ella, you are a warrior for anyone who needs someone to stand up for them. You have such a strong sense of justice and you protect the ones you love so fiercely - especially Beth and yer Mam. You carefully evaluate every situation. I love that about you. Remember when you took me to task about the Sassenach heart emoji on my phone the morning after I met you?”

Ella grimaced, and Beth giggled.

“But below that tough exterior is a kind, loving heart. I’ll never forget how you sized me up the morning I met you. Apparently, I earned your stamp of approval because you gave me a little side hug and said, ‘Welcome home, Mr. Fraser.’ I can’t tell you how much that meant to me. That, and Beth’s mad dash across the patio to hug me, pretty much melted my heart right there. And the fact that you both researched and made me cranachan.”

They grinned at his recollections of their first meeting. 

“I love so much about you, and my life with you and yer Mam. I love how you hug us goodnight in a group hug, and I love that you are always cheerful in the morning. I love that you’re excited for me to marry your Mam, and that you’re excited about future siblings. I love that you work with the precious children at Greta’s, and that you chat with me about what you want to study at college. Even if it’s medicine one night, architecture the next night, engineering the night after that, and business studies to wrap up the week.”

They laughed at his accurate summary of their indecisiveness. 

“I love cooking with you, and walking to our new house to see the progress, and your cookies and treats that you bring to me and your Mam with a surprise latte. I love how you share your news about cheer practice and volleyball training. I love that you came to L.A. with me and that you sent me TikToks and funny memes and sweet messages while I was there shooting Superman. Those messages melted my heart every time I took a break and checked my phone to see if you or your Mam had texted.” 

His mood sobered as his thoughts drifted to their accident and the messages that were delivered so late.

“When you girls are happy, I’m happy. And when you girls are hurting, I’m hurting too. When I found out about your accident, my heart shattered.”

He paused and cleared his throat. 

“That plane couldn't get here fast enough for me - I was a mess right up until the medical team reassured me that you were going to be okay. I can’t say any more about that, because it still hurts my heart too much to talk about, but as I sit here and see how lucky we were and how well you’re recovering, I’m just so, so thankful.”

He shook his head in an attempt to shift the painful memory out of his head, and smiled at them. 

“I never, ever want you to feel like you’re ‘part of any deal’,” he made air quotes with his fingers. “I love each of you for what you bring to my life. I’ll never forget something you said the night we told you about your Mam’s Haas offer. You said that our family unit feels so right and so safe, and that just because you’re 16 and almost ready for college, it doesn’t mean that you don’t want to be part of the family. Those words went straight to my heart and they’ve stayed there. Ye ken, you girls are at an age where you didn’t need to accept me the way you did. You could have just politely tolerated my presence in your Mam’s life, but you didn’t. You embraced me - literally - and you welcomed me into your home. But more than that, you gave my heart a new home. I hope you girls know how much that means to me. I may not be your father, but I don’t think I could love you more if you were my own.”

His face was earnest and his voice heavy with emotion.

Ella pressed her lips together hard and blinked back tears, and Beth didn’t even try to stop hers. She searched for a paper napkin, but the Capital Grille only had linen napkins. Their discreetly attentive server hastily brought them a small stack of paper cocktail napkins from the bar area and Beth buried her face in them.

“Thanks, Beth. You’ve got me going now,” Ella said, dashing away the tears that spilled over.

Jamie cleared his throat again and composed himself. “Joining two families like we’re doing is a big step, and it’s okay to get emotional. In our case, we’re blessed that it’s all happy emotions.”

Beth nodded and took a sip of her water. “Jamie,” she began, “since you said we should always be honest, we need to tell you something.”

Ella grimaced and busied herself adjusting the napkin on her lap. 

Noticing their discomfort, he encouraged them again. “I was serious when I said you should always feel comfortable to share anything on your mind. There’s nothing you can tell me that we can’t handle together.”

"Okay ..." Beth began, and looked at Ella.

“When we were on Mercer Island on Wednesday, and you went into that little house…” Ella continued hesitantly.

“Yes?” he frowned slightly.

“Uhhh … we kinda researched the name on the gate post. On Ella’s phone.”

“Ohhh,” he groaned.

“Are you mad?” Ella winced.

“I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself. I should have guessed you would want to figure out what I was doing,” he smiled at them ruefully, their worried expressions tugging at his heart.

“It’s okay, leannans. I can’t give you any more information than you already know, simply because it's all in progress right now. The only thing I ask is that you be super careful not to slip up and accidentally let on to yer Mam. We’ve talked about our future a lot, and that includes getting married, of course, but the proposal itself needs to be a surprise for her.”

“Did you ask Mom what kind of ring design she likes? Because that would totally ruin the surprise.” 

“I did not. But I’ve come to know your Mam’s tastes pretty well. I’ve designed something simple and understated for her.”

“Whew!” Ella expelled a sigh of relief. “I’m so pleased you didn’t go for something too ‘Hollywood’. No offense, Jamie.”

“Ella!” Beth exclaimed, staring at her in horror.

“None taken,” Jamie laughed. “The only Hollywood element about the ring is that I’m keeping in mind how much your Mam is inspired by Audrey Hepburn. So I’ve been working with the jeweller all week to keep the ring design elegant and timeless. I think your Mam will like it. Do you girls think ye can keep it all a secret for a few weeks?”

“Yes! Scout's honor.” Ella held up her heavily bandaged hand in an awkward salute.

“We were never in Girl Scouts, Ella!” Beth exclaimed, looking at her sister aghast. 

“I know, but still …”

Jamie laughed heartily at that. “Okay, I get it. You’re promising to keep this totally secret until the big event. Thank you, girls. See, this is why I love ye both so much. You make me cry one minute and then crack me up the next.” He shook his head and smiled widely at them.

“Finish yer meals so we can look at the dessert menu,” he encouraged, glancing at his watch. 

Before they could order dessert, however, Jamie’s phone buzzed with a text from Claire. She had attached a screenshot of an email, and he tapped on it and read it, his eyes widening as he did so.

“Is everything okay, Jamie?” Beth asked.

“Yes, leannan. Yes!” he smiled broadly at both of them. “Everything is very okay. Your Mam’s article that she worked so hard on all summer? It’s being published in the Harvard Business Review. That’s a huge deal!”

“Oh my God!” the girls gasped, and Beth clapped briefly in excitement. 

“Yasss!” Ella exclaimed, and fist bumped Jamie with her uninjured hand. “She was really hoping they’d accept it for publication. This has been such a good week for her.”

“I know, right?” Beth added. “The best week ever!”

“Aye it has been a good week. But you know what will be the highlight? If she gets good news at your medical appointments. News like your contusion is way smaller, Beth, and your splints and dressing can be adjusted to make things more comfortable for you, Ella. You’re always going to be the most important part of her week, leannans.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

As soon as Claire left the boardroom to allow the Trustees an opportunity to discuss her funding request, one of the new Trustees shared his thoughts. Adnan Gupta had served as Secretary of Education in the Obama Administration, and had an impressive knowledge and understanding of the issues under discussion.

“Madam Chair, I really can’t imagine a more worthwhile cause for us to get behind in our first week on the job.”

A brief discussion ensued during which everyone present supported the cause in principle. Two of the Trustees asked for more information on the sustainability of the endowment’s funding. The general consensus was that it was a cause that many corporates would support, and securing ongoing donations would not be a problem. 

“Professor Beauchamp and Ms. Thornton prepared an incredibly well-researched presentation that covered everything I would want to know. I would like to propose that we allocate one third of the $348 million donated in Professor Beauchamp’s name to the Majira Endowment.” Kayah Summerhill was a Native American civil rights lawyer from Oregon, with a special interest in women’s rights. She had an air of decisiveness about her and wasted no time in getting to the point. “That would be an amount of $116 million.”

Another brief discussion ensued, and the amount was considered a fair figure to kick-start the Majira Endowment.

“It still leaves plenty in the Fulton coffers to scholarship other deserving students,” one of the previous Trustees pointed out.

“I second that motion,” one of the Trustees on the video call announced. 

“Let’s put it to the vote,” Rachel Byrne invited.

As the votes came in, it was clear that Claire would not have to worry about support for her initiative. Apart from Suki’s abstention, it was a unanimous ‘Yea’ vote.

Melissa had remained in the conference room, but did not participate in any of the discussions. When there was a lull in the conversation, she asked to address the board, and Byrne gave her the go ahead.

“Thank you Madam Chair. As the Majira Endowment and the Msimu Foundation come into being, we will need to actively seek exposure and publicity for both. This gets a little tricky because of the unfortunate social and gossip media attention Professor Beauchamp has attracted - through no fault of her own. I’m consulting for the Msimu Foundation in my personal time as a media specialist, and I’m planning to roll out a series of appearances on select talk shows, including The Daily Show, with Trevor Noah. Even though she would be appearing in her private capacity as Claire Beauchamp, viewers and social media influencers will recognize the connection with her role at Fulton.”

Several of the Trustees nodded thoughtfully as they pondered her words.

“Under any other circumstances, I would never raise Professor Beauchamp’s personal life for discussion here, but unfortunately, it was this very issue that was the catalyst for the horrific board events of the past couple of months. We can’t pretend otherwise. As her relationship with Jamie Fraser becomes more serious and more public, the spotlight on him will spill over onto her. I need to gauge your appetite for this type of ancillary attention to Fulton Business School.”

“I believe that it will ultimately be positive publicity,” Ayesha Williams responded immediately. “I'm going to be completely transparent here - Jamie Fraser is starring in the biggest production that my studio has ever worked on. Fraser is the new Superman as you all probably know. What isn’t widely known beyond the industry, and I'll share this confidentially here, is that Fraser is tipped for an Oscar nomination for a different movie. Fraser has a really good reputation among industry leaders and fans alike, and there isn’t much scandal around him at all. He had a hiccup with the Anja Baranov situation, but that has been taken care of. An Oscar nom will send his profile rocketing, and if he and Professor Beauchamp are going to be fronting the Msimu Foundation as a couple, that will really benefit the girls who need it. The Superman fandom and Fraser’s social media following will get behind it and the exposure will be huge.” 

Suki had been listening carefully to all the comments and reactions. Milo’s comments to her earlier in the week now made sense - as did his donation of $250,000 to circumvent the awkward issue of payment for Henry’s Tesla. 

“I have to agree with Ms. Williams,” she said. “Jamie Fraser is a man of great integrity who has thrown his weight behind a wide range of charitable causes. I got to know him when he spent a few weeks near our home on Lake Washington last year, and he spoke with great passion about the charitable events he’s participated in and supported. He appears to be well acquainted with using traditional and newer media outlets to shine a spotlight on causes he supports. Forgive me for making a personal observation here, but he and Professor Beauchamp are truly a dream team when it comes to launching and sustaining this initiative.”

“Those are great insights, and your personal observations are extremely helpful in this case, Ms. Lukic. Ultimately, any ‘collateral publicity’ stemming from the Beauchamp/Fraser efforts on Msimu will generate donations for Majira too,” Joe pointed out.

“I agree,” Rachel Byrne added, “I think Majira will benefit enormously. I feel better knowing that the Msimu’s media campaign is being carefully managed by you, Ms. Thornton, as that exposure will impact our endowment. We would want UW Media to be aware of when those talk show appearances take place so that they can track social media trends - hashtags and such.”

“Absolutely,” Melissa agreed. “Is that the general consensus? Are we all in agreement that the publicity for the foundation could have positive spin-offs for the endowment?”

A murmur of agreement went around the table.

“This isn’t a vote issue,” Joe pointed out, “but let's ensure that we minute our consensus about the publicity.”

The board secretary nodded. “Already minuted.”

Joe picked up his phone, which had buzzed a few times during the meeting. “I’ll go and invite Professor Beauchamp to rejoin us.” He stood up, and sneaked a peek at his emails as he walked down the length of the conference table towards the door. He stopped suddenly, and focused on his phone.

“Dean Abernathy?” Rachel Byrne wore a look of mild concern.

“I received an email a few minutes ago,” Joe announced to the room. “A paper that Professor Beauchamp submitted recently has been accepted for publication in the Harvard Business Review. This will be the tenth time she's been published and her first time in the HBR. I’d like to add that it’s been years since a Fulton faculty member has had an article accepted by the HBR. Certainly the first time since I’ve been here.”

There was an immediate buzz around the table, and Melissa and Suki looked at each other, wide-eyed with a combination of pride and excitement.

Joe emerged from the conference room into the waiting area with a wide smile. “We’re ready for you, Claire,” he said quietly.

They returned to their seats and Rachel Byrne informed her of the outcome of the vote, and the fact that the Majira Endowment now had $116M to put towards scholarships for students in dire need of the funding.

Claire relaxed visibly at the news, and thanked the Trustees for their faith in her and for her support of the cause.

“Professor Beauchamp,” Byrne continued, “I believe congratulations are also in order. We just learned about your article in the Harvard Business Review.”

She flushed modestly as the Trustees around the table stood and gave her a standing ovation. Melissa, who for years had hardened herself against untoward displays of emotion, quickly blinked away the tears that threatened.

“Due to prior commitments, Professor Beauchamp is unable to join us at our afternoon reception after the meeting ends,” Joe announced. “In fact she needs to leave in less than an hour. Madam Chair, we wrapped up this portion of the agenda with a half hour to spare. May I suggest that we all move to the waiting area and use that time to get acquainted with our new board colleagues and to congratulate Professor Beauchamp?”

“Absolutely!” Byrne smiled broadly.

  
  


By the time they all wandered into the waiting area, the coffee and pastries had been replaced with a light lunch of appetizers and finger foods.

Claire sneaked a peek at her phone while the Trustees plated up some of the lunch offerings. Jamie had texted her a selfie of him and the girls at the restaurant. He had captured looks of unmitigated joy and exuberance on the girls’ faces, and she made a mental note to set that picture as her phone background later. 

Suki cornered Melissa and they smiled gleefully at each other.

“Her expression when she saw you was priceless, Suki!”

“I know. I almost felt bad about keeping her in the dark, but I think she’s so impressed with the Trustees you brought to the board, that she would never resent it.”

“And isn't the HBR article incredible news? She put in many long hours sifting through research notes to put that paper together. I’m so thrilled it got the recognition it deserved.”

“I can’t wait to share with Milo later. He already knew about the Endowment and the Foundation from Claire, but he couldn’t share with me because he knew she’d be presenting today. He made a contribution to the fund from us, in lieu of payment for the Tesla.”

“That was incredibly generous of you,” Melissa acknowledged. “You’ll need to let us know whether you want that going into Majira or Msimu.”

“I think Msimu, Melissa. Majira is in the fortunate position to have many millions at its disposal, but Msimu is just starting out and needs the money. I believe you’re dropping the Tesla off at our home late this afternoon. And Anton will pick you up from there, correct?”

“Yes,” Melissa replied, feeling uncharacteristically awkward.

A slow smile spread across Suki’s face.

“It’s about time someone made an honest man out of Anton.”

“Oh! Uhh … no, Suki, we’re-“

“You should join us for dinner. A thank you gesture for dropping the car off,” Suki spoke with finality on the matter, and Melissa realized her evening plans had just taken a slight detour. 

After plating up a small selection of finger foods to nibble on, Claire used the opportunity to work the room like the seasoned professional she was. 

The first person she targeted was Kayah Summerhill. After exchanging pleasantries, Claire expressed how excited she was to see her on Fulton’s board.

“I’ve followed the work you’ve been doing in Oregon - and nationally - for a while. Fulton attracts a decent number of students from Oregon, and one of my students wrote a brilliant paper about the gender pay gap. She cited heavily from the work you’ve done, and in particular about the fact that you were the first Native American woman to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.”

“Thank you, Professor Beauchamp, I’m honored that you’ve taken an interest in my approach to women’s rights in the workplace.”

“Please call me Claire. We’ll be working together for a good few years, and I’d love to dispense with formality when we’re not in a formal board meeting.”

“Of course. And I’d like for you to call me Kayah, rather than Dr. Summerhill.”

They discussed some of Summerhill’s cases involving corporate social responsibility issues, one of Claire’s areas of expertise. Claire noted with interest Summerhill’s assertion that companies should be required to provide information about their socially responsible initiatives and programs as part of any procurement negotiation. This sparked ideas in Claire’s mind about possible future electives, and they planned to meet for lunch during Summerhill’s next visit to Seattle to continue sharing their thoughts. 

They were soon joined by Adnan Gupta, and the conversation veered towards educational policy. Jay Rodrigo and Rachel Byrne worked their way into the small group, immediately focusing on Gupta’s opinions on standardized testing. This launched a robust new discussion on whether state testing measured true progress, and the extent to which ‘teaching to the test’ hindered creativity in students.

Claire felt a hand slide through the crook of her elbow, and she turned to see a smiling Ayesha Williams, anxiously waiting to lead Claire away for a tête-à-tête.

“Excuse me,” she smiled at the rest of the group, and left them to their discussion, while Ayesha guided her to a corner of the room, away from the others.

“Claire, I’m sorry to turn a professional meeting somewhat personal, but I have been dying to check in with you to find out how your girls are doing.”

“Oh, Ms. Williams-” Claire began.

“Ayesha, please!” Williams corrected her.

“Ayesha, I don’t even know how to thank you for your support of Jamie through all of this. He told me how kind you were to interrupt an important dinner to approve his flight home after the accident. And the Vancouver situation is just fantastic.”

“We absolutely adore Jamie at Panther. He really is one of the most likable actors in Hollywood. He’s kinda like Hugh Jackman - he has an amazing ability to build a hugely successful career, while maintaining a private and very happy personal life. All while circumventing the type of scandal that fandoms and tabloids try to foist on celebrities. Now, tell me how the girls’ recovery is going.”

Williams was a warm and engaging conversationalist, and Claire almost lost track of time as she listened to her extol Jamie's virtues. She revealed her utmost confidence that his Oscar nom was a fait accompli, despite it being relatively early in the annual Oscar timeline.

“I hope I get to see you at the _Unauthorized Contact_ premiere, Claire. Invitations to that event are like gold, and I will definitely be there.” 

“Yes, I’m planning on it.”

Claire caught a glimpse of Joe approaching them, looking at his watch. 

“Claire, I’m going to steal Ayesha from you. I know you need to get going too,” he winked at her, and she silently thanked him for giving her a few extra minutes to gather her belongings and head downstairs to wait for Jamie and the girls to pick her up.

  
  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  


Claire stepped on to the Fulton parking lot just as Jamie and the girls arrived.

They all piled out of the car to hug and congratulate her. Jamie squeezed all three of them in his arms, until the girls begged for mercy.

Laughing, they climbed back into the car and headed for Harborview Medical Center.

Claire updated them on the board developments en route, and there was even greater excitement at the news that funding had been approved and all seventeen women would be receiving scholarships. 

They also caught up on some of their Labor Day Weekend plans.

“Melissa will be in Olympia all weekend. She’s dropping off Henry’s Tesla at the Lukic house this evening, and Anton is meeting her there.”

“I’m glad the Model S is going to Aunt Suki. She’ll look after it,” Beth said softly.

“And it’s better for all of us that Melissa is dropping it off,” Ella added.

“Yes, sweetheart, Melissa sensed that it would be easier for everyone if she just quietly took the Tesla off our hands and delivered it herself.”

“With Mel gone all weekend, it's just the four of us. Is there anything special you girls want to do this weekend? Anywhere we can drop you off and pick you up?” Jamie asked.

“We haven't planned anything for Saturday or Sunday yet. Is it okay if Deacon comes over for dinner tonight? And Tyrone too?”

“I thought Deacon was busy all week with his Mom's visit,” Claire pointed out. 

“He is, but he asked her if he could come over to our house because we haven't seen each other for almost a whole week. His mom said yes and Beau and Colton are taking her out for dinner in downtown Seattle. She wants to see the Needle and Pike Market and stuff.” 

“Of course they can come over. What’s the deal with Tyrone?”

Beth shot Ella a look. “Ella and Ty are really good friends and he's been wanting to come see her since the accident.”

“Oh?” Claire was a little surprised that this was the first she’d heard of Ty and Ella’s friendship moving into a different realm.

“We’re just friends Mom,” Ella insisted, almost as if she’d read Claire’s mind. “Also, he gets on really well with Deacon.”

“Was Tyrone one of the friends at your summer party?” Jamie asked.

“Yes,” Ella replied. “He was wearing the number 3 Seahawks shirt.”

“That’s right! Another Russell Wilson fan. He and Deacon spent some time talking football on the patio while your Mam and I got dinner ready. Seems like a nice kid.”

“He is,” Beth responded, knowing that Ella would clam up. “Deacon really likes him. He’s probably among the top 3 football players at our school. He’s attended the Russell Wilson QB Academy a few times. And he’s already been scouted for a few colleges. Including Ohio State!”

“Mm-hmm. That all sounds great, but he’ll have to complete an application form if he’s planning on being a regular visitor. I’ll need to approve that application.” Jamie winked at Claire and she smirked back. 

“Jamie!” Ella exclaimed.

“I’m teasing you leannan. But I will definitely be scoping him out ... very discreetly. Like I did with Deacon.”

“You did?” Beth asked, unable to hide the shock in her voice.

“Of course, leannan. And see? You didn't even know I was doing it. I’m better than any undercover operative you’ve seen in the movies. Tyrone will never guess he’s the subject of a Fraser surveillance operation.”

“Oh my God!” Ella sighed.

“He’s really just teasing you, sweetheart,” Claire reassured Ella.

“I am. Mostly. How about you all hang out on the covered patio tonight,” Jamie suggested. “We’ll light the fire table for you guys, because it’s a little cooler at night now. Your Mam and I will find stuff to do inside.” 

“That would be awesome. We might do s’mores and a movie. I won’t be able to watch the whole movie, but Deacon and I will play pinball or something if my head starts to hurt.”

On arrival at Harborview, they checked in at reception and completed their mandatory Covid screening. Claire texted Vicki to let her know that the girls had a cookie delivery for the nurses’ station. Vicki would be on duty later that evening, but she asked Claire to leave the package at reception, and she would stop by to pick it up en route to the 5th floor. She sent her best wishes to the girls, and hoped that they could reconnect in person soon. The twins left the beautifully-presented, heart-shaped cookies with a receptionist who promised to keep an eye on them until Vicki picked it up.

“I know Vicki personally, so I'll make sure she gets this,” he reassured them.

The family was accompanied to Imaging by an orderly, who told them they would probably have a 10 to 20 minute wait. They sat in a small cluster in a corner of the large waiting area and waited for the imaging techs to call them. Ella would need to have her hand X-rayed, and Beth needed a CT scan ahead of the consultation with their surgeons.   
  


The girls sat on a bench against the wall, leaving Jamie and Claire to sit in tub chairs opposite each other. While the girls were engrossed in TikToks on Ella’s phone, Claire eyed the display of informational brochures on the wall. Two rows of brochures were dedicated to womens’ health issues, and they were a reminder that she needed to follow up with UW Admissions on a few points. Foremost in her mind was to ensure that Admissions continue the enrollment process for all seventeen women, and start the applications for UW’s International Student Health Insurance Plan. The health plan was a prerequisite for admission, and she didn’t want anything delaying the process for her seventeen students.

Grabbing her phone from her bag, she tapped out an email to Admissions and requested an urgent meeting on Tuesday morning to go over several action items. She needed to reassure herself that they were being properly handled. 

While she tapped away on her phone, Jamie weighed up his reading options on the coffee table. He had a choice between a months old copy of Teen Vogue, a stack of fairly recent National Enquirer magazines or a well read copy of Women's Health. He had no interest in the gossip tabloids or teen fashion, so he opted for Women’s Health to pass the time until they would head upstairs to meet with the surgeons. 

Jamie’s attention was fixed on an article in the magazine until a loud voice from the far end of the waiting area caught his attention.

“Beth Beauchamp-Randall?” 

Beth stood up and Claire and Jamie jumped to their feet. The lab tech walked over briskly and verified Beth’s details on his clipboard. 

“You won’t be allowed to come along, Mom and Dad,” he said, looking from Claire to Jamie and addressing them in the friendly way he did with all families. “Covid restrictions, I'm afraid. We’re literally just on the other side of that wall, and this is the closest seating area anyway. We’ll be about 20 minutes max.”

Claire reached out and squeezed Beth’s hand. “I’ll see you soon sweetheart.” 

“We’ll be right here, leannan,” Jamie added. 

Beth smiled gamely and walked away with the technician. 

Before Jamie and Claire could resume their seats, another loud voice called out, “Ella Beauchamp-Randall?”

Ella stood up and the lab tech made her way over, quickly completing a similar verification of her details.

“I’m guessing this is the nearest seating area for X-rays too?” Claire asked.

“Yes. We ask that parents stay out here, away from the X-ray zone. We shouldn’t be longer than 10 to 15 minutes.”

Ella was standing closer to Jamie, and he put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. “We’ll see you shortly, leannan.” 

She nodded and walked away with the lab tech.

Claire and Jamie sat down again and looked at each other across the coffee table.

“Twenty minutes is not too bad - especially for a busy Friday afternoon in this hospital.” She shrugged. “I’m just going to finish off one more email.” 

“Sounds good. I’m almost done reading an article here.”

A few minutes later her phone buzzed and she tapped on her messages. It was a text from Jamie. 

**Did I tell u how hot u look in that dress? I like that it reveals a bit of boob from this angle. And the way it rides up ur legs in that chair is 🤤**

She looked up at him and held his gaze. He watched her through narrowed eyes as she crossed her legs, sliding one slowly and sensuously over the other, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her thighs as she did so.

**Ur killing me, babe**

**_Enjoying the view?_ **

**More than u know. Thank you for that** **_Basic Instinct_ ** **moment. Are u wearing panties? Can’t tell from here**

**Y _es!_ **

**That’s too bad**

**_Inappropriate, ‘Dad’ ..._ **

He looked up and smiled at her reference to the lab tech’s error. 

**That made me all mushy**

**_I knew it would - ur a big softie and I love you_ **

**Love you too. I’m bursting with pride for u right now! Ur killing it this week! How do u want to celebrate ur HBR article?**

**_I’m up for a relaxed evening at home with u, TBH. We’ve had so many big evening meals this week. We should keep it simple tonight. I can make my super-quick Greek lentil soup. The girls love it and I think u will too._ **

**I love everything u make, babe.** ****

**_Wait, I’m thinking the girls might want something else, since the boys are coming. Lentil soup isn’t exactly exciting teen fare._ **

**We can fire up the pizza oven for them. We have frozen pizza bases. I like the sound of ur soup for us, though. Netflix and chill afterwards?**

**_Now ur talking! A Star is Born? But it’ll have to be just Netflix while the teens are around. Chill will have to wait. Why are we texting? We’re just a few feet apart_ **

**Because it’s more fun. And because I can send u stuff like this 👅 🍯 💦 😈**

**_Ur still incorrigible. Since day 1!_ **

She looked up at him, shaking her head and smiling at his silliness. He quirked an eyebrow suggestively at her, and she tapped on her phone.

**_Don’t look at me like that here, it makes my lady parts all tingly, NGL_ **

He looked up at her, a little startled.

**U can’t text me that and expect me to behave!**

**_I can and I did_ ** **💋💋💋** **_U got anything else in mind for a late night celebration?_ **

**Have u got ur AirPods in that fancy Chanel bag?**

**_Yes_**

**Put them in - some musical poetry coming ur way**

**_Here?_ **

She threw him a look, and he winked at her.

**Yep**

She put in her AirPods and he texted her a link to “You Can Leave Your Hat On” by Joe Cocker. She tapped ‘play’, and hearing just the first few bars of the song made her giggle aloud. He chuckled along with her.

**_Are u serious? This is your choice for musical poetry today?_ **

**Yes, and I’m wounded that u don’t like my selection.** **My favorite line: ‘Baby take off your dress…’**

**_U just told me how much u liked my dress_ **

**I do. But I’d like to watch u take it off**

They looked up at each other, and smiled slowly, their eyes revealing what their face-masks concealed. Claire tapped on her phone again.

**_He also sings ‘Baby take off your shoes’_ **

**I know - that’s my least favorite line**

She shifted in her chair again, and re-crossed her legs, angling herself so that he could clearly see her shoe. He let his eyes linger on the arch of her foot for a moment, before looking up at her. The tiny crinkling around his eyes told her he was smiling his crooked little smile. 

**Are we making it an early night again tonight?**

**_U mean like last night, Fraser? That definitely didn’t qualify for ‘early night’ status_ **

**Didn’t hear any complaints from u. Heard a lot of noises, but zero complaints**

**_I didn’t have any_ **

**Glad u were satisfied with the service**

**_Oh, I was. But you’ll need to make the most of it tonight. Dear Aunt Flo arrives in the next day or two_ **

**Brace yourself for a wild night then. If ur decommissioning me for a few days, u better believe I’m going to make tonight count**

**Y _ou’ll need to line up that musical poetry tonight. You’re getting a show - maybe even a lap dance_ **

**Tell me again how I got so lucky 😍😍**

**🥰🥰** **_I love you, you big goober. Even when ur musical poetry is ridiculous_ **

**I love you more. And my favorite line - for real - is ‘You give me reason to live’**

Ella emerged from the X-ray wing and Jamie and Clare quickly tapped out of their messages. The lab tech explained to them how to get to Ortho for her follow-up with the surgeons. Ten minutes later, Beth joined them with instructions on how to get to Neuro. They gathered their belongings and headed to the elevators.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  


Beth’s contusion, small to begin with, had reduced further in size, making her neurologist very happy. He still wanted Beth to observe their concussion protocol for a few more weeks, and okayed an increase in her screen time by about 10 minutes per day, barring the onset of headaches. 

“You can start driving short distances sometime next week, and see how that goes. Mom or Dad need to be with you the first couple of times,” he looked pointedly at Jamie and Claire, and they nodded. “It’s kinda like screen time - start with a short drive, and see how you tolerate it. Then add a few minutes per day until Mom and Dad are confident that you’re doing well enough to drive solo.”

The neuro asked to see her again in 3 weeks’ time for a final CT scan and consultation. 

Jamie and Claire held Beth’s hands tightly as the neuro removed the staples from her head wound. Ella couldn’t watch, so she put in her AirPods and listened to music, focusing on the song lyrics that scrolled through her screen. 

The medical assistant applied a small dressing to the almost-healed wound. “In about a week, you can lose the dressing completely. Don’t pick at the scab. We're sending you home with a packet of waterproof bandaids in various sizes. Keep a large band-aid on when you wash your hair - again just for the coming week. After that, you’re pretty much back to normal as far as the laceration goes."

Beth ran her fingers over the stubbly regrowth on her shaved patch of scalp and giggled. “It’s all prickly. Kinda like Deacon’s chin-“ she stopped short and blushed furiously. 

Claire looked at Jamie and tried not to smile. He attempted to save Beth, but made it worse.

“Don’t worry, leannan, it’ll grow out in no time at all. You’re lucky you have your Mam’s beautiful hair. Curls cover all sorts of things.”

Claire widened her eyes at him, and he reddened slightly. Both were relieved Ella didn’t hear that comment, and Beth was still too focused on her own embarrassment. 

Jamie couldn’t get out of there fast enough, and Claire’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as they followed the girls to the elevator for Ella’s appointment.

Thankfully, there were no blunders during Ella’s consultation. The ortho studied Ella’s before and after X-rays and declared that she was very pleased with how well her fingers were healing. There was still some swelling, as expected, but the X-rays showed excellent progress and healing. 

“The type of pinning we did on Ella’s fingers was K-wire stabilization. It’s fairly straightforward to remove, and we’ll do that right here in my consulting rooms in about three weeks. Please schedule that before you leave. Today, we’re going to remove that giant dressing and splint, and re-bandage Ella’s fingers individually, so that she has a little more mobility. We’re going to give her a hand brace and all three fingers will be stabilized and supported in that, but it will still give her more flexibility. I’m also writing a referral for physical and occupational therapy, which I’d like her to start next week.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

The mood during the car ride home was festive and jubilant. The girls were excited about some of their physical restrictions being relaxed, they were thrilled that the seventeen women would be enrolled at Fulton by the end of the following week, and they were ecstatic about Claire's incredible professional achievements over the course of the preceding week. Additionally, Beth would soon be driving again.

“How awesome is the timing? Our new Tesla arrives next week, and I’ve just been cleared to start driving it. Jamie, will you come with me while I drive - at least for the first few times? Mom will be back on campus for Orientation Week.”

“Of course, leannan.”

“I’ll come too,” Ella said. “For moral support.”

“Don't forget that once your hand is healed, we’ll be doing that defensive driving course," Claire reminded her. "All four of us are doing it. It’ll be helpful for all of us to learn some of those techniques.”

“Yeah, we mentioned that to Serena during therapy, and she thought it was a great idea. We’re seeing her on Tuesday, right? Ella?”

“Yes. I’m sure I added it to your calendar. Here let me check.” Ella checked Beth’s phone, and added, “We need to WhatsApp Aunty Jenny about our medical appointments. We promised we’d do that.”

“And Nonna too.”

“And your father. Kelly confirmed that he got back from England yesterday morning. Has he reached out yet?”

“Nope.”

Jamie’s jaw muscles rippled, but he remained silent and Claire quickly changed the subject. 

“As soon as we get home, I’ll schedule your physical therapy. We’ll go to the place we went to when Beth hurt her shoulder at cheer. It’s close to our house, and I thought they were really awesome. I’ll ask Lauren for a recommendation for an occupational therapist. She had someone who came to the house when she had carpal tunnel surgery. It would be really convenient to have someone come over and work with you at home, Ella.”

“Lauren from up the road? She had carpal tunnel surgery?” Jamie asked.

“Mm-hmm. Last year.”

“We should have her and her family over some time, Claire. They’ve brought us meals and have been really great neighbors in general. Always there when we need something.”

“You’re right, we should. Maybe when things have settled after back-to-school.”

“Don’t you love that Jamie pretty much knows all our friends and neighbors and the important people in our lives?” Beth remarked quietly.

“I know, right?” Ella whispered, but not quietly enough. “Even the Harborview people think he’s our Dad.”

Claire and Jamie glanced at each other and grinned. They listened to the back-and-forth chatter of the twins making plans for their last weekend of summer break. Their discussion included Deacon, Tyrone, Ashlee, Hannah, pinball and Foosball, TikToks, more s’mores, and Molly Moon’s ice cream. 

“My head’s spinning with all their plans. Sounds like a lot of sugar and maybe too much screen time for Beth,” Claire said, loud enough for only Jamie to hear.

“She’s good about stopping when it starts to hurt her head. We should let them have at it. They need an awesome last weekend before school starts. It’ll wrap up what was a pretty crazy summer for them.”

“You’re right,” she sighed, resting her head back and smiling at him. 

He glanced at her and smiled back. “What a week! We’re almost home, my love.”

Reaching for her hand, he raised it to his lips and her diamond bracelet slid down to expose her pulse point. He kissed her wrist tenderly and rested her hand on his thigh. He held it there gently, unconsciously caressing the soft skin of her naked ring finger.

* * *

* * *

*** See first comment for notes/moodboards/pictures and next chapter post date. Click on 'Comments'.***


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